(translated in English)
Me: Where do you get off? (Hoping that she’d name my station or something farther because I did not recognize my station!)
She: Nizzamuddin. You?
Me: Okhla.
SILENCE
She (fiddling with the corner of her lime green synthetic salwar kurta): I like you.
Me: (A bit shocked at this uncalled for admiration)
She: You are not like those other girls who think too high of themselves and stuff earphones in their ears to avoid any conversation. You talk!
Me: (Stuffing my earphones deeper in my purse pocket): Oh. (Smiling uncomfortably) Thank you.. You are .. err.. very nice too.
She: (Smiling brightly): What standard are you in?
Me: (Staring at the black thread on her wrist which had a pretty shell hanging from it at a weird angle): Huh? Oh. I am through with school.
She: Really? What are you doing out of your home, alone in a bus then?
Me: (Wishing for my bed and AC): I am going for work.
She: You work?
Me: Not exactly. I am going for an interview.
She: Government or private? Getting a private job post 12th is not easy. Infact, now – a – days, government jobs are hard to find.
Me: You are right about that. But I am a graduate.
She: B.A.?
Me: Yup.
She: (looking at me with renewed awe): Then you are sure to get this job. What sort of work is it?
Me: Um.. It is hard to explain. I work for TV companies or newspapers or radio. Do you understand?
She: (Stares at me, blinks and looks away)
Me: (Feeling mighty awkward that I had made her uncomfortable). What do you do?
She: (Looking extremely proud and happy): I have just given my 10th standard exams.
Me: (Relieved at the change of topic): Great. So Delhi Darshan?
She: Yes. (Flicks her long braid forward, unties her red ribbon and reties it). My brother is taking us to Ajmer to meet our uncle’s mama’s sister.
Me: Oh. So where are you from?
She: Hampi. Madhya Pradesh.
Me: Oh. Yes. I have heard of it in our geography lessons.
She: Geography?
Me: Anyway. So how long have you been in Delhi?
She: Oh, we have seen everything. We came at 7 in the morning. Went to Jama Masjid and then visited Red Fort. It is so boring. Red - red everywhere no?
Me (Big fan of old buildings): Mm-hm. (Looking for a change of topic) So, you and your brother are sight – seeing today, eh?
She: No, no. Me, my eldest brother, my two sister and 4 step – siblings as well.
Me (shocked into silence, trying to find my voice): Umm.. wow, that is some picnic I must say.
She: How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Me: I have an elder sister.
She: And?
Me: And that’s it.
She: What? No brothers?
Me: No. Just us two sisters.
She: Your dad never remarried?
Me: What? No! I mean, by God’s grace both my parents are very much alive and together!
She (Somewhat apologetically and confused): Oh, I thought your mother would have… My mother died
when I was 3 years old. My father remarried and so …
Me: Oh.
(SILENCE)
Me: You should visit Qutub Minar too. And the zoo as well, it is a lot of fun! The Purana Qila is also nearby:
She (Not so interactive anymore): My brother will not agree. Besides, we are taking the train back to Ajmer today from Nizamuddin.
An old man with a long salt – and – pepper beard came along and tapped the girl in a very un-gentlemanly fashion on her shoulder and moved on. He was trailed by quite a long queue of boys and girls of all ages in similar bright coloured synthetic clothes. The girls had a lot of bling on their salwar – kameez and all the boys wore identical skull caps.
She: My stop is here. It was extremely nice talking to you. You are a pretty girl.
Me: (Blushing slightly out of habit): Thank you. It was wonderful talking to you too. Have a safe journey.
She alighted the bus and waved at me cheerfully. I waved back from the window.
The bus started moving again.
