The Vows We Exchanged

3) The Vow He Made

Mayank was waiting on platform two of the Akurdi Railway Station. With a bag on his back, wearing his favorite formal white shirt and brown pant. He looked his phone. 6:31 AM. Only a few minutes remained for the train to Mumbai. He looked at the two tickets he held tightly in his hand and then gazed to a small shortcut gate to the platform towards the Ravet side.

His heart was growing cold with the wait and fear that she won't come. He motioned his thumb, commanding it to make a call but he lacked the guts to hear an 'I can't come'. Fearing the horrible conclusion of the story, he started to look around the station.

There weren't many people that day. Mostly men and women heading to work, older citizen probably heading back to the countryside, a few groups of adults and teens ready to go on trips. Even he was there for a trip. His twelfth grade was finally done with and after a lot of convincing he was finally able to set of on the trip towards dreams. Dreams of his and...

"Mayank!" He heard a shrill yet soothing voice call out. "Mayank!" The voice repeated. He instantly turned around and looked at that small gate. No one was there but the voice continued to call out for him. For a moment his mind declared that it was just his imagination, but his heart kept on searching.

"Aaruhi!" He called out when he finally spotted that awaited face. "Over here!" He called out. Aaruhi followed the direction of the voice and her face turned bright with the sight of Mayank. She quickly paced towards him, grabbing to a strap of her bag on her back.

She was wearing a white prism cold shoulder top with black jeggings. Her long jet-black hair was left at the command of the wind and they seemed grateful for that. Her warm gold skin glowed like amber under the morning sunlight and she came and stood in front of him. "I thought ... I was late... and..." she managed to say between her huffs.

"Nah...Just in time!" Mayank said, taking a quick peek in her dark brown almond eyes; almost black as anyone would have described. "Need some water?"

"No, I'm fine," she replied catching her breath. She looked at the tall figure in front of her who blocked the sunlight from falling on her eyes. Even though her height was just slightly less than average, she only made it a little above Mayank's shoulder. "I just need to take a seat," she said probably hoping to level the height that way.

"I wish you could but we need to leave..." Mayank said in an apologetic tone, pointing towards the train which was approaching. The people on the platform began to gather up at the horn and stood close to the edge, ready to hop in the moment it arrives. The two too joined one of the crowds.

"You pakka (really) sure this is going to be fine?" She asked hesitantly. Fear and guilt dominated the hope in her eyes. It took a lot of courage, so fixing his eyes on the train, he took a hold of her hand, intervening his fingers with hers. He did that in a hope to console her but the warmth of her hand ended up raising his confidence instead.

"Don't worry... in case it doesn't, I'll make it!"

That warmth he felt, was similar to the touch now. A touch on his palm, grabbing his hand. Gradually all of his senses began to refunction, as if that warmth just poured life into him.

"I trust you..." He remembered Aaruhi murmur, the voice carved deeply into his memory. He heard a similar voice, as similar as identical. However, the words this voice spoke were different.

"Take care haa (okay)..." The voice said and the warmth of his palm faded away. Mayank struggled to keep holding on to it but his hand was too weak to move at that moment. He tried to open his eyes. It took him a minute but he managed to open his left eye. The vision was still blur and was still adjusting itself.