A Hazy Masterpiece

Winters are really romantic in Delhi. I love the fog, it makes me feel I am in heaven. Things look cleaner and everyone looks cute. Late November of 2001 was not so chilly. But the sunshine in the foggy winter mornings felt very nice, whenever it got the chance to hit my skin. That morning I boarded my school bus and found a seat behind the exit stairs at the back. There was more legroom in that seat and I could see more of the outside world from that seat. I was listening to Instant Karma on my walkman when my bus turned it's final turn to reach the final stretch of the road. Shaan sang into my ears 'Hum bewafa' with the soothing and ambient music by Bally Sagoo.

I could see, that I could not see far ahead on the road. The fog was thick here. This road which led me to the school, had trees on both sides of it. The trees covered most of the road. In summers these provided shade and in winters....an aura.

Music can do wonders. And slow music can do miracles. It made time move slow. Things moved past me in slow motion. I could see a hazy yellow spot in the sky. Sometimes I could catch only a glimpse of it throught the leaves. In the fog I saw a shadow walking the road with long flushing hair held together by a black band. I turned back to see the face, but eyes fail when beauty blinds. Then it vanished, the bus was faster. Instant Karma could not manage to make the bus run slowly. The bus halted in front of the school gate. I was the last one to get off because I kept waiting for that figure to reappear from the fog. Just as I got off, a girl split the fog and she slowly appeared. The warm sunshine showered down on her through the leaves just then. It was as if an angel had appeared through the clouds. An angel in a gray woolen skirt. She was also wearing a gray coloured sleeveless sweater. Gray was at it's elegant best. It took hours and hours till I could see her face. A small baby face with red cheeks is what I saw. Spellbound I was, paralyzed is what I became. I kept standing there on the road holding onto the bus' handle, gazing at her. I knew her. I knew her name. I wanted to say 'Hello' to her. It felt the world was moving past me. It was the bus, with my hand. My paralysis was cured, the music was starting to fade away now. Classes were to start. But that scene was imprinted in front of my eyes...forever. I see it now as well.