So finally, after two months of exams and pressure, I got to meet my two best friends. The process was laborious, considering the fact that both of them lived in two ends of Delhi.
Well I just had to reach Connaught Place by 10:30 and wait for Shine to turn up so that both of us could go together to Noida to visit Abhi. So I reached at the allotted time, thanks to Shine's professional message. 'Be there at 10:30 please.'
I must have looked quite odd. Imagine you're strolling through CP and you see a girl wearing a black shawl with hideous flowers (not my fault, this is the only shawl I have!) sitting on the side steps with clearly half-bitten shoes.
10:30 came and went. Unfortunately, I have high anxiety levels. So every 5 minutes I started hammering Shine with calls. I must say she had oodles of patience, because everytime she answered my call with, "don't worry. I'll be there. soon."
Then while i was in my nervous state, she told me to buy myself a token and wait for her at the station. Not the best advice, as I know myself very well I tend to lose my head. But then I kept calm. So I just had to buy a token. Big deal. And wait for her at the station. Pfft.
Then I realized she was coming by metro too, and I had to catch the same metro she was in.
Five seconds of fear. What if I jumped on the metro and reached Noida without her?
Still I decided to keep cool. So as each train went by, she got a call each time. Then in one of the million calls, she said, "Yes...I'm reaching in 5 minutes!"
A train whizzed in five minutes later. Was she on it? Was she not?
I was still learning to keep cool.
Then I saw Madame coolly strolling on the platform as if she was in a plaza. I shook my head. Maybe I should learn how NOT to get panicky unnecessarily. We got on the train together. Typically, we didn't get a seat so we had to hang on to the rings. And if I haven't mentioned, we weren't even sure whether we were on the right train. Shine tried calling Abhi, and of course our luck she couldn't hear a thing he was saying.
Half-way through the journey we realized we were in the right train. The next part was tricky. We had to switch lines. I had already begun cursing Abhi under my breath for studying in such an inaccessible place like Noida.
Again we weren't sure whether it was right. Shine seemed rather cheerful about the whole thing, she had a we-will-get-there-sooner-or-later attitude and that spread to me as well.
We were on the right track. Unfortunate thing was, that we still couldn't hear Abhi's voice. I guessed that he was in an auto.
We reached the right station twenty minutes later. Shine phoned Abhi who said he was waiting near the entrance.
See that's a horrible thing about metro stations. There are million exits and entrances. so Abhi explained in great detail which exit to take. So we found that, and the next hurdle awaited us. Sorry, it awaited me.
I had bought two tokens. One for me, and one for Shine...out of some crazy generosity and knowing quite well she didn't need one. I tried using one token on the machine to let me pass. The red cross appeared. I swear I wanted to thrash the machine. The security guard looked rather excited. After letting many people pass by, for the first time in his boring life someone couldn't get through. Hmmmm, this girl with the bitten slippers seemed fishy.
Shine didn't have to use the token, she got through with a card. So i tried using the token which I got for her. Didn't work either. Seriously, the officer looked close to jumping with joy at the thought of some action. He enquired, and after what seemed like hundred questions enough to fill a CBSE examination paper, he took me to the token booth. Not much required, I just had to wait ten minutes and pay a rather exhorbitant fine of Rs. 57. I don't know why that number specifically!
And I could finally return victorious to my best friends. Abhi had the expression of someone who had expected nothing less from me.
well the day was still young :D
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