The night I met her ...

It was 8:40 PM and in 5 minutes the last bus leaves. Yet, I was sitting in my cabin, surrounded by a maze of empty cabins, with some of them having glowing monitors, whose occupants never cared to switch it off, leave alone shutting down the CPU. The lights in my ODC were as bright as ever, the AC was spot on to the ambient temperature, all of these were designed to mask our senses from the outside elements and work with diligence on the assigned work. After hours of warming my seat with body heat, I had not moved the seemingly final inch towards completion of the Software Enhancement that was given to me, as you guessed, it takes more than seat warming capabilities and a lot of brain waves to finish the work in time. A momentary glance at the system clock perched on the bottom of the screen, made me aware of the space and time that engulfed me. I realized, that I had to give a clean build to the Software merge that I had performed some two days ago. My Project manager, had a ambitious plan of making me billable within 3 months, which is normal by industry standards, raising the bar every quarter, meaning it would be within 2 months, for the next quarter, going by the dollar decline, because every member who is billable in the project, the client shells out generous amounts for every hour we work … ( **** Americans. A tough task lay await for the greenhorns of the next quarter … ha ha ha … Screw them up … harder !!! ).

The enhancement and the merge were given to me in quick succession, so as to build my resume before the client interview. Ahhh, the client interview loomed large before my head, it was like an earworm, clearing it would mean, I would stay in this project, else, I would be shown the door to become part of the free pool, which was quite cool, but with many of my college mates becoming billable, I had to become billable to maintain my status in the gang. It was all smooth sailing, when I took on this challenge, but I was hit by a truck, on the final stage of this enhancement, which became the sole reason for my leaving late syndrome. My merge as well as the enhancement that I was given, slipped the SLA time-limit on Wednesday, and I am yet to finish it. *Now lets don’t dig into it, it’s a labyrinth, where effort and time go in waste without finding a solution*. It takes more than 6 hours for the compilation to complete and build images. I was advised by my mentors to do it when I leave, so that it would be completed when I come for work the next day. I was also advised to be unashamed of any scathing remarks about contributing to productivity, the module leader would be showering down upon me during the team-meeting. My fellow team-members take pride in their thick-skinned attitude of come-what-may-I-will-do-what-I-can-do (Gosh … it takes time to be confident to grasp it). Being, a fresher I am not prepared to face that, yet I was able put up a brave and resilient face towards them and the impending enhancement, actually with butterflies flying in my stomach.

By the way I leave very late these days ... much to the agony of my parents, who wait till I arrive to have our family dinner. (They are adamant, what shall I do -.- )

And my seemingly unproductive brain, sneezed for a second, giving way for sanity, that’s when I snapped from the melodrama of "Oh shit ... when will this be over". Literally, I ran to the lab and plugged out the console port of the switch that I was testing. I had to reboot the switch, coz I had corrupted its working directory with shit images from my failing enhancement adventures, for which the easiest way was, taking off the power cord and insert it back !!!. Our lab is like an Amazon forest with cables all over, some of them hanging from the ceiling, some 2 feet above the ground, placed with an evil intention that someone would drip and pull the cable (Which could be used as an excuse for the delay in delivery :D). Finding the right cable, can be treacherous. Many a times we would pull the wrong cable, causing someone's switch to crash. As I pulled the plug, the whole socket came out of the power cabinet with sparks. My palm sensed what it feels like to be hit by static electricity. (So close to become electrocuted … wow “)). But, thankfully I realized that there was no time to think and ponder over the near miss ( Kool !!!). The thought of being left behind, made me jump into panic mode, after inserting the power cord, I ran back to the ODC, quickly I gave the build "command" to our US server and "powered off" my monitor. (I joined the Green Peace movement, who take 200 bucks every month from my salary account.)

