Imagine the smell of jasmine and a pretty face…..

I loved those glasses. “They make you look like a cop!”, my friend had remarked. As I entered, the Chennai Central broadcasted a typical sense of rush. I could hear the porters shouting  asking for way , the constant chatter of waiting passengers in the lobby and  the infrequent loud bursts  of noise  clearly indicating  the arrival of yet another local train.  I walked straight towards the 3rd platform without an iota of hesitation. I had been there numerous times, what was there to worry about? As I started my walk, started to hate the nonchalant attitude of the people, they just cannot give way to a person walking across. After many a shoulder dashes and profuse apologies, I reached my compartment.

Seat # 25 awaited my arrival. As I was making myself comfortable, caught that jasmine smell. It was not just jasmine, of course I prided myself to be sort of expert in the ‘art of smell’. I could clearly sense a touch of sandalwood with jasmine. It was as if the person had crushed the jasmine flowers in a paste of sandalwood and applied to the forehead. Quite remarkable, I thought. And it did smell good.

“Oh! Amma, I forgot the Iliad again. Please make sure that you send by the evening mail, ok?.” She seemed concerned with a pinch of hatred towards something. ” Ok kutti, dont worry about it, I will make sure it reaches you soon. You take care, and eat your dinner, dont spoil your health.” Her amma seemed like a quintessential tamil iyengar housewife, whose only three concerns in life were her husband, daughter and ofcourse her rasam. After a bountiful exchange of goodbyes, the train left on its way.

“Just out of curiosity, that perfume of yours, is it homemade?”  ” Oh!” she chuckled, I liked her chuckle, it sounded sexy. ” yes, I am the guinea pig for all my mom’s experiments.” she declared with a loud laugh. I joined her in that. She was funny. ” So let me guess, you are in your 2nd year at St. Stephens doing MA in english literature, going back to college after the christmas break?” I enquired. ” Oh! my god. how do you know all that about me?” she sounded surprised, inquisitive yet strangely aroused. I shrugged “Well, you dont need a rocket scientist to deduce that. I couldnt help over hearing your mention of the Iliad. Ofcourse it is indeed a miracle that I remember the Iliad after 10 years since my MA.”  “Hmmm. well it surely not sounded like rocket science afterall.” she replied with a taunt. Whoa!! I thought, what was that. A direct call to keep distance. That truckload of sarcasm just seemed to drench me in definitive confusion.

The silence was palpable. Every fan in the compartment was shouting ‘Awkward! Awkward!.’ I couldnt resist another jab at the conversation. ” You know, at St. Stephens, I was called the walking dictionary. I was the undisputed ‘wordConstruct’ champion. I guess shakespeare would have admired my vocabulary.” I started out with a swell of pomp. “Oh! really, how impressive.” again that sarcasm, I hated it. Now those transvestites, they were patting on my shoulder, announcing their arrival in that disgusting tone. Immediately I pulled out a note, lest those despicable characters not leave us alone.

“So wordConstruct champion eh. quite admirable. how about a game with this town educated girl?” that was a challenge I couldnt accept without losing my shame. “Well I am pretty good at it, but it doesnt mean I deny amateurs to challenge me.” I replied rubbing my hands and a wide smile on my face. She started ” all words should start and end with e. I start with elucidate.” “Eliminate” I replied in a jiffy. ” Ha!Ha! I bet you will, now me exonerate.” It went on and on. Initially I was a touch surprised, then admired her vocabulary, later started to loathe and finally got shit scared. Good lord of irony , I am about to lose to a girl. “What’s the matter, it seems our champion seems to be at a loss of words” I could make out that sense of jubilation, again I hated it. ” C’mon, give this old man some time. Its been long since I played this you know.” “Exculpate” I shouted back. “Aaah! sorry that’s used up.” “eradicate.” ” Ya right. I would leave such a hackneyed word just hang in there till so late in the game, so that you would just pluck it and rant it out. Dumbo, its used long back.” Her voice was like a nitrous exhaust spitting fire.

“Hmmm, my memory seems to fail me today.” I tried to hide in my excuses. Another five minutes passed, nothing. My mind felt like a brand new house just plastered white, blank white everywhere.”Can I come out with a word? Sadly that would mean our champion just lost to this puny girl.” she giggled. I was confused to hate it or like it. “Aah whatever. I accept, I lose.” There was this tiny window of silence. I ofcourse looked angry and restless. She paused and seemed to gather herself to ask me something.

“Its not a big deal. 10 years down the line, I guess I wouldnt be able to spell emanicipate” she was trying to throw some humor in the air and failed miserably. “I dont know how to ask this. Like can we go out  sometime, you know you seem like a nice guy to hang out with.” That was what I heard. First I rubbed my ears. I made sure I hadnt gone deaf and imagining things. I never expected that. This girl was asking me out. Poor girl, did she know? she would be shocked to death.

” what’s your name? mine is Michael.” I inquired in a sudden burst. “I am shwetha” she replied. She really had started to like me. ” You know Shwetha, you are a smart girl. I have never seen anyone with such a command over english. I always thought I was a bad actor. Maybe today, I was good, I seemed to have outsmarted you. Its an achievement really.” my tone was ironical, but amusing to myself. ” Pardon me, I am not getting what you are saying. What do you mean, you outsmarted me?” she retorted.

I opened my POLICE glasses, and said in a solemn voice” Sweetheart, I am blind from birth.” I heard a shriek, she gasped for air, then I heard footsteps running away as fast as they could. I imagined her pretty face getting eaten by incomprehension. I couldnt help it. “I am sorry, I should have informed at the beginning.” I finished with a disappointed smile, put my glasses back.

I never heard a word from her again. All I had was the smell of jasmine, and imagining a pretty girl asking a blind man out for a date.

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