A car honked at me as I narrowly missed crashing into it. ‘It’s not safe to run across a road!’, she would have said. But I needed to get to the railway station before the train left. As I scurried across the road, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Mostly because I had been running for almost half an hour now, but also because I knew she was leaving. As I pushed my way through the swarm of people at the entrance to the station, I desperately wished the train hasn’t left yet. I managed to fight my way through the crowd as the platform came into view. I heaved a sigh of relief to see the train still on the platform.
I looked around for her and after a while spotted her sitting on one of the benches with her mother. She was laughing at something her mother said. The same merry laugh she once shared with me. The laugh which also reflected in her eyes, swaying her earrings along with her head. Her mother then said something and she nodded, smiling. She picked both of their bags and started walking towards the train, her mother leading the way.
I lingered around for a while, hoping to get just one last glimpse of her. Lucky for me, she sat by the window of the compartment facing me. I gazed at her till my heart’s content as the train whistled, announcing its departure.
The train moved reluctantly as though mirroring my heart. But she would soon be leaving and I would have to leave too.
Just as the train picked up speed, she turned around. Our eyes met.
She started off with a surprised look on her face. Then she smiled. The kind of smile that dissolved the whole surrounding, leaving only her and me. The kind of smile that kindled a new hope in my heart, even though I knew I would never see her again in my life. The kind of smile that made my heart have a firm belief that the bond shared by us is the purest form of affection one could ever ask for.
I knew it was the last time I’m seeing her. That it was the end of it all. Her slow paced kisses. Her secret winks. The way she held my hand when I was upset. The way she ruffled my hair. ‘Stop! You’re ruining my look!’ I would tell her. Though I loved it everytime, and she knew it. The way she played with my fingers. Her twinkling eyes. Her Smile. The smile which I would never see again.
As the train rumbled out of my sight, her last Smile was etched into my mind. And at that moment, I fell for her.
All over again.