O Shit! He had to run. There was no other option. The strange looking stranger had just picked up his laptop bag and was making a dash for the platform exit. Or so he thought in that split second. For he didn't know where the platform exit was. He managed to glide the almost filled plastic tea cup straight into the dust-bin, as he craftily picked up his stylish blue backpack on the way, and sprinted with all his wind tearing power, towards the moving figure threatening to merge into the crowd. While he was ducking and darting like a bullet on auto pilot, a million thoughts ran through his mind. What would he do if the bag was stolen? It contained most of his critical documents, his cellphone hands-free, the borrowed Dostoyevsky book, the chosen 10 movies from his Woody Allen collection, and of course his e-ticket. He had once lost his bag which contained his LIC policy, Driving Licence, Passport, Chaos Theory & two other books he had just purchased from Blossom, and 4 new movie DVDs. He had gone through hell to get all the documents back but on hindsight it seemed easy.
Suddenly he didn't feel as scared just in case the bag was stolen. Another thought that ran parallel to this was, that she was going to call him soon. And he wondered what if she called him just now while he was running.
The strange stranger was quick but the distance between him, and the fluttering white kurta which was feeling left behind in the midnight chase, was decreasing. He was glad he had been running thrice a week lately, and it showed. He finally decided to go for the flying dive. It was a big risk. Even if he managed to grab the ankle he was sure he would pin him down. But what if he fell short?
And as he felt his grey jeans preparing to soak in some action, he dived. Almost in slow motion, he was holding the cell phone in his left kurta pocket to keep it from hitting the ground, his backpack nicely hung by his shoulders and flying with him, and his right hand outstretched as far as his 6 foot 1 inch frame would allow it to go. He blazed towards the stranger's foot and his fingers just about got hold of the bottom edge of the cloth around the ankle. That was good enough. His strong grip brought the stranger to ground, as they landed on the hard floor with a thud, and slid to a stumbling halt.
And the phone rang.
"Hey! had your tea?"
"Uhm... Not really."
"Why?"
"I was lost in some thoughts baby, and by the time I could realise it, you called."
"What thoughts sweety?"
"You know, as I was looking for a tea stall nearby, I realised I might need to leave my laptop and backpack at the mercy of this strange looking stranger sitting next to me. So I started wondering. What if the moment I begin to have my tea this guy picked my laptop bag and made a dash for the exit? What would I do? How would I chase? And then... while I was thinking about all that could happen, you called!"
"I don't believe you boy! You better get back to writing."
"I guess I'll go and have my tea first."
--
An old draft, which I somehow didn't publish.
Suddenly he didn't feel as scared just in case the bag was stolen. Another thought that ran parallel to this was, that she was going to call him soon. And he wondered what if she called him just now while he was running.
The strange stranger was quick but the distance between him, and the fluttering white kurta which was feeling left behind in the midnight chase, was decreasing. He was glad he had been running thrice a week lately, and it showed. He finally decided to go for the flying dive. It was a big risk. Even if he managed to grab the ankle he was sure he would pin him down. But what if he fell short?
And as he felt his grey jeans preparing to soak in some action, he dived. Almost in slow motion, he was holding the cell phone in his left kurta pocket to keep it from hitting the ground, his backpack nicely hung by his shoulders and flying with him, and his right hand outstretched as far as his 6 foot 1 inch frame would allow it to go. He blazed towards the stranger's foot and his fingers just about got hold of the bottom edge of the cloth around the ankle. That was good enough. His strong grip brought the stranger to ground, as they landed on the hard floor with a thud, and slid to a stumbling halt.
And the phone rang.
"Hey! had your tea?"
"Uhm... Not really."
"Why?"
"I was lost in some thoughts baby, and by the time I could realise it, you called."
"What thoughts sweety?"
"You know, as I was looking for a tea stall nearby, I realised I might need to leave my laptop and backpack at the mercy of this strange looking stranger sitting next to me. So I started wondering. What if the moment I begin to have my tea this guy picked my laptop bag and made a dash for the exit? What would I do? How would I chase? And then... while I was thinking about all that could happen, you called!"
"I don't believe you boy! You better get back to writing."
"I guess I'll go and have my tea first."
--
An old draft, which I somehow didn't publish.
