Tears of Joy

She hurriedly entered the ladies first-class compartment. It was a slow train from Churchgate, would take around an hour’s time to reach her place but today she did not bother. On other days she would have worried and grumbled a bit for getting a slow train. But today was different, today was special. She was smiling all the time. She sat near the window in front of a middle aged lady and made herself comfortable. Inside the compartment there were hardly any ladies at that hour. It was almost empty.

She seemed in a hurry today. She was visibly happy and smiling. There was something going on her mind. Yesterday night was very special for her. Why only night? It was well over 3:30 am when she could finally take a nap and she was up again at 5:30 am!! She glanced outside the window and took charge of her mobile phone. Forty seven messages from a single person !! Once again she started reading them one by one. They were all sent between 11 pm last night till 2:15 this morning, within a span of 3 hours. She smiled again. They were from a person who is very close to her heart...her BEST friend, ever.

She was never so close to any person in her life. They both have too many things in common.. their likings, their taste, their thoughts. They live eight kms away from each other and their office is just 1.5 kms apart. Both of them are very emotional, lonely, reserved. They have shared many secrets and thoughts of life with each other. Both have plenty of pictures of each other on their computers. Both of them have cried many times for each other. Probably they can’t see each other in pain. Every time he has hurt her because of some reason, within a minute she has received a sms from him saying sorry. They both love each other in a strange way. There is a special comfort zone between them and the trust ? Trust between them has no limits.

Their friendship is not even a year old, it is just ten months! If she has something to share with, the first person comes to her mind is him and she always misses him. Time spent with him is never enough. Not a single day passes when she doesn’t think of him with a smile. And in somewhat similar way, she is the only person he has shared his some of the most inner thoughts with. They savor each other’s company.

She had helped him in her own little way when he was looking for a change of job and she was the first person to know about his interview calls, appointment and so on. She was away from the city when she had received his message of new job. All the dates are still etched in her mind. Those were the days when he was very much tensed and so was she.

On his birthday, she sent a book to him, her favourite one and she knew he would equally like it. Now, the next birthday is approaching fast, she has started wondering what to present him this year. Probably a book again ? Books are never going to be a problem between them.

On other days they normally exchange a few sms’s, only when one of them wants to share some info or ask for help. Yesterday also, it had started on the same note. But after 3-4 sms’s, she could guess his happiness. He seemed extremely happy. :)))

Now, it was around 11 at night. All family members at her place had gone off to sleep and she was trying to concentrate on some pending work she had. She asked him if he doesn’t want to sleep tonight or again he is reading his unfinished novel. He replied “Nothing of that sort today”. He was just too happy and listening to songs on his i-pod. She knew the songs were her favourite as well.

Then came a message: he was listening to “Katra-katra milti hai, Katra Katra Jeene Do” ..one of their favourites. She immediately messaged back, “I want to listen it too!”. Not even ten seconds later there she was, sitting, smiling, listening to the song on her cell phone. He was playing the songs at his end... she was listening to them. And thus started three most beautiful, wonderful hours of romantic melodious songs.

“Aapki ki aankhon mein kuch mehke hue se Raaz hain”, “Mere Dil Mein Aaj Kya Hai Tu Kahe to Main bata Doon”, “RimZhim gire sawan, sulag-sulag jaaye man”, “Humein Tumse pyar kitna, ye hum nahi jaante”, “Phir wohi raat hai”, “Aie kaash ki ab hosh mein” and so on.. none of the songs was repeated.

They were both extremely happy - alone and yet together. Their joy had no boundaries. Neither of the two was sleepy at all. In between they kept sending messages to each other. He wanted to share his happiness with her. Initially he started humming the songs at his end, she could listen to it. She knew he wanted to sing aloud. She asked him to do so. As he lives alone in his flat, it was not difficult. So, he started to sing ... The voice was coming right from his heart.. Dil se. He was dreaming about his future... getting married and settling down soon. He was in full romantic mood. She could “see” that. How well she understands him.

Once he coughed, she got tensed.. asked him why? Since he smokes occasionally, she was worried about his health.

The night was beautiful, awesome, and quiet. The songs kept coming ... one by one.. all romantic ones that they both love... him, singing along and her listening and smiling. They didn’t feel like speaking to each other. There was no need. The words were not needed there, only emotions were flowing and they could feel it. They could feel the presence of each other, they were together in that special moment. Just the songs through cell phone, him singing and series of sms’s without a single spoken word of communication.. it was all so wonderful.

This was the best night she had ever experienced, thanks to her friend. Then at 12:41 AM, he told her why he was so happy that day, “I am in love” a sms conveyed it all. Now, sitting in the train she checked the sms again. Yes, it had come at 12:41 AM. And then in next four sms's he told her about a girl. Once again she was the first and till now his only friend to know about his feelings. Probably she is also his best female friend?? Probably not ? She doesn’t know. She tried to brush aside this thought.

She was happy for him. She felt like holding his hands and telling him how happy she was.

Their beautiful and amazing friendship is unique in many ways. They both know they can reach each other at any hour of the day. What if till now they have not been able to meet even once in real life? What if they have not spoken to each other even once except for 2-3 minutes on one occasion? They share each other's joys and sorrows, they share each other's problems and seek advice and they feel each other's presence in their life.

She hopes to meet him one day and it is going to be a wonderful day... the happiest day. That very thought of meeting him brought tears in her eyes. The lady sitting in front of her was watching her smile all this while and now suddenly tears??

Without wiping those tears off she said “They are tears of joy” and she let them flow.

Do you think there can exist such friendship in this world ?
Could it be true or could they be just faux-amies? Could it become the most beautiful friendship one can ever think of or could it be termed as most unrealistic, unheard kind of imagination ?

Current song- Aapki Aankhon Mein Kuch Mehke Hue Se Khwab Hain – Kishore & Lata