25th March 1978 (Somewhere In Pune)

The boys packed their bags in the hotel. They were preparing to catch up on the Pune-Bombay mail, popularly known as the Deccan Queen. The boys were students at St. Xavier’s College, Bombay, pursuing a BMS degree in Management. They were returning home after attending an intercollegiate festival at Ferguson College.

Shantanu, a final-year student of BMS of St. Xavier’s, was on the verge of missing the train as he was late. He meticulously packed his bags and headed to Pune station with his friends, Dhruv, Sahil, and Aman. After boarding the train, the group found seats around the last berth, near the door.

After some time, he heard the playful, sweet voice of a girl in the close vicinity. Surprisingly, he found the voice familiar, though he couldn’t recognize its owner for some time. He was looking here and there by standing up in his seat.

Sahil asked,” What happened now? Are you still mesmerized by the voice of the host at Ferguson?” Then he mockingly asked Shantanu if he had fallen in love with the mysterious girl and laughed at him. The laughter was contagious, and soon the group was joking with Shantanu about his mystery girl! During the college fest, Shantanu saw a beautiful girl on stage. She had a magical voice, and he was moved romantically. After all, he was young!

“That was a lot of fun at the college fest,” Aanchal told Sneha. They started gossiping about the college. They shared stories about their crushes and their dreams. After the college event in Fergusson, they took the Deccan Mail to Lonavala. Nonchalant was the proper word to describe their loud gossip without care. Unknowingly, the duo was getting a lot of attention on the train; among them was the band of boys.

Shantanu was now desperate to find out who his crush was. He was certain the voice he had heard belonged to the beautiful girl he had seen on stage. He went to the door to check the passenger list. He zeroed in on two names but was unsure which one was his crush. To examine his theory, he went to the other side of the train carriage to check on the girls. He pretended to go to the bathroom. He found the two girls sitting close to the other door of the berth. He instantly recognized the girl he was anticipating.

While his eyes were mesmerized by God’s beautiful creation, he felt a fantastic, upbeat pulse in his heart. He couldn’t believe his luck, but he thanked all the gods he knew then! His tongue became dry, and his eyes would pop out of their sockets because of the unknown feeling. He wished to stand there for eternity, as time would stop, and soak in the beauty as much as possible.

The girls saw a random guy in the deep, wondering stage. Based on their prior experiences, they understood what was happening. Being beautiful, girls would know how boys react when they first see them. Aanchal became self-conscious, stopped chatting, and elbowed Sneha to quiet her.

After 2-3 minutes of silence, Shantanu became aware of his surroundings and left, feeling embarrassed and awkward. The girls had a hearty laugh as he was going. Shantanu, a total novice in these things, laughed sheepishly as he returned to his seat. He dared not look back! Sahil asked, “Abbe, what happened? Already jailed before the trials start? Give us a break.” Then the whole boys’ group teased Shantanu, calling him ‘Aashiq’.

The train went on its course without any delay. But two hearts felt something deeper that day!

29th April,1979 (Bombay)

Shantanu, the Aashiq, had graduated then and joined his family’s textiles business. All his friends have moved on with their career choices and drifted away. Meeting with them once or twice a year was rare. Over the years, Shantanu had grown into his reputation as an Aashiq in the true sense. He dreamt about the mysterious girl repeatedly. He fantasized about what he would say at the next meet-up, if there were any. He wandered alone in the streets, singing Devanand’s songs in a Filmy style. These were Shantanu’s trademark styles at the time. Amid the excitement, he forgot to ask the girls’ names a year ago because he was confused. The girl from the Deccan Queen was a mystery to him.

His situation worsened day by day. Something profound was missing in his heart. He was smiling, but in his heart, he hid an unknown pain that few understood! The friends were of little help, except for the customary leg-pulling and chiding over the name-calling, “Aashiq.” It was their favorite pastime.

On the other hand, Aanchal felt pangs of sorrow for no apparent reason. She interacted with many approachable lovers who, at first sight, expressed their feelings, but not this train-wandering guy! She was in her second year of college, pursuing Psychology Honors at Fergusson. With her close confidant, Sneha, she would express her emotions. She described how she felt when she saw a shy, introverted guy standing in astonishment! She sensed a pure heart and a wellspring of faithful Love at the core. She was disgusted with herself and lacked the courage to speak or ask the guy’s name. The only thing she did was laugh over the person, further embarrassing him!

It was Sunday, 29th April. She had come to Bombay to meet her Maasi. She had to go home by evening, so she went for the Deccan Queen mail. She loved sitting on the window seat of a sleeper berth. It allowed her to interact with the outside. She observed events closely.

As she set off for home to Lonavala, she sensed a mysterious presence on the train. It was not terrifying, but it gave off a reassuring aura. She sat in her allotted seat. She discovered that her mystery man was staring at her from the seat across from her. He was filled with excitement and amazement.

Shantanu had some business in Pune and went by the Deccan Queen. By luck or destiny, he got a seat opposite her crush. The universe was conspiring to reunite the lovebirds.

Shivering with excitement, the unwavering eyes of both would tell a story. As they were deeply engrossed in looking at each other’s eyes, their souls found a way to connect. Both felt an unending fountain of joy flowing somewhere beneath their hearts. They pleaded for the time to take a break so they could bask in love for a long time. After an eternity of eyes locked in excitement, both returned to reality. Only five minutes had passed by. Shantanu introduced himself, and so did Aanchal.

Both had nothing to say; their eyes were doing the talking. To get to know each other better, they started chatting. They gossiped about their colleagues, work, homes, families, and friends. While sharing their aspirations, they both forgot that the train had reached Lonavala station. Aanchal had to get off at this station. By then, Shantanu had gathered enough courage to exchange their home addresses.

