Ten minutes into waiting, the corporate guy, comes up to me to say that he can't get any other cabs from his office, but he could give me a lift in his cab and that cab driver could further drop me to the connecting Metro Station. Gut feeling: Say yes. I call up the shady driver I was waiting for and cancel it. Disaster averted! Phew!
9:30pm:
We are on our way! We exchange business cards and start talking. He was looking to buy a house, for he had recently gotten married to the love of his life and was on top of the world. He was a CA and traveled daily to Gurgaon. I took some income tax tips, he was telling me about the architectural features in his childhood home, etc. While we made conversation, he had that curious look in his eye. He could not understand why it was so important for me to go FROM Gurgaon TO another place,dressed like that, at that hour, when my house was right there in gurgaon...'Why don't yu go there in the morning?' I todl him that wa not an option. Nothing would convince him enough, just then, the driver pulled over. Now What!? We have a flat tire. Yea right! As if,I hadn't had enough for the night. At least, I was sure that this problem was solvable. And Armin would not start playing till eleven for sure, so I won't miss it..Back on the road, the cab driver gets a call and says he will not be able to drop me any further than where he would drop the corporate guy. That's fine, he says he will help me look for an auto rickshaw from his stop till the Metro Station.
10.15pm:
We reach his stop. My corporate friend instructs me to sit in the cab, while they go out and look for an auto. 'Actually Madam, because of what you are wearing, it will be best if you sit inside'. And all this I have to listen to, when I was fully clothed (only my face and hands were showing) and I was not even wearing high heels. Fifteen minutes pass, no autorickshaw! They just whizz by; eager to get home. But I just focus on being inside the club. I will see Armin. I WILL. I WILL.
10:30pm:
I get into the Auto, thank the corporate guy profusely, completely drenched in gratitude..amazed that genuine helpful people still exist in this world and in Delhi! Had a love marriage made him a better person? Maybe. Or was he a great person to begin with - which is why he had love in his life?
I beg the rickshaw guy to rush, for the last Metro leaves in thirty minutes. And if I count the security check, elevators and walking time, I would barely make it. Luckily, his auto was in excellent condition. He drove fast. Starting from my toes, I began to free ze in the chilled winter night, whizzing past the beautiful Delhi roads. In my head, I knew this was the last lap of my chase. I had the change ready and ran as I reached the Metro Station. 'RUNNN FORRRESTTT, RUNN!!' rings in my brain. (Jenny to Forrest Gump in the movie Forrest Gump)
10:55pm:
I am new to the big, intimidating, empty station. I ask two travellers, run and board the Metro whose doors were just closing! Again, I get stared at by the morose passengers in the train. This time due to the contrast in their energy levels and mine. I was RUNNING late by two hours.Hmm.. In twenty minutes, I was at my stop. The guy who I had spoken with for the first time that very day picked me up from the station. He told me how pretty I looked, 'but why are you wearing so many clothes? Why so conservative, han?' ;)
to be continued....
10.15pm:
We reach his stop. My corporate friend instructs me to sit in the cab, while they go out and look for an auto. 'Actually Madam, because of what you are wearing, it will be best if you sit inside'. And all this I have to listen to, when I was fully clothed (only my face and hands were showing) and I was not even wearing high heels. Fifteen minutes pass, no autorickshaw! They just whizz by; eager to get home. But I just focus on being inside the club. I will see Armin. I WILL. I WILL.
10:30pm:
I get into the Auto, thank the corporate guy profusely, completely drenched in gratitude..amazed that genuine helpful people still exist in this world and in Delhi! Had a love marriage made him a better person? Maybe. Or was he a great person to begin with - which is why he had love in his life?
I beg the rickshaw guy to rush, for the last Metro leaves in thirty minutes. And if I count the security check, elevators and walking time, I would barely make it. Luckily, his auto was in excellent condition. He drove fast. Starting from my toes, I began to free ze in the chilled winter night, whizzing past the beautiful Delhi roads. In my head, I knew this was the last lap of my chase. I had the change ready and ran as I reached the Metro Station. 'RUNNN FORRRESTTT, RUNN!!' rings in my brain. (Jenny to Forrest Gump in the movie Forrest Gump)
10:55pm:
I am new to the big, intimidating, empty station. I ask two travellers, run and board the Metro whose doors were just closing! Again, I get stared at by the morose passengers in the train. This time due to the contrast in their energy levels and mine. I was RUNNING late by two hours.Hmm.. In twenty minutes, I was at my stop. The guy who I had spoken with for the first time that very day picked me up from the station. He told me how pretty I looked, 'but why are you wearing so many clothes? Why so conservative, han?' ;)
to be continued....
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