One day when Raghav and Akshay were returning home from London after office work on a train, Raghav asked Akshay, "If I am not wrong, yours is a love marriage!"

"You are right, Raghav!", Akshay said smilingly.

"Can you please tell me your story? I mean your love story. How do you and Bhabhi love each other? Our time will also pass, and I will get to know you better!"

"Why suddenly do you want to know about this? I mean I don't have any problem telling you the story. But are you asking me to tell the story because you are remembering your girlfriend?"

"Yes, you may assume something like that!"

"Okay. I assume but still surprised by your increased interest in my personal life, especially my family. Anyway, so what do you want to know? Not the whole story, right?"

"Yes, of course! I am not writing your autobiography. I just want to know the moments in your love story which proved that you loved each other like anything!"

Akshay started laughing and said, "Yes, of course. You already know ours is inter-cast and inter-state love marriage, right?"

"Yes, right!"

It was an attempt from Raghav's side to remind Akshay his memories so that Akshay will probably lose the fascination for Sofia.

Akshay started narrating: "So let me tell you one incident of our college days when I broke my left leg and was hospitalized. All this to protect my love, Richa. Many boys were jealous because I had got such a beautiful girl like Richa who was clever, smart, and outgoing and on top of that, a very good dancer also”.

The facial expressions of Akshay changed when he started depicting the incident as if he went back in past and relived that incident.

The train kept going at its own pace from London to Slough.

At the same time plus 5:30 hours, in India Richa was lost in Akshay's thoughts. The geographical distance between them had brought him closer in her mind.

She was telling the story to both kids while taking their homework.

"You know Rohini and Arpit? I will tell you a true story today. Once when I and your papa were studying in college, a few bad college students tried to hurt your Mumma!"

Both kids moved closer to her to listen.

"When me and your Pappa were returning home on the bike after college annual function, on a bridge four of our jealous classmates started chasing us on two bikes saying bad words about me!"

Arpit asked, "Wow. Like in movies!"

"Yes, like in movies!"

Arpit asked excitedly, "So, did Pappa fight with them like the hero in the movies fights? Dishoom, Dishoom!"

Rohini said sarcastically, "I know it was a love marriage and also know few things happened with both of you before marriage. But Mumma, if you were in so much love with each other, why do you keep quarrelling nowadays frequently? I also now understand marital things! So, tell me why? Is it because now you lost your charm and figure? Is it because you gained so much weight? Is it because all men get bored of their wives few years after marriage? Is it that all women lose attractiveness after pregnancy?"

Richa was surprised by Rohini's question, and little got hurt but she gestured her not to ask such direct questions when Arpit is around. Arpit noticed this but he was too young to understand the meaning of it.

She said, "Why you are saying we WERE in love. We ARE still in love and remain forever. And when two people love each other, that doesn't mean, there won't be any differences between them. Few things I can't tell you in front of Arpit. You may get answers when you will get into a relationship. We can probably discuss this later. Now listen to what happened next."

Rohini seemed to be partially convinced.

Richa continued to tell the story...

During the train journey, Akshay said to Raghav, "They were passing obscene comments on us. On Richa's beauty. I got angry. I stopped my bike and used some expletives against them. The two bikes carrying four of them also stopped. We all were now standing in front of each other. They were four. We were two. I warned them politely to stay away from Richa but one of them moved quickly, came from behind and grabbed Richa's breasts in his both hands and started fondling them.

Second came and covered Richa and first one. Third one came and held me before I could move. Fourth one was keeping an eye on the bridge to check whether any police vehicle is coming. Richa was bewildered by such tenacious touch and tried to resist but his hands were very tight on her breasts. She thought of kicking on his genitals from backside with her sharp-edged Sandals but couldn't do because he held her so tight that she barely could move herself. As soon as, he was about to tear out her top with great force, my patience ended. I had learned wrestling from my uncle in childhood and also I had a flexible body due to regular dancing!"

"Oh. Sad to hear all this. It seems like a Bollywood movie!"

"My life is full of melodramatic events having even more drama than in Bollywood masala movies. Listen further!" , While saying this Akshay was looking outside the window from where Thames river was visible.

"Like we are travelling parallel to the Thames River, which is described as a calm and peaceful river, we were standing on the bridge on Tapi River when the incident in college happened. It's originally called Tapti meaning burning. Tapti is the daughter of Sun. It originates from Satpura. The Satpura is a range of hills in central India."

