Today started rather odd. On my way to office while boarding
the train to work, a random girl started smiling and waving at me. I naturally
thought there must be someone standing behind me and that enthusiastic wave is
meant for that person. Don't you just hate it when that happens? I ignored this
girl; I got into the train, took a seat, put my earplugs in and carried on with
the book I was reading (Gone Girl, by G Flynn).
Soon the trained reached my station, too soon actually I was
getting to the part where Amy's diary gets discovered, and I got down from the
train. And there she was again, this time right in front me, looking straight
at me. Surely there was no confusion anymore, I took out my earplugs and asked
her if I knew her. She poked at my arm saying, I am being a typical guy, and of
course I knew her. She used to living in the same hostel building as me in
Pune. We used to eat dinners together in the canteen at times. We did? Did I
ever eat in that canteen? I always had a serious dislike for canteen sort of
food. There was no way they can afford chicken at those prices, who knows what
sort of bird they we end up eating in those places. Plus the oil, there is
always a layer of oil floating on top of every curry they ever make.
I just pretended that I did remember her, asked how she was,
how come she is in Mumbai, does she work here now, blah blah, the usual. All
the while I was trying to remember her name. Damn, I've no clue who she was and
here she was talking about the biotech course that my sister (she remembered
even her name!) was taking in college. Did I really talk about my sister with
her? Who is this girl?
I was practically jogging by then, trying to reach my office
building as soon as possible to avoid extending this conversation any longer
than it needs to be. Don't get me wrong, the girl was not hideous or anything.
Actually she was really pretty in a way. Small and petite, that's always cute.
Remember, I am a really tall guy walking fast, so she probably had to run to
keep up with me. And that she did. She talked all the way to office. We reached
her office first, she demanded my number, got me to promise to keep in touch
and we departed our ways. Her joking about something related to a blue moon or
something, or was a glue cartoon? Not really sure, she talked way too fast to
keep up with half the things she said.
Now here I am at work, done with the pending tasks from
yesterday and the crucial ones for today. And all I can think about is that
girl. How can I not remember someone? I am always the one who remembers faces.
I recognize people I have only met once decades ago and still remember stories
about them. My memory might be devastating when it comes to math and such, but
with people I am really good.
So I sat there and started to recollect the hostel that she
was talking about. It was a mixed hostel, had both guys and girls staying
there. I remembered that distinctly. I also remember that there was a canteen
near the hostel where folks from there used to go for supper. I can remember
Only two people from
that time, and one of them only because I actually knew him before 2013.
2013. That infamous black hole of my life. Damn, whenever
something of this sort happens I can easily map it to this period of total
chaos. There were so many things constantly happening with me and to me, I
still have no idea what truly went down in those twelve month. Them shrinks
call it PTSD or something. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, does that mean there
was something that bad in 2013 that my brain is trying its best to completely
record over. Damn, no I am curious what that might be. In our totally mediocre
daily routine, I'd be really shocked to know that something this traumatic can
actually happen to someone. It’s not like we are the 20-somethings fighting war
killing people. Or out there getting abused on a daily basis. I sure hope no
one is.
2013, draws a complete blank inside my head at times. So if
you met me during this time. Or if there was something I did or say during this
time. Please don't think too much of it, I was probably working on auto-pilot
all that time. And if you had loaned me some money during that time.
Definitely, forget about it.
Today, I plan go through my 2013 Facebook and Blogger posts.
Maybe I'd find some clues to the puzzle there.
No comments:
Post a Comment