Good-Bye Bangalore (LI)

Reviewed by Padu and Ridhi.

The week went on as usual. As the team leader had promised, people rarely spoke about Gokul’s love for me. In fact they showered more love on me, may be out of the guilty feeling. It was more like feeling at home, but with too many brothers and sisters in the absence of mom and dad.

I didn’t act any different towards Gokul. I got along with him normally. The environment was cheerful. There was not much work, I was there just for the sake of completing the sixth week.

Mostly, I sat with any of the senior employees there like our team leader and kept bugging them with too many questions. Certainly, some did mind it, but I never did. I continued to bother them. The worst victim of my botherations, our team leader, never seemed to mind. This made him the worst affected victim of my queries.

It was my last day at the interns. Friday morning, I was loitering in our office, humming a Hindi song. Even the few who used to mind, didn’t bug me that day as they would get rid of me from the next day. I bid adieu to every soul, every terminal, almost every object in the company. It was a feeling of a very strong emotional attachment.

I had to be there in the company till 6PM or at least five. So I planned to take the train by 9.30PM as promised to Shantanu. ‘I don’t give a damn about him’, my mind said, yet I did’t want to let him down. At least for Anu, for Kiran’s treachery, I wanted to be there.

By 12.30PM, my team leader, “Hey you still are loitering here”

“Oh I thought you didn’t mind. I am sorry”

“What nonsense! I am asking about your train”

“Train?”

“Ya guess the next train to Chennai is at 2.00PM”

“But I have to be here till five na”

“Silly that’s not a problem. Anyway if you are leaving by tomorrow then fine”

“No I am leaving tonight. Have some work at college”

“At night?”

“Hello the train will reach Chennai only by tomorrow morning”

“Ok so, I don’t think you have college on Saturdays”

“No, but elections are less than a week”

“Wow! I never expected a geek to be part of college elections”

“Geek!!! Stop kidding”

“Well so leave now”

“Even if I leave now, it will be late, and I have to report to the manager”

“Screw him. I will take care of all that. I will drop you at the station”

“But baggage?”

“Come on then run lets go to your apartment”

We ran down to the basement parking. He swiftly drove his ‘Maruti Suzuki Swift’. I was waiting outside the parking. The red beast stopped in front of me. I got in the front seat.

“Put on the seat belt”

Am I going to be in a flight or what? Anyway I just obeyed. Soon I realized that he was right. If not for the seat belt, I would have been badly hurt. We reached my apartment by 1.03PM I remember every minute for I was looking at my watch for every 2 seconds.

“Hello, even if you continue this mad driving we won’t be there on time”

“Shut up and pack up now”

With a heavy sigh, I walked to the elevator and reached my floor. I casually started packing up knowing that, reaching the railway station that’s kilometers away in the Bangalore city is practically impossible.

After some 15mins I came down. “Hey quick get in”

Throwing my suit bag, and my laptop case in the back of the car, we started the mad drive again. It was 1.30PM. “Are we going to catch the train in the next station?”

He remained silent. ‘What on earth is he up to?’ I mumbled and I just continued to enjoy the ride. It was more like the swift ad. Just the camera was missing.

Take off sound of an aircraft engine sounded very close. ‘Am I going to the railway station?’ Soon my dubiety was answered. The Swift entered the airport parking. I could see the domestic airlines entry before me.

“But..”

“Quick the flight is at 2.00PM run”

He carried my bag and I took my laptop case. We literally ran into the airport.

“It will take time to buy the tickets. I don’t have the money either.”

Gokul was standing there with a slip of paper, and yes it was the air ticket. He gave it to me. I hesitated. “A small gift from me, as a loving brother.”, our team leader.

I couldn’t say ‘no’ anymore. “Elvi before you go..”

“I will always be waiting for you. However long it takes. I will be waiting. When you decide on something do tell me”

I just nodded my head in silence and ran to boarding. With a feeling of gratefulness to God for giving me such an internship, I put on the seat belt. The thought of the Swift ride gave me a smile.

Thinking about how I was to go about the elections and make up for the past couple of weeks of classes, I leaned on the business class seat.