As Raghav was from South India, Akshay rightly explained to him the things related to Maharashtra whenever appeared in his narration.

"Interesting. Thanks for the information. What next? I am eager to know!", Raghav said.

"Like Tapti, I was also burning with fury and rage. It was dark and traffic was comparatively less. Only streetlamp’s light was illuminating the road. Passing vehicle owners were looking at us by slowing their speed but later ignored us assuming that we were some sort of spoilt college students. Why would anyone invite unnecessary trouble by intruding into other people's quarrels?

Burning with anger, I pushed the person hands who were holding me with so much power that his bones were twisted and broken. I heard the sound of his breaking bones. He fell down and became useless. Seeing this, before the fourth one ran to hit me, with fast movement I went to my bike and kickstarted it, increased its race, and rammed it in between the legs of the one who was covering Richa and the man holding her.

He fell down crying with pain. Then I kicked hard on the stomach of the one who was holding Richa. His grip on Richa loosened and Richa was free. The fourth one came running to me and pushed me to the cement railing of the bridge. I almost was about to lose my balance when Richa came running and held my hand and pulled me back on the bridge!"

Raghav was listening with interest...

Arpit stopped doing his homework and asked Richa with fear on his face, "What happened Mumma further? Did Pappa fall into the river?"

Rohini interrupted, "No, My Pappa is brave and strong. He must have punched both of them!"

Richa smiled and said, "All the time it is not necessary that only a hero is powerful. Sometimes, heroine can also come to the rescue of the hero."

Both were now eager to know what their mummy did further.

Richa continued, "Pappa was also injured in all these fights. I had learned Karate and I knew a few techniques of one-on-one combats. I hit my head hard on the forehead of the fourth one and when he was losing his balance, I hit him on his left leg with great force with my sandal and he fell down on top of all three who were already groaning.

Still, the fourth one woke up and came running towards me. I quickly ran towards our bike and took a big spanner from the toolkit and kept hitting him repeatedly on his nose, eyes, and forehead! Then we both thrashed all four of them. Me with a spanner. And Akshay with an extracted side mirror from their bike."

Arpit started clapping, "My Mumma is great, my Mumma is great!"

On the train, Akshay continued telling Raghav, "While we were about to leave from the place on our bike, one of them picked up a cement rod and threw it at my leg which was about to kick start my bike. My leg got badly injured and started bleeding. Then we left the place. We went to a common friend of ours and got a bandage applied. This happened when none of our parents was aware of our relationship."

Hearing all this Raghav sighed and asked, "So Akshay what happened now that you are after other ladies?"

Akshay became angry, "What do you mean by saying this?"

"I mean you are after that hotel waitress, right?"

"It's none of your business Raghav! Don't try to become my wife. Instead, concentrate on the PowerPoint presentation we have to submit to the customer next week!"

"Akshay, I think we are more than just colleagues. Hence, it’s my duty to warn you against any wrong step you take, especially toward that waitress. We don't know her background..."

"I say stop it. Right now. This issue will not be discussed between the two of us anymore."

"As you wish. Let us talk about tomorrow's meeting. Jeff will ask about the timeline for delivery of the 4th phase of the project!"

"Yup. I have some plans ready for me. Let us discuss that first thing in the morning tomorrow once we arrive in the office.!"

"Yes. Sure. What about the weekly project report?"

They kept talking about office issues, the train was moving at its own pace and several magpie birds were chirping.

Noticing one such bird, Akshay dreamt of being a bird. Free to fly anywhere! Free to sit on any tree, any branch!

One such branch could probably be Sofia.

Akshay's mind kept on thinking about Sofia.

A sparrow sat in the window to drink water which Arpit would keep daily.

Arpit told Richa about the sparrow and Richa was thinking about her childhood days when she was like a bird who could always wander anywhere with her friends.

One thought was repeatedly coming into her mind, "Whether Akshay will get involved with another lady in the UK? Is he hiding something from me lately? No, I think, I have allowed the devil to set up his workshop in my empty mind! I shouldn't allow it to corrupt my mind!"

Later Richa kept thinking about how to spend her extra free time which she was getting since Akshay was away and when kids go to school daily.

"Yes!" She got an idea, "I can pursue my acting and dancing hobbies again, I will call Suhani tomorrow and see if any short film is being made in which I can act, or maybe I can join dance classes nearby!"

Fleeting Lovers / Dedication

Dedicated to all my school,

college and corporate friends!