Always A First Time

Short Story 02

Trains were whizzing past the platform that day. So were people, rushing in and out of the station. But to the two of them, it didn’t matter. They remained oblivious to it. No, they weren’t in love. Not yet.

It had started with a timid walk back to the station, which they both used to commute to home from their schools. Years and years after seeing each other at the same station had finally made them realize that they needed to move beyond their silent words. That day, they took a leave from their friends and together made their way to the station. A slow and measured walk, during which they tried their hand at small talk, picking up a few random topics every now and then. Finally, at the pani puri uncle’s stall, they actually started talking. Once they were done, they came to the platform where silence settled once again. Only when the train had come, when they had boarded it and got down on the next station did their eyes actually meet. A moment of hesitation followed but the boy finally plucked the courage to hold her hand. He dropped her to her home, before rushing back to his own.

His cheeks were flushed with joy. And now that she wasn’t around, he cursed himself. There was so much he could have said, so much he could have done better.

First love was tentative at its best.