ONE NIGHT (33 page)

center. However, she works with this NGO during the day. Her job is to

fundraise with corporate. I heard she is doing well. I guess when male

executives hear such a hot woman ask for money for a good cause, they

cannot say no. most of them are probably staring at her navel ring when they

are signing the cheque. Apart from that, Vroom asked her out on a coffee

semi-date (whatever that means) for next week and I think she said yes.

Military Uncle got a visa for the US and went to make amends with his

son. He has not come back, so things must be working out. Radhika is fighting

her divorce case with her husband, and has moved in with Esha. She is also

planning to visit her parents for a while. Anuj has apologized, but Radhika is

in no mood to relent yet.

Priyanka works at Connexions as well, but in six months she will go to

college for an accelerated one0-year B.Ed. We decided that marriage is at

least two years away. Right now, we meet often but the first focus is career.

Her mother faked three heart attacks when Priyanka said no to Ganesh, but

Priyanka yawned every single time until her mom gave up on the heart attack

front and closed the Ganesh file.

So looks like things are working out. As for me as a person, I still feel

the same for the most part. However, there is a difference. I used to feel I

was a good-for-nothing non-achiever. But that is not true. After all, I helped

save lots of jobs at a call center, taught my boss a lesson, started my own

company, was chosen over a big-catch NRI groom by a wonderful girl and now

I even finished a whole book. this means that i) I can do whatever I really

want ii) God is always with me and iii) there is no such thing as a loser after

all.

‘Wow,’ I said, some story that was.’ She nodded. And had a sip of water

from her bottle. She held the bottle tight to prevent the water from spilling

over in the moving train.

‘Thank you,’ I said, ‘it made our night go by pretty quickly.’

I checked the time; it was close to 7 a.m. Our journey was almost over.

Delhi was les than an hour away. The train was tearing through the night, and

deep into the horizon, I could see a streak of saffron light up the sky.

‘So, you liked it?’

‘Yes, it was fun. But also, it made me think. I want through a similar

phase like Shyam, at work and in my personal life. I wish I had known this

story then. It might have made me do things differently, or at least would

have made me feel less bad.’

‘There you go. It is one of those rare stories that is fun but can help you

as well. And that is why I am asking you to share it. You ready to make it into

a book?’ she said, replacing the cap on the water bottle.

‘I guess. It will take your time though,’ I said.

‘For sure. And I will give you all the people’s details. Feel for to contact

tem if you want. Through which of them will you tell the story?’

‘Shyam. Like I said, he and his story are a lot like mine. I relate to him a

lot; I had similar problems. My own dark side.’

‘Really? That’s interesting,’ she said. ‘It is true through, we all have a

dark side—something we don’t like about ourselves, something that makes us

angry and something we want to change about ourselves. The difference is

how we choose to face it.’

I nodded. The train rocked in a soothing, gentle motion. We were silent

until I spoke after a few minutes.

‘Listen, sorry to say this. There it one issue I think readers may have

with this story.’

‘What?’

‘The conversation with God.’

She smiled.

‘What’s the issue with that,’ she said.

‘Well, just that—some people may not buy it. One has to present reality

in a story. Readers always say, “tell me what really happened”. So in the

context, how is this “God calling” going to fit in?’

‘Why? You don’t think that can happen?’ she said shifting in her seat.

Her blanket moved, uncovering a book I had not noticed before.

‘Well, I don’t know. It obviously does not happen a lot. I mean, things

need to have a rational, scientific explanation.’

‘Really? Does everything in life work that way?’

‘I guess?’

‘Well, let’s see. You said you did not know why, but you could really

relate to Shyam. What’s the scientific and rational explanation for that?’

I thought for a few moments but could not think of a suitable answer.

She saw me fidgeting and looked amused.

‘Please try and understand,’ I said. ‘Calls from God don’t happen a lot.

How can I write about that?’

‘Okay, listen. I am going to give you an alternative to the ‘God’s phone

call” bit. A rational one, okay?’ she said and kept her bottle away.

‘What alternative?’ I said.

‘Let’s rewind a bit. So they drove into a pit and the Qualis it trapped,

suspended by rods, right? You okay with that part?’

‘Right. I can live with that,’ I said.

‘And then they felt the end was near. There was no hope in life—

literally and figuratively. Agreed?’

‘Agreed,’ I said.

‘Okay,’ she continued, ‘so let’s just say that, at that moment, Military

Uncle spoke up. He said “I noticed you guys are in an unusual situation here,

so I thought I should intervene and give you some advice”.’

‘That’s exactly what God said,’ I said.

‘Correct. And from that point on, whatever God said, you can substitute

as if Military Uncle said it. He told them about success, the inner call and all

those other things.’

‘Really? Is that what happened?’ I said.

‘No. I did not say that. I just said you have the option to do that; so that

everything appears more scientific, more rational. You understand my point?’

‘Yes,’ I said.

‘So, you choose whichever version you want in the main story. It will,

after all, be your story.’

I nodded.

‘But can I ask you one question?’

‘Sure,’ I said.

‘Which of the two is a better story?’

I thought for a second.

‘The one with God in it,’ I said.

‘Just like life. Rational or not, it just gets better with God in it.’

I reflected on her words for a few minutes. She became silent. I looked

at her face she looked even better in the light of dawn.

‘Well, looks like Delhi is coming son,’ she said and looked out. The fields

had ended, and we could see the houses of Delhi’s border villages.

‘Yeah, the trip is over,’ I said. ‘Thanks for everything—err, let me guess,

Esha right?’ I stood up to shake her hand.

‘Esha? Why did you think I was her?’

‘Because you are so good–looking.’

‘Thanks,’ she laughed, ‘but sorry, I am not Esha.’

‘So? Priyanka?’ I said.

‘No.’

‘Don’t tell me—Radhika?’

‘No, I am not Radhika either,’ she said.

‘Well then…who are you?’

She just smiled.

That is when it struck me. She was a girl, she knew the full story, but

she was not Esha, Priyanka or Radhika. Which meant there was only one

alternative left.

‘So…that means…oh my…’ My whole body shook as I found it difficult to

balance. I felt down on my knees. Her face shone, and bright sunlight entered

our compartment in one stroke.

I looked up at her as she smiled. She had an open book next to her. It

was the English translation of a holy text. My eyes focused on a few lines on

the page that lay open:

Always think of Me, become My devotes, worship Me and offer your

homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I Promise you this

because you are My very dear friend.

‘What,’ I said as I felt my head spin. Maybe the sleepless night was

catching up. But she just smiled and smiled. She raised her hand and kept in

on my head.

‘I don’t know that to say,’ I said in the blinding light.

A sense of tiredness engulfed me as the sleepless night took its toll. I

closed my eyes.

When I opened them, the train had stopped, and I knelt on the floor

with my head down. The train was at Delhi Station. The cacophony of porters,

tea sellers and passenger movement rang in my ears. I slowly looked up at her

seat—but she was gone.

‘Sir, will you get out on your own or do you need help,’ a porter tapped

my shoulder.

FINISH