Wasting no time, I ran through the stairs of Tower 1 in the offshore development centre (the software geeks call it .. ODC as Odyssey). The three floors were conquered in no time. After flashing out my card, to mark the swipe out time in the electronic sensor, which as usual gave me the loyal beep acknowledgement. It meant that I had spent 14 hours of my Thursday in my office ( Never imagined this kinda sloggin even in my dreams during college days ). I ran past the security guards in the reception room and I noticed some people sitting in the couches reading magazines. The night shift BPO guys, I guessed, looked fresh from their afternoon sleep. Now into the open pathway, with others joining me in the run, I reached the bus depot in our campus. The electronic clock display, glared 8:44. And in a minute the buses leave.

I was visibly panting in breath, when I boarded the bus, with its occupants staring at me. Noticeably girls ... a mix of Madrasi and Naarth Indian, though it’s common for the latter to be cheerful and merrier even at this time. (I mean it ... older women leave by 6 and they are aptly called Six Sigma and pretty damsels those who leave by 9 are called Nagma :D )

As I sat in a seat, my deep breaths made 2 girls sitting before me turn back for a second. It caught my attention, giving me another chance to look back at them and then raise my brow showing  a "what are u lookin at ?" gesture.

As sharp as ever, the buses started, I bent my head towards the closed window. Feeling tired, I watched in amazement, the streams of traffic on the opposite side. Streams of cabs were ferrying people to BPO's, so that when America wakes up, our local Anand or Sujatha would be answering their calls in the name of Russel/Michelle. Hmmm...

Now these girls gave an excuse to forget the daunting work that lay before me...

My position gave me not a panoramic view of the 2 occupants before me, but just a sneak view of one of them. The head band and the stub in her nose dazzled in the dim lighting of the bus, and her giggling added glamour. The bus driver turned on the FM which was loud by industry standards.

The RJ in Radio Mirchi, was about to leave, saying her well rehearsed lines of Bye ... albeit sexily, giving an ummmaaaah (a kiss) to all the Mirchi fans. And yeah… we needed it after a day's hard work... !!!!!!!

And the girl in the front seat looked like the best lady to give one, I laughed within myself. The co-incidental laughter from the front row seemed to accept my proposition. Unfortunately, I was too tired to ponder upon the fantasy, the tiredness of a sedentary job can be very taxing :(.

Very soon, I faded into a nap, even in the midst of the loud radio. I had always possessed a 6th sense, when I near my alighting point, whatever deep slumber could I have been, I usually woke up from it, when the bus nears it. My 6th sense didn’t fail me this time, it could never, thanks to the worse-than-Bihar condition of the road near my house, fit for any world dirt race championship. The bus would shake its booty very violently, as if listening to it was like enjoying Pink's "I am coming up... Lets get this party started... !". No man could sleep whilst the bus traverses nervously through the deep potholes, which were damn many.

And as expected, I woke up as I neared my alighting point. I gathered my bag and lunch pack, and sheepishly started walking towards the door. The driver looking at me through the rear mirror sighed me to look back. I gave a ,"Now why is that ?" look and turned back yawning. To my surprise, I saw my pretty angel in the bus, very much tensed, biting her finger and looking at the window. From her appearance I could easily spot the glaring feature, she was not a localite. The headband and the high pony tail, with lots of curl throughout the locks and combed straight back. It matched perfectly with the jeans overcoat she was wearing over her pirate bay T-Shirt. Wow, that very much resembled like Katrina Kaif, but without the stilettos ;). The worried eyes and the sweat on her lacy forehead brought me back to my senses. I noticed that she chuckled, now why would she do that, I thought to myself. But it was too late, I had done a gaffe, with my mouth still wide open from the yawn, which did very proudly, thinking that I was the last person in the bus. I had to chuckle back, rather foolishly for my open-mouthed-wonder at her appearance. Luckily, there was no one from my ODC, to notice my embarrassing moment. God helps me sometimes, and I am thankful to HIM.

