I reached the nearest metro station in next 15 mins and decided to wait for the first metro in the morning. Though i was still completely clueless about my destination but all i wanted for the day was to escape those merciless auguries which kept haunting me all night, retreating my way back to my past. I wanted to shut and lock myself with all my fears in the loud noises and crowd of the city.
But as one can expect a lot of commotion from a public domain like a metro station, it was unusually very quiet and still that morning. In fact their were only a couple of old aged retired man sitting and reading a newspaper, probably returning from a morning walk or something. Instead of noticing further details i checked the time on my watch and it was precisely 6:02 am. , another 20 minutes for the train.
With that i heard tapping of the heels coming from the staircase, and naturally my eyes ran to check for the source. And eventually with every click of the heel, figure of a lady in her late 30's emerged. I chose to describe her as a lady but not woman, because of her graceful appearance, and the aura she possessed. If someone would have asked to pen sketch her i would have surely described her as exuberant. She had long, silky dark brown hairs, with a deep "u" cut and curls at the end. Her hairs were thrown back and were clutched beautifully. She wore a broad, black, square framed spectacles that suited her face cut tremendously. Her eyes had a hint of kajal and eyeliner, and lips were covered with a thin layer of lip gloss, complementing her wheatish complexion. Her dressing was equally catching, with a red colored long top having a deep neck, around which she draped her henna colored scarf, and paired it beautifully with junk jewel. Highlighting her height and personality were her dark brown boot shoes and leather bag.
As she approached near we exchanged glances, she sat next to me on the steel bench while waiting for the train.
After 5 mins approximately.
"Where are you heading this early morning". She asked me
Under normal circumstances, it would have made me uneasy and i would have lied but in her presence and smile i felt some sort of assurance and i replied honestly but bluntly, "I don't know."
Instead of questioning about it, or demanding more details, she opened up her leather hand bag and groped through it. Finally she handed over me a pass. It was about an art exhibition happening in the downtown by "Vidhya Kashyap".
"Vidhya Kashyap? Who is she? " I inquired.
"That's me," and she smiled.
"But why are you giving it to me? I am not even a potential buyer." I replied with gratitude.
"Because artist are always more fond of admirers rather than buyers, plus i thought you did not know where to go, to cam yourself." she replied with great compassion in her eyes.
Completely amazed by her instincts and nerve i kept looking at her for few seconds.
"Look it's completely your choice, i am not forcing you." Her voice brought me back from my thoughts.
I accepted the proposal trusting her instincts, may be she knew better, what i needed for now.
..................................................................................................................................................................
We reached by 8:30 am, She opened up the gallery and i asked her to get done with her work and i will like to help myself on my own.
Looking at the condition of the gallery and her art studio it appeared to me as if she was quite a renowned artist. Number of paintings displayed was quite large plus the price tag below each painting was equally huge and heavy. I kept moving from one painting to the other in no hurry, noticing the brush strokes, minute detailing, flow of colors and the those wonderful thoughts and expressions involved in the background. Finally I reached a painting with a girl standing on a cliff in the stormy weather facing vastness of the sky and from the corner of her dress were emerging lot of butterflies. For some unknown reason i lost myself into it, and i sat there opened up my diary and started to pen down all those random thoughts and emotions which occurred to me. I lost the track of time.
..................................................................................................................................................................
"You enjoying immensely i believe," said Vidhya Kashyap and sat next to me.
First time in last 1 hour i looked away from my diary and said, "a lot".
"So you are a writer?" she asked.
"Yes, you can say so. Though i don't share much of my work." I replied while taking care of my words.
"I thought so." She said with her same assuring smile.
"By the way i was wondering why haven't you put up a price tag below this painting."I enquired.
"Why, you want to buy it?" She replied with a question in return.
"Wish i could someday, its beautiful." I replied with generosity.
"Well dear, its not for sale. Its one of my earliest and favorite work." She told me.
"Ohh, But seriously its beautiful." I said with a bit of despair this time.
"Do, you know why you liked this painting so much?" She asked me with her same compassionate eyes.
"I don't know, may be the strokes of the wind, or her hairs drifting in the wind." I replied yet being unsure about my answer."
"Its because that girl in the painting is insecure and fragile, but still she is ready to take the leap of faith. Because her passion and dedication don't have limits. She is afraid to move on and leave her comfort zone, yet she wish to try. "
And i moved to tears. In few hours she learned about me more than so many who live with me everyday. Trying hard to hold my tears back. I asked her "if i can come here more often."
