Nomads

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'आते-जाते यायावर' (Aate Jate Yayavar; Loose translation: travelling Nomads), the title of Mannu Bhandari's story came to my mind as I watched tourists moving in to and fro on mall road. I was sipping my coffee under the grey sky. The sun was trying hard to peep through clouds but today was the day of clouds. I had just started a new chapter in the book and wanted to complete it before finishing my coffee. But I was getting distracted by my phone and also the crowd was attracting me. Their backpacks were filled with their stories. 

I saw a group of friends flocking around. I saw them with longing eyes. This could be me and my friend if fate wasn't so cruel. If I wasn't suffering alone, If my friend wasn't fighting a battle. If I had not lost my cheerleader and if my friend wasn't forced to vanish in slumber.

My phone rang again. Just another call from a busybody hovering around my life. Funny how everyone wants to know what am I up to but never wants to know how am I doing. I ignored the call again as always. They will come to know somehow but let them dig deep.

I saw Couple entering the cafe. They crossed the main hallway and took a seat by the balcony. I immediately know they are going to smoke along with their chai. They were not talking, their eyes were cold like the breeze around. It seemed that with the rings of smoke, they were trying to blow the tension between them. I hoped that may the warmth of chai filled that invisible distance between them. Hope is a strange thing. It will sustain you to the end and make you believe that things are going to be fine. Maybe they are going to be fine. Maybe someday I'll also be sitting in that same place at a table of four with my very own people. Maybe someday someone else would see me walking on the road and would say 'आते-जाते यायावर'.

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Nidhi katoch
A silent observer in search of her TRUE HOME. If you like my writings, do comment and share... Views are extremely personal and are original writings of mine.

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