Though I was excited to see her again, I was struck by the rule that a male employee could not leave behind, her female counterpart in an empty cab. But this was the company bus, driven by a registered driver, and such rule do not apply here. Yet, not willing to lose this opportunity, I walked back, trying to steady myself, as the bus jerked under my feet. Seeing me come towards her, made her realize the precarious situation, and she looked at me earnestly. Grasping the situation, I asked her, "Where do you get down?” feeling 200% confident that she was lost in her way to her hostel/room.

"I get down in T.Nagar", she said hoping that I would give her a favorable response. But I had to deliver the bad news, "Miss... This is the bus to RK Mansion, and this is the last stop ...", the bus jerked again as usual, and I was off balance, my legs were very much numb, from the sleep. A quick grasp of a near-by seat saved me from yet another gaping embarrassment. She was in no mood to laugh again and rather instinctively put forward her hand towards my direction, with an intention of saving me. Her fingers caught just air, not me ... :( And again, like before, I steadied myself in this rocking bus. I told her, "Let’s ask the driver, if the bus would go to T.Nagar by chance ..."

She nodded and we walked in cliff-hanger style with our hand firmly grasping the rod, as we made our way through to the driver. The driver, still driving looking tired from his shift, turned towards us and said, "Intha amma inga thaan yeranguvangala ?" (“Will she get down here?”). I shouted back, lest my voice would not be heard in the midst of the engine and irritating Big FM noise,"Ivanga T.Nagar poganuma ..." (“She wants to get down at T.Nagar”). The driver was hoping against hope, that that he could get rid of her in this very last stop and return home. He shot back angirily, "RK mansion nu Board pottu erukku ... intha bus le poi yeralama ... Ivanga lam yennathe velai parkarangalo"( “The bus clearly mentions that it is intended for RK Manison … Still she has hoped into this bus … God knows, what kinda work these people are going to perform in the office “). The last sentence, was sharp, may be the frustrating and unproductive work that I do everyday, made me to relate to this dictum. I did not let him shower down anymore adages and advice, "Seri, ivanga theriyama yeritanga .. ippo yenna pannalam ... "(“Its okay … She has got into this bus unknowingly, what shall we do now ?”), I asked him, hoping that he could do a miracle in this late hour. "Anna ... T.Nagar", she chipped in. That was every bit, North-Indian, replacing "Bhaiyaa", with the only Tamil word she knew, "Anna". I realized that I have to be careful, lest I would be one of her many Annas, and I am so young ... :(

The bus came to a halt, near my usual stop. The driver turned off the engine and said, "Sir... ivangale auto pudichu poga sollunga ... Ippo nan bus-a travels office le uttutu sign podanum ... innum 30 nimushathule nan anga illaina, avanga Bus varalai nu phone mele phone pottu kupiduvanga ..." (“Sir … Ask her to go by auto from this place … I have to go to the travel’s office within 30 mins, lest, they would pester me with phone calls .. this being my last trip for this day …”). I explained to her, what the driver had suggested and to my surprise, she agreed to go by auto. That was revelation to me, I had finally seen a girl who was bold enough to go by auto all alone from a place she doesn't even know, at 10.00 in the night. "These girls are as bold as the heroines whom we import from the North", I thought so. The driver was visibly happy to get relieved of her without any resistance, had it been a Southerner, it would have been of very much trouble to him, to get rid off.

We got down and I asked her the details where she lived in T.Nagar. It happened so, that I happened to know the exact location as if I had google mapped it (It happens, don’t think everything is fiction -.- ). I asked her how she boarded the wrong bus. The transport people, who flock near the gate in our campus to send us off, had directed her to the wrong bus she claimed. I asked her immediately, "Are you a fresh recruit ... here for training?” She replied back with an affirmatory nod. "So how long you have been here?" my next immediate query. "Two days", she replied slowly the wrinkles started to shroud near her forehead. The bus routes change frequently, they were partially right as her other friend had got down correctly at Tiruvanmiyur, I thought she was very interested to travel with her friend that she did not ask properly. They trust the auto annas very much, I realised, and sheer grit attracted me. We waited for a few minutes, nearby the tea-shop whose occupants were busy dismantling the tables and chairs, a sign that they were closing up. And we were new specimens to them, watching us as they cleaned the shop with water that came to the street and formed a pool with thick patterns of sand floating that was visible in the orange glow of the street light. She was looking at the far end of the road for an auto, when seen, I thought she was rehearsing to say,"Anna ... T.Nagar" (Oh ... boy, she says it with theatrical expression). But it happened so that there were not many auto annas, or bus annas to come to her rescue.

