Paying Guest

         For the first four-five days, when I heard sirens of ambulances passing multiple times, I felt terrified, but as the days passed I got used to it. It no longer used to frighten me. I had two options, either live in the fear of a virus and get depressed by over thinking about it, or just accept it and move on. I chose the latter!

        Few days ago, one of My school friends called Me, I told Him that I just moved here and don’t know anything around here, so He came to visit Me. 

        It had been a very long time since I met any of My school friends! I was not in touch with anyone for the past couple of years. I got a call from Him when He reached the station, so I went to see Him. At first, it was hard to recognize Him! I waved My hand and He waved back. He was wearing formal clothes, maybe He came straight from the office. We sat outside the station. There's hardly any crowd even in day time these days! 

"How've you been?” He asked me.

“All good.” I replied in a bit of awkwardness.

“So what brings you here?”

“My classes started last week. It’s in Andheri."

“That’s good. So how do You go there? Do You have a bike or You travel using the locals?"

“No, they only allow medical staff and other service workers in the locals, so I take the bus from here. Wait! You work in finance, so how come they allowed You to board the local?”

He gave Me a sly smile.

“You are going to be a terrible journalist! I thought this would be Your first question?”

“There was no such news about finance employees being granted permission to travel in the local!”

“Yeah, a funny thing about the system is that, no matter how strict a rule you make, there is always someone, somewhere who finds a way to break in and find a loophole! One of My friends makes fake IDs and barcodes. Apart from the ones who buy it, no one can say they are fake! If You want one I can arrange it for You.”

“No thanks, I am good!”

“Where do You live here?”

“I live as a paying guest, in Sector 9, ten to fifteen minutes of walk from here.”

He smiled again, with that same sly expression on His face.

“Half of the population in Bombay lives as paying guests, but this city never treats you like one! So next time, don’t bother to mention it.”

I was surprised! I never expected to hear something like this from Him!

“You’ve changed a lot!”

“Well, that’s the magic of this city! I heard a lot about You, You have that 'sad lover boy' reputation now! Don’t worry, You will change too.”

“I don’t think so!”

“What is the most important thing You need for love?”

“A person or maybe a feeling.”

“No, ‘Time’! And that’s what You don’t get here. Time here is like the wind, it flows gently and sometimes like a storm, but no matter how hard You try, You cannot hold on to it!”

That hit Me hard! It took Me a while to come back with a reply!

“What if I fall in love with this city?"

“Then you’re not the first or the last one to do so."

"It was nice talking to You, but I am getting late and I have a local to catch. See You around.”

And he just left after that, but his words stayed.

         “Don’t bother to mention that You’re a paying guest, cause We all are in some way or the other.”

Edited by

Sanath K

Written by 

Suraj_2310