"Anytime dear, now its your place as well." and same assuring smile.
But as one can expect a lot of commotion from a public domain like a metro station, it was unusually very quiet and still that morning. In fact their were only a couple of old aged retired man sitting and reading a newspaper, probably returning from a morning walk or something. Instead of noticing further details i checked the time on my watch and it was precisely 6:02 am. , another 20 minutes for the train.
With that i heard tapping of the heels coming from the staircase, and naturally my eyes ran to check for the source. And eventually with every click of the heel, figure of a lady in her late 30's emerged. I chose to describe her as a lady but not woman, because of her graceful appearance, and the aura she possessed. If someone would have asked to pen sketch her i would have surely described her as exuberant. She had long, silky dark brown hairs, with a deep "u" cut and curls at the end. Her hairs were thrown back and were clutched beautifully. She wore a broad, black, square framed spectacles that suited her face cut tremendously. Her eyes had a hint of kajal and eyeliner, and lips were covered with a thin layer of lip gloss, complementing her wheatish complexion. Her dressing was equally catching, with a red colored long top having a deep neck, around which she draped her henna colored scarf, and paired it beautifully with junk jewel. Highlighting her height and personality were her dark brown boot shoes and leather bag.
As she approached near we exchanged glances, she sat next to me on the steel bench while waiting for the train.
After 5 mins approximately.
"Where are you heading this early morning". She asked me
Under normal circumstances, it would have made me uneasy and i would have lied but in her presence and smile i felt some sort of assurance and i replied honestly but bluntly, "I don't know."
Instead of questioning about it, or demanding more details, she opened up her leather hand bag and groped through it. Finally she handed over me a pass. It was about an art exhibition happening in the downtown by "Vidhya Kashyap".
"Vidhya Kashyap? Who is she? " I inquired.
"That's me," and she smiled.
"But why are you giving it to me? I am not even a potential buyer." I replied with gratitude.
"Because artist are always more fond of admirers rather than buyers, plus i thought you did not know where to go, to cam yourself." she replied with great compassion in her eyes.
Completely amazed by her instincts and nerve i kept looking at her for few seconds.
"Look it's completely your choice, i am not forcing you." Her voice brought me back from my thoughts.
I accepted the proposal trusting her instincts, may be she knew better, what i needed for now.
..................................................................................................................................................................
We reached by 8:30 am, She opened up the gallery and i asked her to get done with her work and i will like to help myself on my own.
Looking at the condition of the gallery and her art studio it appeared to me as if she was quite a renowned artist. Number of paintings displayed was quite large plus the price tag below each painting was equally huge and heavy. I kept moving from one painting to the other in no hurry, noticing the brush strokes, minute detailing, flow of colors and the those wonderful thoughts and expressions involved in the background. Finally I reached a painting with a girl standing on a cliff in the stormy weather facing vastness of the sky and from the corner of her dress were emerging lot of butterflies. For some unknown reason i lost myself into it, and i sat there opened up my diary and started to pen down all those random thoughts and emotions which occurred to me. I lost the track of time.
..................................................................................................................................................................
"You enjoying immensely i believe," said Vidhya Kashyap and sat next to me.
First time in last 1 hour i looked away from my diary and said, "a lot".
"So you are a writer?" she asked.
"Yes, you can say so. Though i don't share much of my work." I replied while taking care of my words.
"I thought so." She said with her same assuring smile.
"By the way i was wondering why haven't you put up a price tag below this painting."I enquired.
"Why, you want to buy it?" She replied with a question in return.
"Wish i could someday, its beautiful." I replied with generosity.
"Well dear, its not for sale. Its one of my earliest and favorite work." She told me.
"Ohh, But seriously its beautiful." I said with a bit of despair this time.
"Do, you know why you liked this painting so much?" She asked me with her same compassionate eyes.
"I don't know, may be the strokes of the wind, or her hairs drifting in the wind." I replied yet being unsure about my answer."
"Its because that girl in the painting is insecure and fragile, but still she is ready to take the leap of faith. Because her passion and dedication don't have limits. She is afraid to move on and leave her comfort zone, yet she wish to try. "
And i moved to tears. In few hours she learned about me more than so many who live with me everyday. Trying hard to hold my tears back. I asked her "if i can come here more often."
"Anytime dear, now its your place as well." and same assuring smile.
