The Red Bag

The Red Bag⌚

Should I run along with the bus. Should I cross the road and wait for the signal to turn Red. I should have reacted a bit earlier. Can I catch the bus?

My mind calculating the distance to the bus while going through all these questions. I can see the bus taking U-turn at a distance. I have to cross the road by a quick run up and wait for the signal to turn red. The plan is made, only the execution is left.

Sunday

“I will be there by 10:30, sharp” when he answered my call on my third attempt.

“That’s too early baa” unconscious and in a way, he usually calls me.

“What makes you feel that, too early” yelling at Ajith, making my way to bus stop.

It drops me at 11:30. Yes, I lied to Ajith. He will never be on time; his clock runs an hour late.

“Sale ends at 2 pm, baa” his voice resembles a person who just came out of coma. “We can reach there by 1 pm, we will have 1 hour to select and buy the watch.”

 It’s a well-planned day. He was tracking the sale since last one month. City by city finally it reached ours. This sale runs for two weeks here in our city. Today is the first day of the sale, he doesn’t want to wait for even a day. But laziness never leaves him.

Watches are his dream things; he has a very big collection of those. This time he wanted to gift it to pooji, with whom he has been in relation with. They are in relation for two years. Gifting something has become a ritual. His savings get withdrawn a day before her birthday or before any important days of their relation.

Finally, he made it happen, we are at the sale. He found the watch he saw online and got packed it. It is so expensive that he had to put his two months savings for it. We are on the way back. He got off the bus, I have taken the same bus till the next stop where I have to get into an another to reach home.

I got off the bus, headed towards bus bay. When I pulled my phone out of my pocket, Ajith 6 missed calls, it showed.

“Check the bus seat, I think I forgot the watch in the bus” as I called him back. “keep it with you I will take it tomorrow.” My senses failed to detect what is going on.

“I just got off the bus” replied a few seconds later.

It took me a few seconds to realize what is going on. I put my phone back in pocket. Saw the bus heading towards U turn. As I decided to cross the road and wait for the signal to turn red.

I accelerated towards the signal, it is already red. I ran towards the bus; I am in the middle of the road. The signal turned green. Horns blowing, vehicles accelerated towards me like I am the aim to hit. I dragged myself out of the road. But then realized that the next stop is far away and if I fail to catch the bus here at signal, I cannot catch it and loose the watch totally.

I pushed my lazy body to run in the direction of moving vehicles. Bus is a few feet distance from me, traffic made it move slowly. My phone ringing in the pocket, beads of sweat moving down by my side-locks. Sweat made my glasses move down along the nose. Everything around me looked so cinematic, as in a slow motion, every detail looked zoomed in.

As I reached the bus by its side, placed a hand on bus door. Lifted my body up over the foot board. I can still hear people shouting at me, honking to make me stop. Eyes searched for the seat, we sat on.

Red cloth bag lying there on the seat is the thing that made me so satisfied, worth living, an achiever, proud.

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