"Hurry up, the train is about to leave!" Anu called over her shoulder, as she power-walked to the compartment. With a suitcase in each hand, bags bunched up under her arms, and her saree pallu constantly teasing the heel of her kolhapuri chappals, power-walking was the best she could do.
Not to mention the fact that it was an evening of many firsts — Anupama's first time in Mumbai. Her first time travelling anywhere without Vanraj. And her first overnight train ride in a very long time.
Indian long-distance trains are a unique experience, with vendors pacing up and down the aisles selling chai, coffee, snacks, toys, and several other knick-knacks. There was the thrill of alighting at every station to browse through the pulp fiction titles in the railway bookshops, with lurid covers that made Anu's cheeks burn. But the thing that Anupama was most looking forward to was climbing up to the upper berth, pointing her face right under the metal fan, and going to sleep with her railway issued pillow and blanket.
Anu always loved her sleep. By the time her husband Vanraj came home from work, she was already in a deep REM cycle. It's like they were a bad match even sleep schedule-wise. But after 25 years of marriage, Anupama didn't recognise a life outside of Vanraj, their kids, and their neat, picture-perfect Shah family.
In between cooking, cleaning, and sorting out family drama, Anupama never had time for adventure or fun. In fact, in that moment of running to catch a train while chaperoning two geriatric companions, Anupama realised that this was the most fun she'd had in a long time.
Behind her, Baa and Bapuji were strolling leisurely, excited by the sights and sounds of the bustling Ahmedabad Junction train station. Anu couldn't blame them — they didn't get out much. Nor did she, for that matter. But when her husband Vanraj got a transfer to Mumbai, he had them all uproot their lives and follow him there.
No, literally follow him.
Vanraj had taken a flight along with his co-worker, Kavya, because they had important meetings to attend. Anu thought the whole family could travel by air, but Vanraj had outrightly vetoed the idea.
"I can't be taking care of you on the flight," he had snipped. "Plus Baa and Bapuji too. Kavya and I will be too busy working on our presentation because we're going straight to a meeting as soon as we land."
Anu didn't protest. She just smiled sweetly. "I understand. How about you put us on the next flight, then? You could pick us up after your meet —"
"I'm not your butler," he had said. "You've never taken a flight alone anyway. How will you be able to take care of my parents alone on a flight? I'll book you train tickets. You'll reach Mumbai early in the morning; you'll easily get a taxi from Dadar station."
Anupama had wanted to ask what 'butler' meant, but she bit down her question and smiled in acquiescence. There was no point in arguing with Vanraj — after 25 years of marriage, she knew how it'd go. He'd just out-shout her until he got the final word.
It wasn't a bad life, being married to him — she had raised three great kids, her in-laws were more like parents to her, and she got genuine joy from seeing them happy. Once in a while, she'd head out for chai and pakoras with her college friend, Devika. And even though Anupama had the unglamorous job of being the family's babysitter, she quite enjoyed it. Life was full of delight and surprises.
Like, for instance, who'd have thought that taking her in-laws on an interstate train ride would result in her running on the platform like Kajol from DDLJ?
Except there was no Shahrukh to pull her inside.
Anupama hoisted herself inside the compartment and pulled up Baa and Bapuji just as the train picked up speed. Those two were giggling like kids, and the excitement rubbed off on Anupama too.
Train rides were always fun. You got to sit with strangers, learn their stories, and make friends whose names you would promptly forget, but the conversations you'd remember for a lifetime.
Anupama was glowing with excitement (and sweat) as she jostled through the crowd to find their seats. Anu passed by a man who stank of alcohol, and she unwound her pallu to cover her nose. She made a mental note not to look in his direction, lest he tried to harass her, so all Anu noticed from her peripheral vision was his powder blue elbow-patched shirt as she passed him by to move onto the next section.
"Here we are," she finally said. It was a six-seater compartment, and the other three seats were already occupied — an elderly couple and a man. Anupama smiled absently at them as she began to usher in Baa and Bapuji, stowing their luggage neatly under the bench.
The two of them immediately started making small talk, while Anupama just took a moment to breathe as she took her window seat. Exhilarated and sweaty, she leaned back to accept any tickle of breeze that would float in on that hot Ahmedabad night.
Anu had hardly closed her eyes when she heard a man's voice:
"Would you like some peanuts?"
Anupama's eyes fluttered open as she saw the person in the opposite seat — a man in his 40s — extending a newspaper cone of roasted peanuts to Baa and Bapuji. He seemed to be alone. On his mustached face was plastered a huge, over-eager smile.
"That's so nice of you, thank you so much!" Baa exclaimed, scooping up peanuts in her palm. Bapuji was helping himself when the man turned to Anupama.
"Please have some peanuts," he said to her, his tone slick and... odd. His eyes trailed from hers down to her chest. Anupama immediately froze. She was still holding her pallu out like a fan. She immediately threw it back over her shoulder and looked away, a wave of shame and terror sweeping over her.
Should she call him out? What would she even accuse him of? What if he made a scene? What if he threw her off the train? Or worse, what Baa would get mad at her?
Anupamaa's fears only got darker from there.
How was she going to spend the next 6 hours sitting across this man? That too, on a night train? Suddenly, all her sleepiness had evaporated. She was wide awake and hyper alert, her heart beating out of her chest.
Bapuji and Baa were oblivious to what was going on. "What are you thinking so much?" Baa barked. "Take some peanuts, don't be rude!"
"Yes, Anu," the man repeated, pronouncing her name with a lewd pucker of his lips. "We might as well get to know each other before the lights go off!"
He grinned at her.
Anupama glanced at the others in the compartment. All four geriatrics were smiling obliviously.
Anu paled with horror.
Before she could blink, a blur of powder blue slammed itself sideways into the man's jaw, making a distinct cracking sound.
YOU ARE READING
Hoping for Love
Fanfiction"How would this work? We have nothing in common." "Really, Anu? Because when I look at your soul, it's the same as mine - but so much lovelier." Both Anupama and Sachin have been hurt by the very people that were supposed to protect their hearts an...
