Under The Mango Trees

Part Two | Chapter Thirty One : In Between The October Rains

Loving is so short, forgetting is so long.

- Pablo Neruda

The last rain of this year dribbled from the crevices of the train door and one fat drop plummeted on the middle of my head, titillating a sneaky chill down my body. The chill was cut short when a girl at the door who was soaked with rainwater struggled in with her large bags, pushing me into the stifling, exasperated crowd. People clicked their tongues, pushed back and threw me the dirtiest glares. A loud groan arose from the centre and it was from Jazz who was smothered from all the sides. She was listlessly shaking the damp collar of her hoodie, allowing whatever ventilation of leftover air for her insides. This was not how she had pictured her romanticized morning to be when she had selected that outfit. She had imagined a cosy morning with the gentle pitter-patter of the rain on the window as she sat and watched the drops roll down while listening to some Atif Aslam songs.

She had forgotten that this was a Mumbai local train where even ants couldn't find an inch to breathe.

There was another push from the other end of the train and the crowd surged like the waves in a concert, only less fun and more threats of being stomped on. She groaned again, louder this time and all of us unanimously empathised with her. Outside, the rain poured in torrents without any mercy and one of the doors flew open.

Nobody was willing to close it and risk getting drenched or thrown on the tracks so the rain sprayed on us till the courageous Jazz pushed through and pulled the rusty latch up. Of course, she did it so violently to express her displeasure that we were afraid she would break the door. She swore too, but all of us feigned ignorance. Huffing, she shoved people to stand next to me and nobody dared to curse her for her bloodthirsty eyes were brimming with desire to unleash her inner malice on anyone who ruffled as much as a strand of her hair. Even ordinary people had the potential to become ninjas and assassins in Mumbai local trains for a place to stand or if luckiest, sit.

"God, kill me right now! Right now! Not again!" she exclaimed as the train halted in between the two stations for the hundredth time, the greedy water fast filling the tracks. "At this rate, we will reach college in our next lives. Oh no, I don't want to be born here in my next life. God, take me away, take me to a sex club in a first world country!"

All shocked eyes were on us and I dropped my head, burying my chin in the collar of my striped shirt and murmuring to her, "I'm sure God will prioritize your sex life over poverty or starvation." Honestly, her sex life was poor and starved so her prayers were valid.

"What did you say?" She glanced at me, the beads of sweat fixed on her waxed upper lips. I shook my head dismissively and she picked up her whining at where she had left off like the clicking on a resume button of a videotape. The hairy Jaspreet whose long, oiled pigtails in school were tied up such that they resembled two hoop earrings had transformed into this chic girl with blonde highlights. Now, she wore the trendiest outfits, being millions of kilometres away from the girl in the plain uniform that I used to see every day.

She had been determined to make her college life nothing short of the ones they showed in the movies and her efforts had paid off. With her enthusiasm and interest in other people's affairs, she had become one of the most popular girls in the college. She hugged a person every two seconds on the campus and participated in every event that took place while I trailed after like an invisible, lost spirit.

Jazz had been in her rebellious phase when she decided to join my bandwagon of pursuing something in Arts, what exactly, neither of us knew. We had scored the same percentage and she ensured that we went to the same college. A woman's determination could break all bounds of limitation till even miracles could come into fruition. And voila! Here we were, heading towards the same college on the same train next to each other.