INSTANCES

TWO WEEKS BEFORE
He sat there staring at the pink disc arising in the horizon with a thin draft of smoke swirling away from his lips. Yes, he was on a routine break he would take when he is on the graveyard shift, just for the eagerness to see how sunrises vary differently each morning with its own beautiful cloud pattern. He never had seen a sunrise or was awake at this time in any of his given college days. Those college days were gone just five months ago. Sitting on the terrace of that three story building he just wondered about those five months which has brought him over to here, where he was. He had never seen this place five months ago, not even aware such a place or a company existed till then. That call from his friend which had brought him over to here had struck a new chord in his life which made new routines. Of course this routine made was changed randomly in order of that worksheet schedule issued by one of his colleagues in the beginning of every month. At the start it was a little difficult for him to follow these routines which where entirely different from the ones which he followed few months back. But now, yes, he adhered to the schedules and routines of his new life making him shoot up in the career roster each day a couple of millimeters, through which he aims to reach another vertical in another two years. He wondered looking at the disc which has now become more yellow, the rays screaming into his gently accustoming eyes, where would he have been now if he had not accepted his friend's offer four months ago.


FIVE MONTHS BEFORE
He was there, sitting in his regular second row seat in that little dingy classroom with just three rows of seats. He had never imagined that he would end-up in a class like this. None could just imagine such a class, with less than a dozen students, of which only a couple of them attended the classes. He was here for his love of the course. But yes, he loved not just one course. Everyone talked about missing those good old college days when nearing the final semester exams. But no, he didn’t feel like he would be missing any of those so called college days, just because he never had any memorable ones to get cherished off. Only left with him were those memories of getting intoxicated with the illegal substances with his bunch of close buddies. As an academic he was one of the best in his batch, his lecturers liked him for his performance in studies and departmental contribution. But no, he never had that stomach crunching feeling when he had thought about his missing good old school life. Yes, he did have thought of how he is going to miss his close buddies, but the college life, no, not the least. But yes, he had a tragic fear, not the fear of missing college, but the fear of returning to those lonely days he is going to spend at home when he will never return to the college for another day, another lecture.


FOUR MONTHS BEFORE
He lay there in the bed, fully drenched in sweat. No, the load shedding was not a routine at that time. The fan was turning around in full swing, but then too it was burning hot. The near tropical summers are getting hotter and longer. He felt empty. Still he couldn’t grab some sleep. He had watched movies most of the night and i t was just 3am. He had no routine to adhere to, he had no burdens, and he had no expectations. He was just out of college. The results predicted he has gotten off with a first class just a couple of score to miss the distinction. He was waiting for some top brass to call and recruit him. He knew it would take forever. Even in that routine less time he kept a routine. He woke up by late forenoon, had his brunch and gone off to his hangout place where he was expected to be when he is on a holiday. But never did he realize, regulars to that place will miss his service when he will be gone later to pursue his career. Reaching his hangout, he would chat off the time with the guys there or he will be on his very personal mobile, talking to his only phone friend for hours together. They had met only a 5 times of all these 3yrs they had known each other. This is when he got a call from his friend, which would change the course of his life from then on.


Today
He sat there staring at the passing dark suburban foliage of unwanted shrubs by the sides of the track. It was a cold and rainy October night. Yes, the time was past midnight and some soft rock song was blaring into his ear from the ear-buds of his brand new xpress-music mobile. He felt empty. Both in the physical and mental aspect of the inside. Just a while before he had been looking at that beautiful young lady, thinking of how to strike a conversation. But that thought was impossible, the distance and barrier between them were too far to strike a conversation inside a suburban train. He cursed to himself when that young lady had gotten off on a station which was two places previous to that he had imagined she would probably get off at. But he was sure that the young lady had gotten off at the wrong station since he knew she never belonged to this part of the country and had never before travelled alone on this track. These things were so easy for him to decipher from her sleepy beautiful eyes at which he was starting into since the time he had gotten into that railcar. Now he sat there in his seat looking out at big lake sparkling in the full moon's enigmatic light, with none else in that rail car. He wondered at his own place in that darn big society. He was into his youth and what?? Cursed to be single and lonely?? He never had a good company since his day one on earth. Those two words - "single" & "lonely" seemed like to own his life from day one. He wished to find a better part to chuck-off his so called 'lonely-single' life. But when and how? Those were the two single worded questions which were ringing through his mind right then as the train approached his station, which was the last one in that service route.