The stare of the tea-shop inmates got my nerve, I turned towards her, with she bent upon looking for an auto. "Hey ... Hey ... You wont find any auto here ...", I was trying to find her name in the tag she was wearing, but the tag was not there on her neck, "What’s your name ?", I asked her bluntly. Seeing me serious, startled her, "My name is Nisha", she said. "Nisha ... It is not the right time of the hour to look for an auto, I would suggest that you would come to my house and I could ask my father or ... me myself could drop you at your place". The tone of my voice made her realise for the very first time, that all is not well in alien Chennai ( I had the tone to make it creepy for her … ;))

Looking at me straight into the eye, she thought for a second and said, "Ok". She took up her mobile phone and started dialing the *secret number* of her room-mate, to explain her position and the exact place she was stranded in Hindi, which is alien to me :-). Then we walked towards my home, my footsteps in sync with her, through the lighted streets. It was short walk of 3 - 4 minutes, enough time for us to know each other. She came from Meerut in UP, now staying with her friends in a hostel. And I had to introduce myself as a fella born and raised in Chennai. As I neared my house, I was thinking what shall I say to my parents, bringing a girl at this time of the hour.

Our house, on the outer is very much like any-other independent house, with two storeys and a balcony to gaze at the passers-by down below. The outer door on the fence was bolted open for me to sneak in without making any disturbance to the neighbours, it actually served its real purpose today. I welcomed her to my house by leading first, and walking past the car park area, with our Ikon back in its place. "Papa .. is home", I got to know. The entrance door to the house was wide open, and I could hear the dialogues from the mega serial that was screaming from the TV. My mother hearing commotion at the entrance got up from her place and stood at the door, watching us, as we closed the outer door and walked towards her.

She was candidly surprised, upon seeing an unknown girl, walking along with me. I smiled and said to her in one go, much like the bus driver of our company bus, "Ivanga peru Nisha ... Bus mari yaeri vanthutanga ... T.Nagar Bus nu.. yaen bus le yaeri vanthutanga ... Nambe car le avangale vitudalam nu kutikittu vanthaen "(” Her name is Nisha … She did not board the right company bus which got her stranded in our area ”) . Instinctively,my mother realised what happened and welcomed her, "Ulle vanga"(“ Please … Come inside ”), she said meaning every word of it. My dad who had been watching the soap opera with my mom rose up from his chair and walked towards us. Nisha said, "Good Evening Aunty... Uncle" and fell at her feet. It was shocking for us, but it is a distinct feature of most Northerners to fall at elder's feet when meeting for the first time. This gesture of Nisha impressed my parents and my mom got hold of her as she rose up. "God ... God .... Bless you", she said, "Come … take a seat", leading her towards the sofa. The mood was different after the "falling at the feet" gimmick, my sinister mind made me realise :-). And as they were moving towards the sofa, I had a quick word with my dad that we need to drop her off at T.Nagar. My dad said, "Its all right, get the car ... We shall drop her". So I slipped into the car park, to get the car into the street, whilst my mom was petting Nisha to eat some snacks before she left.

