A bizzaire re union

The railway platform was overflowing with an ocean of humanity. The trains arrived and departed while thousands of busy people rushed around, in a busy motive. Among these teeming thousands was Abhimanyu Sen, marching ahead, with a briefcase held, along the deserted end of the platform. His train was scheduled to arrive half an hour later, so he just strolled around to while away his time. After a few of laps had been completed he finally sank upon a bench.



The pink glamour of the dusk had enveloped the scene. People rarely came to this end of the platform. There was only a vendor who was standing nearby and announcing his stock. Abhimanyu was running an eye over the evening newspaper. He suddenly saw a smiling middle-aged man approaching him with great enthusiasm. He greeted him saying- “Good evening” and stretched out his hand. Not knowing how to respond, Abhimanyu nervously shook it.



The man’s smile broadened. “After so many decades…….  How are you?”



Abhimanyu could not recognize the stranger. There was a pause. Within this pause, he scanned the whole timeline of his life, yet the man appeared completely unfamiliar. He announced his failure- “You are undoubtedly mistaken. I don’t think I know you.”



The stranger was taken aback for a moment, and then he regained his smile. "Abhimanyu, I must praise your weak memory. This is Pradeep, Abhi. This proves that you are the same preoccupied fellow as earlier.”



This time he did…. Pradeep’s changed features had caused the initial failure. Pradeep and Abhimanyu had been good pals throughout their school life. Something truly unpredictable followed. Abhimanyu advanced towards Pradeep outrageously. He held his shoulders and jerked him violently.



“You cheat.” barked Abhimanyu.



Pradeep gazed at his friend’s furious face uncomprehendingly. “W... What is my crime?”

“You know what, Pradeep, when friendship gives you a blow, it’s so severe that you would suffer forever;” Abhimanyu roared, “at that moment I had sworn that I would, if I see you ever again, make you suffer for the rest of your life.”



This drags us back to the time when they were in the ninth grade. It was the chemistry examination. Chemistry had always been a drawback of Abhi. The paper that had been so hard that Abhi realized hat he would not even secure pass marks. When he could not find any escape from the maze of bookish terms and definitions, he leaned forward and whispered the question number to his most reliable friend, Pradeep. The invigilator was a very casual one, so he could not see his swift actions. But Pradeep’s response was completely unexpected. Pradeep reported it to the teacher. Abhi’s heart bleeded, as he was being dragged to principal’s office by the teacher. 



Since then a flame of hatred towards Pradeep had burned in his heart. A wild desire of revenge had emerged in him. Pradeep had hardly thought that Abhi would react so wildly about an age old deed of his.



Pradeep said- “Forget that… We are reuniting after decades; does this mean nothing to you?”



“Of course it does. I had been waiting over years to get a chance to revenge.”



Pradeep heard an announcement of his train’s arrival and thus hurried to his platform, occasionally looking back at his friend who had completely lost that perpetual smile that had once been in his joyful face. Abhi watched him leave, but gradually his sight began to get blurred up, with the tears welling up on his eyes. Something urged him to go and bring his friend back, but something stronger kept him there, rooted and transfixed with firmness of revenge. One minute ago he had met his good old friend of his school days, and one minute later he lost him. He remembered all those good days they had spent together, all those helps Pradeep did to him. If he had controlled his anger, maybe he could have enjoyed the sixty seconds of their reunion.



Something repeatedly whispered into his ears - “A minute of anger snatches sixty seconds of happiness from your life.”