The Cup of Tea.

Time was acting like a slow moving turtle . All i could do was just
look around and keep myself entertained to everything that was
happening. The book stall owner was dusting his books , as he opened
his shop for the day . The slum dweller's children were playing with
the street dogs. The beggars lying down on the floor were getting up
from their sleep . The morning was quiet and lazy , but people were
busy doing there work silently. I had been waiting for my train for
the last two hours. It was delayed . I was so tired , that even the
excitement to meet my old friends had died out.

But all i could do was just wait . Far across the platform , there was
a staircase through which people entered . I saw a man on a wheel
chair coming near the staircase . He opened a bag. Took out a little
percussion instrument , and began singing. To my surprise he was good
. He was singing indian folk music . I couldn't understand what it
actually meant . But parts which i could understand told me that , the
song was a plead to the Lord , to send us our soul mate, so that we
have some company to live this lonely life.

As the sun began rising . People had started entering the platform.
Nobody was paying attention to the songs that crippled old man was
singing. But i was somehow enjoying his voice , as it echoed through
the platform. I suddenly felt relaxed.

A sound of something heavy falling down , suddenly interrupted me.
Suddenly i saw a young lady in a purple sweater and jeans , picking up
her bag . The handle had given up , to the load of the bag. As she
was trying to pick it up . My eyes couldn't stop staring at her long
hair . I couldn't really see her face , as her hair covered most of
her face. She suddenly managed to pick her bag. Tucked her beautiful
silky hair behind her ears. That's when I saw a face , that sent me to
someother place.

She was just fair enough. With long hair. She had beautiful light
brown eyes. The wind played with her long hair. As they flew behind
her back. She had the most beautiful eyes . She looked nervous. But
her eyes had some kind of truthfulness in them. I had got a glimpse of
purity in this artificial world. No , she wasn't beautiful . She was
an angel !

Her eyes quickly scanned the platform to find a bench. I wanted to
thank the Lord , as a bench right behind me was empty. I suddenly
diverted my attention elsewhere. She came and sat behind me. I
suddenly got a sweet scent , which didn't smell like any perfume .
Maybe it was the scent of the angels!

The old man was still singing. I wanted to talk to her . But in my
entire life i hadn't talked to any random girl i've met outside. So i
changed my mind , closed my eyes and surrendered to the sweet scent
with the old man's song ringing in my ears.

I suddenly felt a bit of movement. I opened my eyes to see my angel ,
heading to the tea stall. She had tied her hair up. With a hair strand
kissing her tender cheek. How can somebody be so beautiful , i
wondered. No, she wasn't like any playboy model. She didn't have any
make up on. She was just beautiful , being herself.

Thankfully the teastall was quite near to where i sat , so i could
hear what an angel sounded like. "One tea please" she said. The man
quickly filled a glass for her.

She opened her pouch to pay. She looked up at the man and said "I
don't have any change". The man quickly replied "Neither do I ". I
really wanted to kill that tea vendor. How could he be so rude to
someone who's so sweet.

I then heard my angel calling someone "Excuse me! ". Shit! Was it her
boyfriend? "Excuse me! I Am talking to you" . I suddenly looked at her
and realised she was calling me. Suddenly i felt this weird kind of
sensation in my stomach.

I got up and walked towards her.

"Yes" I said politely.

"I want to pay for my tea. And i don't have change" she told me.

She had this really sweet smile on her face , that i wasn't paying
attention to what she was saying.

"Incase you don't have , its fine." she added.

"No no , i think i have some." I said.

She smiled at me.

"Oh i think i myself will have a cup , i'll pay for you." i said .

"Hey , thanks ! But let me pay , as I am the one who called you" she replied.

She quickly gave money to the tea vendor , who was waiting for it ,
for quite a while now.

"Excuse me , this is for my tea" i gave her money for my cup.

But she smiled and said "That's a little treat from my side for being
so helpful to a mere stranger".

She was so sweet.

I came and sat on my bench. And she sat on hers. I wanted to talk to
her. But I was to sacred.

I heard her voice again " So where are you headed to?"

I quickly turned back and replied "Am going to Shimla , i've a re
union , there with my old friends"

"Oh that's nice"

"Where are you going" I asked her.

"Am going to Delhi , that's where my college is , I am pursuing a
degree in Arts"

"Oh you come across as a very artistic person"

"What makes you say that"

"Because you're so so ... Beautiful " shit , did i actually say that ,
that's so stupid of me. She might think that i am hitting on her. I am
so stupid.

But to my surprise , she started laughing , "Thank You , so much"

I sipped my tea and asked her "What's your good name"

"Meera" she said.

Meera. My mind repeated the name again and again and again. It had
some positive vibe. Or was I just going crazy?

"What's your name?" She asked.

I was still chanting the name in my mind. "Meera" I said with a numb
expression. "Oh I mean Sanjay. Sanjay is the name"

She smiled at me. And i smiled Back. She stopped smiling. But i was
still smiling. She started laughing. Maybe she thought i was crazy.

"So meera, how do you see your life 10 years down the line? " I asked her.

"You can't really say where life can take you. But i really would like
to be in a quite and beautiful place. Where all i would do is paint
paint and paint. I really like defining the beauty of nature and life
through colours"

" Nature and Life are so beautiful . Don't you think so?"

Yea sure. If she is with me. Life surely can become one beautiful
journey , i thought.
"Yea , sometimes life can be the most beautiful thing" I said.

Meera and i talked about many things. She told me , that she wanted to
live in the hills. So i started thinking , as to how will i buy a
property on a hill station. She also told me , that she wanted to see
europe. And i started thinking as to how will i take her for a europe
trip.

For the first time , i knew that i had to take my career seriously.
Get a great job. And fulfill my angel's dreams.

But for now , all i wanted was to see meera talking talking and
talking. I really wished that time could stop , so that she could talk
to me forever and i could keep looking at her.

Suddenly , she stopped talking. I could hear the train whistling. I
looked at Meera , and she was smiling.

I suddenly heard a loud whistle of the train. I opened my eyes just to
see the moving at a slow pace. I looked back but Meera wasn't there. I
saw a cup of tea. I took it and my luggage , and ran towards the
train.

I somehow got in , took the nearest window seat , and started looking
for Meera. But she was nowhere to be seen. I had a empty cup of tea ,
which I thought was hers. But I never knew where my cup disappeared.
Maybe i never had a cup of tea.

I kissed the cup of tea , and kept it in my bag.

As the train was moving away from the platform , I saw the same old
man near the staircase , Smiling and waving at me. Maybe he knew how i
felt like.

I never believed that dreams could come true. But this was one
particular dream , i really wished , could somehow come true.