March 22nd 2020

All her life maya believed that love would be the solution of all her problems. That it will be all cookies and rainbows after she finds the One. But no one told her that love would bring nothing but pain to her.

The thoughts she was having were amplified by conan and grey blasting her ears. As 'heather' played to the end in her ear pods she loomed out through the cab window as it stopped and saw the huge yellow mounds of chatrapathi shivaji railway station coming into view.

After paying the cab driver the atrocious amount he asked without putting up an argument she walked towards the railway station.

Watching her step on the slippery path and covering her head with her hand from the drizzle.

She spotted the endless line of blue bogees and reached her compartment confirming her name of the list pasted outside and climbed in. She remembered her coupa was D2 and walked down the aisle of coupas with glass doors blinded with beige curtains.

Maya had travelled in trains several times before but this was the first time she was traveling in first class.

If she had a choice she wouldnt have chosen to ride the train in the first place but when your mother discovers the wonders of the internet and books you the ticket and sends the print out by post there is nothing you can say to that.

Trains always brought back bad memories for her.

Sliding open the glass doors of D2 she found a middle aged women sitting on the far end of the seat. Maya went to sit opposite to her and lifted her heavy trolley bag and secured it in the storage space above the sleeping berth.

The women smiled at her and she returned it back. Maya noticed the white colored string on the lady's shoulder.

She followed the string and that found a hearing aid in her right ear.

Oh god she's deaf.

Her phone started ringing that moment and saw Tara's name flashing on it.

Her cousin the bridezilla whose engagement to which maya was travelling to was calling her for the 8th time this morning so maya doesnt forget the list of things she wanted maya to buy from mumbai.She ignored it. Again.

Then something hit her. She checked her purse again, searched through its contents again and again. Something was missing. Not something. The it thing. MY TICKET!!!!!!

FUCKKKKKKKKK. After double checking everything she forgot the one thing she needed the most in this trip.

"Oh god! Oh god! Oh god!" She started chanting. Why did she forget it? She cant travel without it and if she lost this train she cant make it to the engagement on time.

It would give her father one more reason to remind her how much of a disgrace she is to him and the family. Typical of him. Thats all he had to say to her as long as she remembers.

Shattering her from her thoughts the trains siren blasted through the air and indicating the train would leave soon. She quickly grabbed her phone and punched in her best friend Preethys number.

"Pick up pick up pick upppppp" maya said to the neverending ringing of her phone. The hello from the other side was music to her ears.

"Hello maya. You left yet?"

"No i didnt and propably wont if you dont go back to my apartment and make it back here to the station in 15 mins"

"Huh?"

" I forgot the damn tickets"

"What????? Very good maya. Well done. Its not like you need tickets to ride a train or anything"

"I dont have time for your sarcasm right now. Can you come here with the tickets?"

Maya held an expectant pause waiting for her friends reaction.

"Do i even have a choice?" Preethy answered.

"Thank youuuuu so much priii tickets are on the teapoy in the hall.... i think"

"You think???"

Maya was getting restless now

"I dont think you can make it back here on time soo meet me in kalyan station. I'll hide from the ticket checker till then."

"Just make sure you dont get in any trouble okay?"

"Okayy. Thanks again prii"

"Thanks ki bachi" she could hear the smile in preethis voice and chuckled.

Settling back in her seat and released a breath as the train came to life and started moving.

Oh boy this is gonna be a long ride.

________________________________

Every passing second maya was looking out the door to see if the checker would approach their compartment.

After waiting for a few minutes she was tired of waiting and decided to hide in the washroom.

She opened the door to her coupa and stepped out and collided with a tall figure of a man. She looked up but couldnt make out his face clearly because of the his hooded t shirt and the 'netflix and chill' mask he wore.

Maya started to move but he didnt and kept looking at her.

Okay thats not creepy or anything.

She slid sideways from the large frame blocking her way and saw the checker approaching her.

"Bloody hell" she cursed.

She quickly fished out her phone moving away from the masked man and dialled preethi's number. She wasn't answering ,propably driving.She punched in the code for voicemail.

"Prii the checker is almost here and you're not here with the tickets...... obviously and i will be caught anytime now so dont rush. Its my stupid mistake and now i have to face the consequences. Soo yeah I'll see you soon"

She ended the voicemail and turned back to the checker and saw the mask man still staring at her. Now that pissed her off.

"What??" She barked at him.

He lifted his eyebrows up and removed his mask. And i met face to face with the last person i expected to meet in this train rather in this life again.

"Adhii?"

His lips curved in a smile and his brown eyes sparkled,Handsome as ever, just like before.

His deep voice answered.

"Hii maya"

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