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He felt flattered.

It was the third day. She made her way through the crowd to come and sit near him. She flashed her teeth, neat and white. He saw her hands and sighed. No rings. A gold bracelet adorned her ivory hand. She was wearing a red that set off her colour and figure. The swaying of the train brought her closer to him. She was wearing a mild perfume and everything about her was so fine that all pairs of eyes were fixed on her. He could see them eyeing him and might have thought him someone close to her.

Two days earlier, he had got into the train and was making himself comfortable when she came and sat near him softly like a butterfly. He turned to look at her face and she smiled. He too smiled awkwardly and said “Hi”. She said” too crowded and he nodded. He could not make any intelligent conversation. He felt acutely aware of himself, wanted to know how he looked like, how his voice sounded etc. The second day he was looking for her in the crowd and she did come and sat beside him. He could not believe his luck.

The third day he took time to make himself look good. He wore his shirt, which everyone said made him look good, sprayed perfume, a second time and started earlier. His wife came yawning,” Got a meeting in the office? Why are you dressed like this?”, she queried. He felt irritated. He did not like her questions and just nodded. “Be careful when you cross”, she advised. He hated this kind of treating him as a moron. He thought of the girl and made a mental comparison between his wife and “her”.

He decided to talk to her that day. Three days in a row, and he could not produce any words except,” hmm.., ahemm”. Today anything might happen. He would take her out, one of his favourite places and, who knows, who knows, what is in store for him? He opened his mouth to compliment her on her dress. But before he could, she said,” Would you mistake me if I tell you something?”, she looked into his eyes.

“My God! What’s she going to say,- that he was looking handsome?” He said hurriedly,” Yes. yes. I won’t mistake any word from you.” 

She fluttered her beautiful eye lashes and said,” You look exactly like my grandpa who passed away last month. I was his pet and I am not able to get over his loss. When I saw you I was stunned. You look exactly like my grandpa. Can I call you, grandpa?”He remembered he had turned eighty a week before.