11:11

It is believed that the best stories are usually too short, though this was a terribly tiny one.

It was an hour and a few minutes before midnight as I glance around the station waiting for the train to get back home.

It had been pouring all evening and the platform was all damp and muddy while the air carried that typical stale the station oozes with.

I glance at my phone to make a mental note of the time left while waiting for my wait to get over. It was 10:46 PM and the arrival time was 11:45 PM.

Meaning to kill time, I shove in the earphones and plug into some random radio station and gaze around with my fluttering eyes as the wind carrying rain drops keeps making its way inside.

In no time I spot a small book stall. Pausing the radio, I begin to make my way towards it. With each step, my eyes adjusts itself to reading the book titles only to discover from close that the language isn't English. Just when I thought of asking the shop owner, a voice startles me.

"Aren't there any books in English?"

Stunned about someone stealing my words I decide to turn around to find the owner of a breathy melodic voice and see a girl shifting by my side with a cloud of mild fruity scent and her eyes fixed on the shop owner. I couldn't stop my eyes from scrutinizing her each detail, Fair shiny skin, hazel coloured lotus eyes, pinkish tint in her cheeks, long layered brown hair, short height with a curvy body wrapped in a cute purple dress.

"There must be a few in there, let me dig it out for you," the owner replied and soon placed a stack of books with English titles in front of her.

She scanned through the pile, picked a book for purchase and stormed out of the stall making her way to the same coach at platform no 3 where I had been waiting, probably waiting for the same train.
I felt a strange feeling of comfort originating in me like I just attained some victory.

I get back to where I'd been standing before and see her from the corner of my eyes while occasionally keep stealing glances at her and more often find her eyes locking with mine making me shuffle uneasily trying to calm the butterflies storming inside my stomach.

She was with an old-aged man who I observe kept muttering something to her while taking sips from a disposable cup filled with a brewing drink, I suppose. Just when I adored them to seem to be conversing at calm and peace, in a jiffy their face adopted to all sorts of anxiety and tense listening to the spontaneous announcement made through the speakers.

"Attention from the passengers please, train no  12085 with destination to Mumbai from the station Hyderabad is to arrive at the platform no 5 at 11:15 PM."

And just like that all the butterflies I felt inside made its way out and flew away with that girl.

Though she quickly rushed making her way to another platform, her eyes kept darting my way again and again and mine at her until we vanished from each other's sight completely.

Feeling disheartened, I kept staring for a little longer hoping she'd somehow magically return until I finally accept the defeat and find myself checking for the train details in the large board which now displayed the time 11:11, I closed my eyes and made one, just one obvious wish.

Suddenly, I felt a tap from behind so I turned abruptly and see the owner of the book shop holding a book in his hand.

"Have you seen that girl who was with you at the stall a while ago?" he asked.

"Yeah, she just had to rush to another end due to some sudden changes made regarding the platform number" I replied.

"Oh I see."

"The thing is, she forgot a book at my stall which she probably placed aside while searching through the new pile." he says waving the book with his hand.

I take it from him and read the title "Lovers like you and I."

I leaf through the two bookmarked pages, one has her college ID card while the other has a rose pressed against a chapter that reads

"Serendipity"

And instantly, I let out a triumphant, foolish chuckle.

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