darr

mujhako ishq hai tujhase, mera ye hshra hua hai
jisase ishq hai tujhako, uske anjaam se darr lagata hai.

The Stranger

 

         I came to Mandi House after three months but it seemed three years. Generally i used to come here to visit some galleries but later i stopped visiting galleries because the things they put there stink. So now i come here to watch theatre. Sometimes i come here to sit at the circle next to Shri Ram Centre and watch moving traffic while having coffee. This day I came to watch a play titled 'look back in anger'. I reached early. I was to spend about forty minutes somewhere so I bought a coffee and some cigarettes and reached to circle. I sit at my place. I took a deep breath and released. This always relaxes me. It was very soothing to be there, my space with my time. I was trying to avoid first sip of coffee as it always burns some part in my mouth. But to take second sip first has to be done so I took first sip and “fuck”, again. But there was something else also. I felt vacuum around me. It was a weird feeling. I stopped drinking coffee. I saw in the direction of vacuum. It was 40 degrees right from front. There was nothing until my eye sight hit a guy across the road who was standing next to circle, beside Ficci’s building. He was in black. Black pants, black shirt, black aviators and pointed black shoes. He was clean shaved, all this was making him very handsome. While standing there he was checking something on the screen of his cell phone. I noticed myself, I was putting on off white Non Denim, almost pink T-Shirt, black blazer, black boots and black wayfarer. I again saw at him, he put his cell phone in pants’ left pocket and saw to his right almost directly to me and then to his left where a Tea Wala was making tea. He asked him something then smiled. He started crossing the road towards my side. He walk was very impressive, his every step is holds ground well, and interval between steps is precise. His walk catched the attention of girls buying something from Turant. He crossed the road and kept walking when he was exactly at right almost fifteen feet away I caught a clear sight of his face. He was of mid-twenties having a manly face. ‘Well, interesting guy’ I said to myself. I have this skill to know people by their appearance and body language. I lit a cigarette and started seeing at moving traffic again. ‘Coffee with cigarette humm… do chai ek cigarette…’* I recalled something smiled. As I finished cigarette I listened a voice, ‘excuse me, is it okay for you if I sit here?’. Same guy was standing In front of me pointing to my left side with his left hand while holding coffee in his right hand. ‘Sure’ I said. He sit next to me. We started taking. He is an artist and teaches same time. I told him that I am a poet with interest in visual arts. We talked about ‘art scene in India’ and ‘girls’. He possessed good knowledge about art and girls also. While talking I saw at his eye brows. He had chiselled eye brows. He took out packet of cigarettes from his pants’ right pocket. He smokes chhoti gold flake which used to be my brand five years ago, now I smoke classic ultra-mild. He took one cigarette and put it between his lips, almost hanging. Now I know boys looks handsome like this. I noticed his, well-shaped lips, ‘beautiful lips’ I thought. I am not a gay but I had an inclination for this guy. Maybe he noticed this, so to shatter the situation he offered me cigarette. I thanked him for this and took mine out from my blazer’s pocket. I lit mine and his cigarette. I realized that we had been talking for almost forty minutes. I was already late for the play. I got up and told him that I am to go. I expressed that I was a good talk. He expressed the same and gave me his card. ‘Mohit Kant Mishra’, his card says his name. well I don’t give my card who don’t need it and won’t need it, he was from ‘won’t’, so I didn’t give him my card. He asked my name. ‘you have a very handsome name….i like it….you can call me by your name….’ I said and moved to theatre.   

By

Mohit Kant Mishra      
Nov 24, 2014 Delhi.

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 [KP1]