I had been driving on the highway for years. Every week I had to go to the other end of the town to meet my parents. I was a boarder and lived in a hostel.
That night was particularly chilly. It would be around 1. I was getting back alone. Near the sugarcane field my car seemed to give me some trouble. Finally it came to a stop. I was 50 kilometers away from my home. What do I do? I was cursing myself for getting back so late in the night.
I left my car and thought of walking around the area. I prayed. May be some passer-by take pity on me. About 15 minutes later, I saw a yellow car coming towards me. I waved and to my surprise it stopped. I looked inside the car. I thought I had seen this person somewhere. But I was not very sure. I narrated my plight and asked her if she could leave me at the next stop. I was dying of freezing cold outside.
Again to my surprise she acceded to my request. I was overjoyed. Little did I know what was in store for me on this chilly night with a girl. Outside it was pitch dark. The car lights scattered the darkness to pieces.
She was driving at her own pace. I tried to make myself comfortable inside the car. Suddenly my eyes wandered towards the backseat of the car. The familiar crest of our school was emblazoned on the familiar maroon blazer. Was she an alumnus of our school? I got interested. She started talking to me after sometime. I asked her about the school. She replied in affirmative. Yes, she had been a student at the school from 1980 to 1990. A decade had passed since she had left the school.
I wondered why she was travelling at that hour of the night. She smiled and said, “I am going to meet someone special. Well would you like to hear a story for the time being.” “Why not? You have saved me from this chilly night. I will definitely listen to your story,” I replied. She seemed to remember something. She started.
I had joined the school in 1980. But nothing much eventful happened for me during my stay until the year 1989. The last two years had been more than eventful. The school had maintained strict levels of separation between the two sexes. But you cannot turn people into stone even when you supervise them every minute.
I had been meeting a boy from my class secretly for quite sometime. I had become interested in him after talking to him at the school fair, the only time of the year when the boys and girls of senior school could meet each other.
The relationship had begun with letters written on white paper. Only last week I had seen him but now it seemed ages. We twisted rules to meet at the swimming pool which was not visible from the headmaster’s office. Two years passed swiftly. The board exams were over and now it was time to bid good bye to our alma mater. It was also time to bid good bye to him. And where would we meet next? Where would we find our new rendezvous?
I moved with a heavy heart and sat in my father’s car. The boys were supposed to leave the next day. My father was driving the car. When we had reached halfway I was still feeling sad. Papa wanted to cheer me up. After all I was so sad. I told Papa all about him. He smiled and said, “Just this much, my sweetheart is missing someone.” He continued, “Cheer up sweetheart, we will meet him tomorrow. I will see for myself whom does my sweetheart adore so much.” I was a picture of joy and hugged my father.
I could not sleep the entire night. I was feeling the agony of separation for the first time in my life. I called him and told that I would be coming to meet him the next day. He also sounded pretty excited but was a little nervous thinking about his meeting with Papa.
The next day we started. I was wearing my favourite dress, a yellow color top and jeans. He used to call me as the sunlight in his life and I wanted to surprise him with my dress. Papa was driving the car. We had reached quite far from our home.
“Did you notice the last turn?” She asked. I nodded my head. She continued, “Just as we had reached the turn we saw a truck speeding towards us. Papa was driving and teasing me about him. The truck driver lost his balance and rammed into our car.”
The next moment my father was lying in a pool of blood. I seemed to be fine. Just some scratches here and there. Soon people gathered at the spot. The police had also come and were taking my father to an ambulance van. I rushed towards them and asked them to take me as well. But nobody seemed to listen to me. I ran frantically all over the place.
We were about a kilometer away from the school gate and could see from afar a figure waiting for me. May be it was a mirage. I rushed inside the car and tried driving towards the school. The yellow car did not seem to start. I did not seem to possess any strength. And why was nobody listening to me?
The school authorities had come to know of the news. He had also rushed to the stop. He was crying. I rushed to him but he did not seem to have seen me. I followed him. He stopped in front of a figure which was lying down. I also looked at the figure. I was taken aback. It was me. The face was still moist from heat. He was sobbing, “How long you would want me to wait. You were an idiot when we met at the swimming pool and you are still acting like an idiot when we have met now.” We never met after that.
May be we meet today. Her story ended.
We had reached the school gate. The light from the pole seemed to merge with the yellow shine of the car. I looked at the figure in front of me. It was wearing a yellow top with jeans.
I got down from the car. I bid good bye and walked towards my room. In the cupboard I saw an old photograph in the newspaper with the heading ‘Two die in a car accident near St. George’s College’. The year was 1990. The photograph had been muddied by years of dirt and grime but I could not miss the girl in yellow top and jeans.
I looked out of the window. The car had long gone.
