Angel

Angel

(This article has been read 82 times)

Posted by samurai on April 05, 2003 (Saturday)

sometimes we find them among us

�Click, click� click�.The ticket collector was now very close to Anirban, just a couple of seats away. He could hear his punch distinctly, much louder than other days. �Ticket, ticket!�, soon the dreary voice bellowed above his head. �I actually forgot my wallet�, he looked up, disregarding the sudden surge of blood in his ears, �I will get down in the next stop�. �Sorry, no free rides�.Anirban wished that the man wouldn�t scream like that. Several pairs of inquisitive eyes were pinning him down by now. The ticket collector�s hand was just about to reach for the bell when a voice said, �I�ll pay for him�. In his panic, Anirban had turned a blind eye to his co-passenger, a lady, beside him. She was attractive, he now noticed, in blue jeans and cream colored tees. She couldn�t be more than thirty. �Where do you want to go?�, she was looking at him, a hint of a smile adorning her shapely mouth. �Uh� Rasta Peth�, Anirban mumbled, �but its fine, I�ll get down and take a rickshaw�. �Its alright�, she said and drew out a five rupee note from the brown leather bag that lay on her lap. The amused ticket collector handed Anirban his ticket, as most of the queer eyes lost their earlier luster. �Lucky for you, young chap�, the ticket collector commented while walking away. Anirban felt his ears burning and looked straight ahead. �Thank you!�, he couldn�t bring himself to look directly at her. �You're welcome�, she heard her quiet voice, as she went back to the paperback that she had been reading. �I don�t know how to pay you back� �, he fumbled for words, a sense of uneasiness gnawing his heart. She looked up at him. �Just remember to help someone the next time�, she was smiling. As he looked at her for a brief spell, before looking outside the window, he felt her words like ice against his agitated ears. In an instant he was soothed out of the burden of his guilt, which had suddenly vanished. He felt light, as the bus made its way through the cramped streets.

�Excuse me�, she smiled once more, as she rose to leave. �Thank you�, Anirban now looked at her directly and smiled back.Never before had he smiled so freely. Her lips were parted, revealing a perfect set of white teeth. Then she was gone. Anirban looked at his ticket and smiled once again, this time simply to acknowledge how easy it was to do so.