Quickly my dad dressed up and came to the living room in a jiffy and joined their company. In the meantime, my mom as with any other friend of mine, who came to our house flooded Nisha's plate with sweets and savouries. I could hear Nisha's voice, "Its enough Aunty... ". "Do you need water, Nisha?” my inquisitive mom asked her. The pampering went all along till I entered back to the household. Seeing me, Nisha realised, it was time to leave and rose up. "Call me once you reach your house ..?" my mom said. She replied, "Sure I would call you once I reach my hostel ... I would get the number from Ajay". My mom looked at me with the indication to do the needful.

And in a minute, I was in the driving seat, with Nisha and my father in the back row. The drive was very quiet; the exterior noise-free atmosphere was prevalent in the interior too. But however it was broken, on quite a few occasions, when my father asked her about her family and up-bringing in Meerut, while passing sensitive information relating to mine. "Ajay plays very good Cricket... He was in the college team", said my father proudly. "Is it so", asked Nisha looking at me through the rear view mirror. I gulped, swallowed, smiled and nodded, because certain things are left undisturbed. I was glad that she did not ask, "how many centuries" did I had hit ... For my parents, did not know that I was the perennial 16th man in the team, an "allakai", who skipped college classes for the sake of being in the team.

I was hoping that she would recognize the "superior" driving skills that I possessed, as I drove our Ikon with great finesse :-). Who knows she might have spotted it or she might have not.

And in 20 minutes, we reached the hostel, with Nisha giving me the directions for the very last turns. She called up her room-mate using the very same *secret-number* ... (Gosh I am getting very curious of that number) to inform her royal arrival in Hindi (Hello Miss ... Why not in Tamil/English, so that I could understand). She got out of the car and bent towards the window to say her, "Good-Bye ...”
"Ajay could you give your landline number… your mom asked me to ...","Oh sure ... It is **********", I gave the number without wasting a second. It is not many occasions that a girl asks your land-line number. Me and my dad waited till she disappeared into the corridor of her hostel, and I rode back with a sense of achievement, with "Manjal Veyil", song humming over my head, the song's actual passion, struck me.

And when we reached back to our home, my mom was waiting for us at the door. We were really hungry, and I had the usual guilt that it was because of me that my parents are starving. "Vitutingala ..." (“Did you leave her safely ?”), my mom asked us, as we entered the living room, the bright tube-lights seem to freshen us, it looked like I was more . "Ava phone pannale?" (“Dint she phone you ?”),I asked her back. "Ava phone pannitu thanks sonna ... nalla ponnu"(“Yeah, she called and said thanks .. Good girl, she is”), my mom replied. "Appo yathuku vittutingala nu ... yanga kitta confirmation vangara ?"(“Then why do you want the confirmation from us ?”), I shot back to my mom ... "Po ma ... poi sappadu podu ... pasikuthu !!!(‘Angrily’,” I am feeling very hungry … Get me some food !!!“), commanding my mom, who was glad to to carry it out my latest wish. I walked towards my room to change my clothes and refresh myself before dinner. The talk on the dinner table centered on Nisha and whether did I know her before. I answered nonchalantly, reading the morning newspaper, as I ate. I have the habit of reading newspapers, when I ate, the delicious food and the hot news mixed well for my mind and stomach. More than Nisha, it was food that was much dearer to me, and I was not very much interested in prolonging the conversation about Nisha.

It was not much before 11 PM, the time for me to sleep, to wake up the next day at 7 AM to catch my office bus. Finally, in the privacy of my bedroom, I closed my eyes and recollected the unexpected happening that took place. It was exciting no doubt, and Nisha was very much a girl, any boy would wish to be of any help to her. After some time, reality struck in, I realized (don’t I realize too often :( damn it :(( ) that it might be the last time, that I might see her. My bus doesn't take the T.Nagar route, and after training, she might be posted anywhere in India ( What a loss to chennai !!! … Worse than the IPL final round loss … )

A brief sojourn, and it was meant to be like that way, and that was the logical reasoning, I could churn out. I consoled myself that, "Manjal Veyil", song will work out some-other day when it has to ... I walked into the land of dreams, very quickly !