The Stranger

I looked at him. Through the corner of my eyes. He was strange. Scary.

He walked slowly and sat opposite to me. His thick eyebrows and long mustaches gave him a scary look. I couldn’t keep my eyes on him for more than a minute. I closed my eyes and looked out through the window. Train was moving fast, letting the cool breeze to caress my face, tickle my hairs. I had two days of journey, and the thought of sharing my compartment with him for the rest of the days made me nervous.

** ** **

“Coffee?”

It was dawn and I was just opening my eyes. I stared at him. It seemed as if he was awake for a long time. He had two cups of coffee with him.

“No thanks.”

“is it coz I m a stranger?”

I didn’t answer that. He laughed. I sat on my berth, gazing through the window. I hated seeing him, a scary feeling. I kept watching him, may be because of fear.

“You keep reminding me of my lil sis” he said forcing himself for the second cup of coffee.

I smiled. The same old dialogues...  But it didn’t suit his appearance at all.

** ** **

“Get down here”

“What?”

“Obey me”

I screamed. He wanted me to get down at that station.

“This is not where I have to go”

“Obey me” next moment I saw him taking a pistol out of his bag and pointing towards me.

“Walk”

I cursed the moment I started talking to him. I walked like a robot. Following his orders. I didn’t know which station it was. I was afraid.

“Help me... “ I yelled. But I had no other way than obeying him.

He pushed me to the station. I was alone. Train started. He kept looking at me from the door of the train. I could see his face staring at me till the train took a big turn and disappeared. I could still feel the gun pointed at me. I wept.

** ** **

While cancelling the trip I cursed him with all my heart. I returned home with a heavy heart.

** ** **

I was sipping a cup of tea and my eyes got widened reading the news paper.

I was agape.

‘A bomb blast in the train in which I was travelling’.