happily ever after

One anecdote. That’s what Indian Railway promises you each time you choose to avail of it’s services. Of course, conditions apply. The journey needs to include at least four hours of day travel; and you need to be wearing the best pair of ears in your wardrobe.
So there we are, the newly wed couple and I, sitting in this cubicle meant for four. I’m dividing my time between reading a book and staring out of the window poring over its contents (the book’s, not the window’s). Therefore, it’s not long before my presence is rendered invisible to my co-travellers; and the cooing which had begun with spots of hesitation is soon in full flow.
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I come to gather that they’re Delhiites who’ve been visiting the tiger reserve in Sawai Madhopur. Nopes, they didn’t get to see the tiger. But our stoical city-dwellers aren’t complaining. Wasn’t the ambience in the jungle just great? And isn’t that what they were mainly there for? Besides, there was the chirping of birds, the chatter of monkeys, the dancing of deer....You get the picture. Put doe and doe together.

It appears there’ll never be trouble in paradise but that’s just when our man embarks upon a new subject. Monty is throwing an all guys party over the weekend, he informs. Could he go attend? He’ll not be long, and the only reason he wants to go is so that he doesn’t seem unsocial to the old gang. Reluctantly, she emits a yes. Smart boy, I’m thinking to myself. Made good use of that commodity called inertia which Newton talks so highly about. But alas, my assessment of our man is mistaken. He soon reveals himself for the novice he is. Instead of pretending that he’s understood the faux-yes to be a real-yes(like any seasoned husband would do), he wants to know whether baby really-really has no problems with his disappearance. No she doesn’t, baby tells him. Yet the young fool presses on. And eventually, the inevitable happens. Well, baby doesn’t actually bare her fangs and claw him to death, but her eyes flash a glare which according to William Blake is found only in distant deeps and skies. Yes, we have tigress, tigress, burning bright!
Sawai Madhopur seldom disappoints.

I get off at Mathura and it’s still two hours to Delhi. I’m kind of sure that this should be enough time for affairs to convalesce. After all, few things compare in strength to the power of nascent love.