THE FAMILIAR STRANGER

Numinously Enticed

It all started at the Dubai airport.

I was waiting for my flight to Doha which was due boarding in some 4 hours.

Didn't know I was an object of acute study and observation.
That guy in denims and black shirt.

That guy who I didn't realise was looking at me intently, though with a careless attitude, reading each and every movement I was making.

Yeah, of course I was busy, busy relating everything I was up to, to my parents waiting impatiently for my safe arrival at Doha.

Didn't know how long he kept up the study until I looked up at the freaking huge and dazzling Rolex hanging from above. It was 21:00. My flight is in exactly 4 hours 15 minutes from now.

My eyes fell from the time piece to him.

Only for a few moments. I came back to my book of Sonnets, but before I could start reading, I registered the fact that the guy my eyes fell upon was not just any other person waiting for his flight and meanwhile having a good time watching people from all over the world. He was actually looking at me with a good reason. Self conscious me desperately wanted to check the mirror if I look fine. The anxiety-girl in me started thinking of all the detective series I have read, of creepy stalkers and serial killers.

I fought through the dense fog of tension and started reading.

He sat exactly opposite to me on a row of leather-studded seats.

I took another sip of my cold coffee.

I soon got engrossed in Shakespeare's love for his dark lady.

After some 20 minutes into the sonnets I heard a soft "Hi".

I looked up to see that guy looking down at me with a smile. "May I?"

He pointed at the empty seat next to me. I gave a sideway glance and said "It's the King's property". He gave a low chuckle. My Sherlock instincts made me see the details, where I saw that he'd brought his cabin bag with him too.

*not here for just a Hi, then*.

He kept his bag in the seat next to me, and sat in the alternate one. Should I be impressed? *nah*. "I am sorry for intruding, but i had to come up to you and start the conversation. I was horribly bored".

I didn't make eye contact with him, just turned my head his way and let him know that he was heard. Before I could reply, my phone rang. It was Mom. "Yes mom, yes mom, yes, yes mom, yes, yes, hmm, okay I won't, hmm, yes, yes, I will, yes, In Shaa Allah, okay".

*trust my mom to never let you speak when on call, and make you reply in monosyllables*.

I turned to him and was about to reply again when I remembered what mom told me just now on the phone: "Don't talk to strangers".

So I began, "I just got a call from Mom, and out of all that she said, there's one thing that concerns you. She warned me against talking to strangers."

He raised his eyebrows and made a funny face. "I apologize, allow me to introduce myself, I'm Tanveer, Indian. I'm a guy, with relatively human aspects, but I start getting very hyped when i watch superhero flicks. There, I told you all I ever knew about myself. Am I still a stranger?"

I couldn't contain it. I burst out in peals of laughter. When I finally caught my breath, I looked at him staring at me quizzically.

"Ohkay, I think I know more about you now than your own family." I scoffed.

"Precisely."

"With today's level of technology, people hardly get bored."

"You talking about my phone? I have been at it since the last 5 hours. Now it's got 7% battery left. I had to have mercy on it, so I tucked it in for the night."