Our Story

Chapter 3

Next morning, I left home again at the same time. Waiting for the metro on the subway, I started checking my previous post. There was a reply to my comment from my boss, "Yeah, absolutely buddy."

I thought, Okay ! let's see, and replied with just a smiley emoji.

The metro was on the platform at 8:20 AM. Before getting into it, I peered through the window to look for her.

And was disappointed because she wasn't there. Then slowly turned from there to get inside and stare at the door. My eyes saw the girl I was searching for. She was three meter away from me, near the door and was about to get inside the metro. Then her eyes also fell on me.

I previously thought she was from some other station. But, she and I were from the same.

I was surprisingly shocked to see her there, was happy from inside but that expression didn't came to my face because that idiotic plainness was my habit.

Giving me a strange look she got on the metro and.....he too. Huff !

Just behind her. How can I forget him ? The man was staring at me as if he wanted to throw me under the same metro.

I was very thankful for the crowd present on the subway.

It was clear from his face that he must have seen me and he must have understood why I was peeping inside. Well, he went inside the metro couch. Following him, I also went inside and quickly grabbed the seat from where I could see her properly, at the same place where I was standing the previous day. And quietly kept my eyes on her, hiding from her father's eyes.

Both of them were talking to two other middle aged men on their side seats. I perceived that they must have known each other. Or maybe not, well that doesn't matter. For me, she was the only one who mattered.

After a while, she glanced around and her eyes stopped on her opposite seat.

Her father was busy talking to those two men. Without fearing I followed her sight and looked on her opposite side where she was looking at. It was a baby girl, nearly 1 - 2 aged, with her mother. I kept on staring at them but couldn't see her mother's face.

As the kid noticed her, she hid her face, playing peek-a- boo with her. Reminds me that mom used to tell me, when I was young, I used to play the same like that with Rachel. I loved her a lot when she was a baby girl.

The baby giggled and SHE smiled, looking at her laughing.

Seeing both that way, I felt the corner of my mouth rise as well and I asked myself, "What the hell, James. What's happening to you !?" And controlled myself.

A notification tone rang and I saw a message on i********:.

I started typing my reply. My thumbs were on the keyboard but my eyes slowly shifted again on her and made me realize my interest was now somewhere else. In just two days !!

Few minutes later, she along with the other three men got down on their spot. I was delighted because now I knew that I was going to see her at the same time, same metro everyday.

Again to the office, my boss and I reached the office at the same time.

He looked at me and said, "Hey, drowsy. Competing with me, huh?"

I just wanted to kick his butt, but I gave him a fake smile.

He loved to trouble me without any specific reason.

Never mind, I came into my cubicle, started my work and waited for the next morning.

Next day, I quickly finished all my morning work and ran to the subway. After reaching there, I began to search for her. She wasn't there. I clicked on my mobile and it was displaying 8:14 AM. Still 6 minutes left for the metro to arrive on the platform. I again glanced around for her and my sight finally found her stepping down stairs.

She was coming towards the platform and getting close to me with every step, then she slowly looked at the platform where I was standing.

As she saw me, strange excitement flowed through my veins and I don't know why, I immediately turned around to hide myself. In that rush, I collided with a girl, who was standing just behind me.

Then that happened which I used to avoid the most. One sided argument !

She was a short girl with a high pitched voice, anyone could hear her even a mile away.

And she began berating me, "Can't you walk straight? It's the subway, not your home."

Her pointy nose hit my chest, so logically I should be the one to yell at her. But still I thought I should apologize moreover she and her loud voice made me nervous. I stammered a little, "Sorry ! I didn’t expected anyon....."

"...didn't expected Any-woman ?" She stopped me with pure aggression in her voice. "Are you the gender stereotype, who thinks women can't be out of home ? Do you think we belong to the kitchen ?"

I frowned and thought in my mind, "Wait ! What? When did I say something shitty like that?" But didn't speak a single word to her, otherwise she'll take that too in another way.

And as for her question…. Well ! I do believe women belong to the kitchen, everyone belongs to the kitchen actually. We all eat food and the kitchen has food.

Ok, back to that situation, I was keeping my eyes on the track hoping that those 6 min would pass quickly, but that time was taking too long.

Then hopefully our metro was on the platform and I hurriedly got inside, hoping that she wouldn't come inside the same metro.

But unfortunately that cranky girl got inside too, followed me to my seat and stood just in front of me. She continued her scolding and lecture on gender discrimination and was making me even more nervous.

I was only thinking about 'HER' keeping my eyelids down, "’SHE’ must be watching all the drama. What would 'SHE' be thinking of me ?"

Lost in my bad thoughts, I wasn't listening exactly to what that cranky girl was lecturing about but a bit I heard, she started from me, then came on my dad, then on every man in my family and ended on the whole of mankind.

Few minutes later, the metro stopped on a platform and that cranky girl finally stepped down from our metro. I let out a sigh of relief but her penetrating voice was echoing in my ear.

All that time I was sitting the same, keeping my head down and didn’t try to look at ‘HER’ for a single moment.

When the metro stopped at her station and she was leaving, my eyes darted at her to see her for the last time and to make my day better but my eyes hit that man, giving me an evil grin. As he was thankful to that cranky girl.

His face matched in both my father's and uncle Paul's but none of his actions matched them.

Huh ! Lout .