Safe Journey

21:00

She is traveling from Calcutta to Toronto with a brief halt in Dubai. I really want to meet her, but the problem is she reaches Dubai at 12 midnight. Tough choice: my sleep or my dream. Definitely my dream. She’s coming to Dubai after a year and I want to see those deep eyes, soak in her scented waft, hear her sweet ‘hi’ and kiss her right earlobe. Precisely the right one. I doubt if she’ll call me from Dubai airport as she had a bad experience last time: she called me eleven times and my cell was on silent.



01:00

There’s no use calling him. Let him sleep. All he thinks about is his work. He’s simply playing around with me. If he’s serious about me, he would propose for marriage. Whenever I bring this marriage subject, he laughs and makes a joke of it. He just can’t see the situation from my eye. I really like him. He has a particular charm and is so different from all the other men I’ve met; but he just doesn’t want to get married.



01:30

It will be tough to sneak out at night, but I’ve already made up my mind. I’ve made a fake ticket which will allow me to go upto the lounge where she’s stranded. I just hope I’m not caught by the custom officials…

All clear. Miraculously, no one in the customs gives me a second look. After a brisk one hour walk, I manage to reach the Dubai-Toronto passenger lounge. It’s teeming with people. There’s no way I can enter the lounge as I don’t have a legal booking. Neither can I see her. There have been times in the past when I‘ve communicated with her not through phone, SMS or e-mail, but, through a much grander device. So, here I am with only one device, the grandest of all: my heart. I hope she’ll pick the call.



02:30

My, this airport brings in fond memories. I was here a year back and so much has changed. And here is that stupid phone from where I called him eleven times. He told me he was sleeping. Let him sleep all his life. He’ll never get someone as precious as me.



02:45

All right, I’ve finally spotted her. She’s reading a book, with her glasses on and her hair tied. She’s wearing a pink floral with cool sandals. There’s a particular innocence in her look, in the way she holds her book and the slight tilt in her neck. I just can’t stop adoring her. It’s time for me to make my kill; but I’ll do it slowly, softly and deeply. I’ve messaged her that she looks absolutely amazing in the pink floral. I can see her reaction. She tries to look around in the hope of spotting me. Then she punches few letters on her cell.



03:00

No way, this guy can’t be in the airport. He’s just trying one of his cheap games on me. There’s no way anyone can come to the transit lounge without a ticket. Let him play his game. If he thinks I’m so naïve, then so be it.



03:15

“Get back to sleep, no use playing your silly game with me.” Ouch! What a reply. How typical of her. She always has this bittersweet aspect which drives me nuts. OK, so you think I’m playing a game? Absolutely, and the game has just begun. I’ve messaged her that she looks really cute when she’s reading a book with one hand, glasses on and a slight tilt in her neck.

Bang! Now I can see her ruffled. She has kept her book on the seat and is strolling around the lounge.



03:30

Is this guy really up here? I don’t know. But it’s not impossible. At least not with him. He can get crazy at times. I still remember my seventeenth birthday. He had asked me to come down from my class. I blatantly refused and went back. After fifteen minutes I see this guy come up, filled only with girls, and he wishes me in front of everyone… I’ve messaged him that if he wants to meet me, he has only five minutes, as I plan to enter the aircraft soon.



03:45

Oh come on! You think I’ve come from Timbuktu? The connecting aircraft hasn’t even landed and you already want to board it? Try something better! But as far as I’m concerned, I’ll play the waiting game. I want to see her wilt. I want to catch a glimpse of that agony, that anxiety and that anticipation.



04:40

Oh god! This is what I hate about him. He takes so long to message back; it’s as if he proof reads his entire message ten times before sending it. But I’ll remain cool. There’s no way I’ll show my anxiety. And why am I strolling up and down? Why are people looking at me like this? I need to calm down.



04:45

OK enough. One hour of suffering is enough for her. I can’t see her restless anymore. I’ve messaged her to come out of the lounge and stand near the departure gate. I can see that she has locked her luggage and is brushing her long hair. Is she applying some kind of cream? It’s really not necessary, she’s anyway cute.



04:50

If this guy doesn’t come in 5 minutes, I’m leaving. He can’t keep me waiting here forever. And if this is some kind of joke, it won’t be good. Wait a sec, is that him? I must say he looks exactly the same when I met him last year. He’s pretending as if he hasn’t seen me; but I know he has. His right dimple has given me the signal. I know he’s as nervous as I am, but he’s just pretending to be aloof. He’s now just a foot away from me and I can sense my heartbeat. He has taken me in his arms and I can feel his strong shoulders. He gently puts his hand through my hair and it feels I’m in heaven with soft snow flakes gently caressing my hair. He whispers something in my ear but I’m totally blank. I can sense his soft lips on my right earlobe. I’m numb with shock, awestruck with pain and pierced with delight. He slips a book into my hand and leaves as suddenly as he came.

         

                                                                      *          *          *



It’s been 10 years now since our marriage and we have two lovely kids. I’m currently waiting in the transit lounge of Dubai airport for a flight to Calcutta. I get a message on my cell that I look really smart in green casuals and a light stubble. I message her: “Get back to sleep, no use playing your silly game with me.” There’s no way she can be in the airport, we have two kids after all! I’m busy reading a book and suddenly I sense two gentle palms rest carefully on my eyes. A gentle caress on my neck is slowly transformed into a soft kiss near my right earlobe. I’ve already recognized her scent and those delicate lips. She moves slowly to my right ear and whispers: “Safe journey…and please don’t miss me.”