Kabhi Kabhi Aditi.. - A story

        It was the interschool debate in Delhi - the Year 2010. A team of 4-5 members per school was handpicked to represent their individual schools. Kshitij, got down amidst the chaos of Karol Bagh as he looked up starry-eyed at the 'Royal Reganza' hotel which was to house all the students. It was the first time he was out on a trip away from home. All the students, around that jumpy, confused age of fourteen to sixteen, escorted by a teacher were accommodated in this three-star. Kshitij and his senior Rahul were the last ones left now in the lobby, yet to be allocated rooms. Kshitij could see his teacher arguing with the hotel manager quite animatedly. She walked over to them frustrated and handed them the room keys. "Sorry boys, the hotel manager has messed up the allocation. You'll be sharing with Anu miss and another girl from St. Augustine's Ludhiana."

       Kshitij and Rahul, his senior who was the conference veteran made their way to the third floor, lugging their bags along. Kshitij knocked and entered the already occupied room. The hotel staff had laid two mattresses on the floor beside the queen bed in the room. "This is it, man. This is it", sighed Rahul as he plopped beside his duffel bag on the mattress. As adolescent boys go, Kshitij and Rahul would lie probably more on the conforming end of the spectrum. The door opened and in came a frustrated-looking middle-aged woman. The expression, quite the trademark for a teacher who had just hauled in teenage pests. She saw the boys lounging around and quickly put up a teacher-face, you'd know what it looked like if you too spent 14 years of your childhood facing one every day at school. With her came a girl about their age, Kankshi - Kshitij remembered the very unique-sounding name.

        He settled in for a 3long awkward days of sharing rooms, being coy and shy around. At least he'd have Rahul for company. Even before Kshitij could complete this thought, Rahul chimed in, "Adios man. Going to catch up with my old mates from last year. They are catching up on the fourth floor. Goodbye!". "There he goes, at least he could have asked me to tag along. Damn these seniors", rued Kshitij as he sat down to go through his preparation notes for the next day. The teacher got up, having judged that the kids were not going to be as troubling as the others she had just hauled in from Ludhiana, and made her way toward the door. "I'll be back in 10 mins. Kankshi, go through your notes for the eco committee agenda.". "Yes Miss", Kankshi duly replied and got down to ruffling through her bags on the bed.

       Kshitij and Kankshi sat in silence. The silence gunning to aim for the most awkward one in the history of awkward silences there have been. Kshitij fished out a Nokia 1100, his parents had given him for the journey, and started dabbling around on Snake Xenia trying to break his high score. He heard he sigh, her Samsung Corby out now as she played a song... 

"Kabhi Kabhi, Aditi... yunhi koi apna lagta... aise mein koi kaise soch le everything's gonna be okay..."

        There was something about the song. He hadn't heard this one yet. Kshitij dared not look up from the mattress which suddenly seemed too interesting to take his eyes off, lest it betray his wildly thumping heart. The song filled out the entirety of 3 mins 29 seconds in the room. He heard another sigh as the song ended. Kankshi switched off the table lamp beside the bed, "Good Night", she said to no one in particular and settled down for her good night's sleep. Kshitij heard the door open as the teacher came back in. Kshitij hadn't moved a bit, the notes still open right in front of him. He settled down and let out a deep sigh of relief, afraid she'd hear his thumping chest from across the room. He shuffled around as he lay down, dreaming of a tune, he'd associate now forever with Delhi, with these 3 mins 29 seconds, with hanging goodnights, with something he couldn't probably explain.

        Kshitij and Kankshi hardly spoke throughout the 3 days, but the song and her hanging goodnights were the only constants he looked forward to. After a tiring day spent arguing with ENFPs over matters none of them fully comprehended. On the last day, Kshitij tried to muster up some courage and finally say something. But even as the top Debater of St Francis, Mumbai found himself lacking words. He couldn't speak up. As he sat down by the window of his bus, Kshitij could swear that he saw Kankshi steal a glimpse of him as their buses crossed paths on the way back to their states. Back to their homes which marked the diagonal ends of the country. Alas it was not to be.

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12 years Later...

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    The last local to CST chugged away on its regular route. With its hardly populated benches, the pandemic had left its mark. People from behind their masks were yet to trust the locals again completely. But there were a few souls who housed the coach on this one train. 

'Tanan tan, tanan tan, tanan tan tan... Kabhi kabhi Aditi...'

The tune brought back Kshitij from his drowsy dream of eating vada pav at his favorite stall again someday. His ears perked as a wistful smile unknowingly found a home on his tired lips. It had been long since he had heard this one. He looked up from his laptop bag perched on his legs to seek the source of the tune. Strange how some songs work. Triggering memories of days almost more than a decade ago. Even as he reminisced about the song, he saw a fellow passenger across the coach. She fumbled to pick up her phone. These masks had reduced all of them two a pair of eyes and sweaty brows. That is all Kshitij could make about her appearance. He thought he saw a twinkle as their eyes met momentarily. Nah! the 1.40 am last local was playing tricks with his sleepy mind, aching to crash into a bed that lay waiting for him back home. She stood up adjusting her handbag on her shoulder and passed by him as the train slowed down to a halt. Kshitij looked up and could swear he heard her say something from beyond the mask. Was it Scotch brite? Why would she say that? Kshitij shook his head and was about to doze off again. Just as the train jerked away from the platform, the one brain cell awake in his head formed the words- good night. Kshitij rushed up, fully awake now, and made his way towards, trying to get off the train which was now chugging out of the end of the platform.

        As he got off the platform, he looked around. There was no one to be seen. "Damn! So silly of me.", he swore aloud as he tried to fish out his phone to book a cab. This is going to be an expensive ride back home. "So stupid Kshitij. So Stupid", he said out loud as he let out a tired sigh.

'Kabhi kabhi Aditi...'

Kshitij turned around sharply, his laptop bag almost slinging off his shoulder. There she was on the other platform, right across. He in all his drowsiness had alighted on the wrong platform side. Kankshi smiled as she lowered her mask from across the tracks on the other side. Their eyes met as everything came rushing in. Kshitij grinned and waved at her. This time it wasn't going to take another twelve years and a familiar tone for either of them to speak up. Probably Aditi was right all this while. 'Kabhi kabhi aditi, yunhi koi apna lagta hai...kabhi kabhi aditi yunhi koi bichad jaye to sapna lagta hai...'

The End...