Both knew the lovely moments were ending as the train reached Lonavala station. Aanchal got up from her seat. She felt a gentle hand holding her back as she reached the door. She returned her gaze to find Shantanu pleading with his eyes that she should not return. Both were helpless as destiny allowed this minor infatuation to flourish. Shantanu placed a letter, carefully covered in a red envelope, in Aanchal’s palm in the slightest trick of hands. Aanchal said goodbye to Shantanu at Lonavala station. Both were screaming with joy.

27th May, 1984 (Lonavala)

After a long week of business work, Shantanu was heading home with his 2-year-old son and his wife. Returning to Bombay with the Deccan Mail in the sleeper berth was his way of finding solace. After the first struggle to settle into their seats, Shantanu noticed a woman staring at him from a distance. After hesitation, he checked on the creepy onlooker and found Aanchal far from his seat.

Both eyes locked together. They feel signs of grief, loss, and embarrassing emotions well engraved in their hearts. Both wondered what had gone wrong. They had to adjust to avoid getting caught by their partners or families. Both Aanchal and Shantanu were traveling with their families.

Aanchal closed her eyes and was about to cry in silence. The last five years of her life flashed back in front of her.

After getting the letter from Shantanu, Aanchal wasted no time opening the most anticipated love letter. Shantanu’s shy nature didn’t inhibit him from writing a love potion that beautifully mixed enchanting, heartfelt emotions. Aanchal couldn’t hold back her tears after reading this letter. She cried, danced joyfully, and then daydreamed about their impending union. She even thought of the lehenga she would wear on her wedding day. She decided to write a letter back.

The long-distance charm of anticipation kept Shantanu and Aanchal busy exchanging love letters often. They put in an earnest effort to rekindle the feeling of seeing the most desirable person. The hope that they would meet again was always there. Both decided to meet at Lonavala. They had fallen in Love!

At Lonavala, as the couple embraced each other and anticipated their futures, Aanchal’s relative caught sight of them. He reported the incident to Aanchal’s family. Upon reaching home, Aanchal got a taste of backwardness and patriarchy, a firsthand experience. Her meeting with Shantanu was not approved. She was confined to her home for a while.

Given a little chance, Aanchal wrote a letter to Shantanu about her condition. She pleaded with him to elope to a safe place, as the family opposed the marriage. She was madly in Love and wanted to settle down with Shantanu at any cost. Shantanu never replied to the letters. He was busy with his business. He was also bound by his family’s decision about whom he would marry.

Their love was pure. Nevertheless, society’s shackles were so strong. They had to give up their dream of growing old. They wanted to avoid disappointing their parents.

Five years later, both were reviewing their decisions to part ways and deeply regretting them. But what had been done couldn’t be altered.

After a few minutes of stoic silence, their eyes met. They wanted to run towards each other. They longed to embrace tightly, so that no one would separate them this time. Yet, reality gave them different perspectives, and both had to adapt. They only nod to each other with watery eyes, trying not to explode at any moment. They bid each other goodbye again without uttering a single word this time.

5th April, 2014 (Bombay)

Aanchal complained about her knee as she made her way down the stairs to visit her grandson, Chintu. The kid had become her only way of deriving some unfiltered pleasure amid the city’s never-ending hustle and bustle. After her husband’s demise, she had taken permanent residence in Bombay.

On April 5th, she had to go to her hometown, Lonavala. She needed to perform a Pooja on the anniversary of her late mother’s death. Chintu was going with her to keep her company. As the duo entered the train, Aanchal found her favorite seat near the window. The family advised her to travel in an AC. Still, she insisted on her old habit. Aanchal enjoyed the view of nature from the window seat.

She felt a creepy presence as the train started to run. A smiling face was gazing at her intently from a long distance in the berth. Though she had entirely forgotten her lost flame, Shantanu, she recognized the eyes when she saw them. A familiar yet untouched territory was beckoning her to embrace. She was moved. As a widow in her final days, she felt no shame in breaking social norms. She wanted to become the free spirit she had been in college. She wanted to live in the moment. She tried to embrace Shantanu. She wanted to scold him for his lack of effort and courage. They have married and lived in peace. Ignoring her grandson, Aanchal rose from her seat to see Shantanu.

As Aanchal reached the rear of the berth, she followed the gaze and found nobody sitting there. She was perplexed. Thinking that she had been daydreaming, she ignored the scene and returned to her seat. Chintu was playing with his toys.

The Deccan Queen mail reached Lonavala. Aanchal thought about what had happened. She saw Shantanu wandering in amazement. He smiled gently at her, standing just before her seat. Annoyed, she asked Chintu if he could see anyone, and he replied, “No.”

She was resting her hands on the window seat. After a few minutes, she felt a strong hand gently pressing her hands, but it was cold. She saw nobody. She felt a strong presence outside the window. Realizing it was Shantanu, she felt immense joy as a lost soul reached out to her in reassurance. Instead of being terrified, she was relieved that the old soul had kept his promise. She didn’t hold back from crying. She choked in Love, affection, and loss at the same time. She didn’t stop sobbing, leaving the grandchild in astonishment.

Dadi would come to her senses after a while, as the kid thought to himself and immersed himself in play. He did not bother her for a while. After a brief pause, he shook his grandmother awake, and the silence prevailed. Only a few other passengers were traveling that day. His grandma didn’t respond to his calls. Worried and anxious, the child sought help from other adults. They found the lady to be dead.

In the hilly terrain of Lonavala, the old souls would be waltzing to the tunes of old Hindi songs. They danced without a single care. Their love story is incomplete in a purely carnal sense. Yet their souls were reunited on a higher plane. They felt the magical sense of belonging called love. The Aashiq had finally found his quest!