I think I was in my 12th Std. Usually, I and my sister went to school together and on days she could not join me, my Dad dropped me at the bus terminus.
On that day, I was walking alone to the terminus, with my chin down, as my mother constantly advised me to, every time I stepped out of the house.
“Do you have school today?” I heard a male voice from behind. As I turned to look as to who was questioning, I saw a man in his late twenties, walking towards me from behind. I had never seen him before. I knew my brothers’ friends and he certainly was not one of them. I was very skeptical to speak to a stranger and just nodded in affirmation. He walked along with me and tried to start a conversation. He kept asking me questions, but nothing got registered. I was too scared to reply as well as to ask him as to why he was bombarding me with questions. I maintained silence and through the corner of my eyes saw him looking at me intently. I was frightened and was also worried that either my family members or our neighbours would spot me walking with/talking to a stranger. I increased my pace, crossed to the opposite side of the road and entered the terminus. I don’t know if he followed me or he continued to walk on the other side of the road or stopped somewhere. I was tensed. Tensed - even after reaching school that day. Tensed till I finished my schooling; particularly on days I went to school alone. I was tensed that he would reappear.
But I never saw him again.
***
I finished schooling; joined college and also started learning shorthand.
When my batch started taking notes (“speed” in our institute parlance), a lady who was not part of our batch attended the “notes” sessions briefly. She was senior to us and was already employed, but was attending the classes to improve her speed, because she was intending to appear for some Government exam. She looked familiar, but I had never met her before. I had an intuition that she could be the sister of the guy who tried speaking to me when I was in school, as she resembled him. I never verified it. She was very reserved and didn’t interact with anyone in the class. One day I overheard a classmate informing another that, a year before, the lady’s brother had fallen off a cliff at a picnic spot he went with his colleagues and died instantly, and that was the reason for the lady’s seriousness.
***
Why am I suddenly remembering this long forgotten episode?
I saw the lady I presumed to be his sister, recently.
The mind records every image that is seen, every incident that is encountered and every assumption made and resurfaces decades after it is believed to have been forgotten!
