The Wait

Standing across a busy road in one of the bigger towns in India, a man clad in a white ethnic wear waits for something or someone unknown. Hundreds of vehicles pass by, innumerable people walk past, but he does not budge from his place. He is an old man. His clothes are shabby. His hair has grown white from grey and he badly needs a haircut. He is very restless. He strolls on the sidewalk once in a while, takes a look at his old battered wrist watch and takes some brisk steps to the nearest lamppost. He again waits there, trying to find someone amidst the heavy traffic. He is disturbed with the annoying honking of cars and scooters. But he just reacts with a frown and keeps looking at the road. He looks disturbed, lost, shattered and tired, as if he has been waiting for someone for ages.

I was observing him from my side of the road. I was waiting for someone very special. She had asked me to meet there in the evening. I finished work early today, went home and came back dressed for the date. Women as usual, they always take time and make you wait. I had absolutely no problem with that. After all, she was so special to me. I planned a lot for the date. I would take her to a rooftop restaurant and have candle light dinner. I had already reserved seats for us right next to the swimming pool. Her birthday is a week after, but because she would not be in town, we would celebrate tonight. I bought an expensive watch for her, as a gift. I am sure she would like it.

Well, it’s been a couple of hours now but she is not there. Neither does she use a mobile phone so that I can call and enquire. I am getting restless now. I start strolling on the sidewalk and I keep looking at the old man on the other side of the road. I wonder for whom he is waiting. I gather some courage and cross the road. But before I could ask him anything, the old man turns to me and says, “I knew you would come”. “I knew my youth would come back to me”. “I knew I would be young again”. “I knew I would not have to wait for that girl anymore”. “Now since I have got my youth back, I will take a different road. The road that would help me build my career. I have been waiting here for two decades. The first decade I waited for her. The last decade I waited for my youth to come back so that I do not waste my time waiting for her.”

I did get my youth back but I kept waiting for someone special. And she never came.