I am sorry not to ask her name!

I forgot from where she got into the bus. All the seats were occupied, so I was standing along with other three people. I was on the way to my Rotaract Club’s meeting at Tripureshwor. It was Saturday.

She pushed her way through other people and came back where I was standing. I got a glimpse of her face. She was cute. Her phone rang and she picked it up. After she disconnected it she put it in the pocket of her long t-shirt. I thought to recommend not to keep the phone in the pocket of the shirt as the mouth of the pocket was too big to pick it up from. But I discarded the idea. One shouldn’t be Mr. Know-All everywhere!

As you know it’s not trouble-free to travel in a microbus standing. Sometimes you are falling this side, sometimes that side. You have to depend upon a single pipe, which is added later because the microbus doesn’t have such accessories, on the roof. The girl with the long t-shirt was just next to me. It was my hand at the end of the pipe after her. She continuously moved her hand. I ignored it thinking it’s not easy to stand easily.

But I was mistaken, her hand came upon my hand then it was off. I looked around. Two guys in the last seat were looking at our hands.

I slid my hand a little bit further. Lo and behold! She slid her hand too. Again her hand came upon my hand.

I slid my hand little bit further but still I could felt her fingers moving over mine.

I turn around. She was looking at me. I was blank. After a while I regain my consciousness and smiled. She looked away. I push my hands a bit far from hers. She didn’t make an effort again.

At Kalanki, the bus stopped. She settled herself in the last seat. I wished if only there was another seat adjacent to her. Anyway I let the idea go away. I went into the cabin. At Soltimode, I looked back to ensure she was there.

Oh Holiness! She was looking at me with something in her eyes that I didn’t know.

At Kalimati, a seat beside her became vacant. Without spending any moment in thinking, I moved there. She turned her head. Our eyes met!

The bus was moving and I was planning to ask her for a cup of coffee. Once I thought of even not attending the meeting but following her. That was a sweet and romantic feeling, I suppose. I didn’t ask her for the coffee, instead I got off at United World Trade Center, Tripureshwor – our club’s meeting venue.

I threw a departing look at her. I saw something in her eyes but it was too late by then.

I regretted the idea later. I should have asked her a cup of coffee or taken her to the meeting. I was so lost that I forget to ask her name too. I can’t say whether she would agree but that would certainly have cured my wandering feelings. Time moved very fast. It didn’t allow me a little bit more time for the decision making.

- Mod Dhakal (Kathmandu)