3- Getting Along

"Uttrakhand? Oh both together. Why different tickets then?."

I waited for a few seconds because my lazy brain couldn't react to his words clearly. Thinking for a second I then finally grasped the situation.

[Wait Both? She too is going the same place]

"No we aren't together, we just met each other turns out our interest were quite similar." The girl replied in quite normal tone. Well the way we were talking, one would definitely think that we were together even though we weren't. And so was the case for bus conductor.

Soon Bus conductor left, and left us alone once again. [This awkward silence, I guess can't do anything about that now] I kind of gave up. I started conversation because I thought that it would be awkward to use my mobile while someone sitting next to me was doing nothing, but when the flow of conversation was disturbed, it was hard to do the same again. As I said earlier, I never had many friends so me taking the initiative once was already a big deal let alone doing the same twice.

"I think it's kind of late but what actually is your name?" She asked me. Well good for me, I am bad at taking initiatives afterall.

"My name is Sharad... Sharad Trivedi. And yours?"

"My name is Tanvi Bhattacharya."

[Bhattacharya? I haven't heard that surname in ages, Is she from West Bengal? Well they are indeed beautiful so no doubt in that part] I thought of various things like that. The way that girl was, I didn't really need to think about all that, all I had to do was just ask her and I would get most of my answers but well I think I love listening more than I think I do so I keep my lips shut most of time.

[ I guess this will be a really short journey first time in a while]

[T]-------------------------

"So then I thought [maybe I should start clicking pictures, that might be best for me]. That was when I decided I am gonna become a photographer." I was explaining Sharad, one I just met, how I end up in photography.

It's been 2 hours since we met, just a casual meeting while travelling. But somehow we ended up being friends (?). It's kinda hard to call someone friend whom I know for like 2 hours. For me it's not a big deal to become friends with someone, but when I think about with how many of them can I actually talk about my interests... I don't think I have got many.... Nope I don't think I have got any.

He is a good listener, from looks of him, he most likely don't know much about photography, but with unlike others who just ignore, he ask if I say something complicated, he lets the conversation keep going, and whenever he can relate, he does that and replies in proper way. If I have to keep it simple, he don't talk for formality, nor does he talk because I am a girl, He is talking with me, because that's how it should be, a normal conversation for that sake of nothing but conversation only.

"What about you?" I think I should let him talk a little, it will make me feel bad if he is the only one who listens to me and I do all the talking.

"Hmm... You know I am a little bit confused about answer, what could be more accurate... hmm.." He replied me in a really unsure tone.

Come on what's up? What's the matter. All I asked was what's his job. There possibly be no person who doesn't know what job they do.

"You know, I don't know what job I do.."

"SERIOUSLY?" I couldn't resist so I shouted loudly.

Does this guy know what is he even talking about? Who the hell don't know what they do? From looks of him, he definitely isn't employed. He is acting like next he will say [ I just can't count how many]

"Don't Shout, It's just that I can't count how many jobs I do." Sharad, This weird guy, gave me a weird reply.

I am not even sure if I should shout, I would have, if I wasn't controlling myself, but since I once shouted already, I didn't this time. But what is this guy? Is he serious?.

"Hey are you an esper? Did you read my mind just now?" With a humour, I replied with a smirk. I mean it's all simple, he is either messing with me, or with himself.

"Yes, but don't tell anyone about my powers, they always ask me to bend spoons." He replied back in same humorous tone. At least he got a good sense of humour, One point for that.

"You bet I was gonna ask the same. But seriously, what actually do you do?" I asked him once again, I meam it's just fair I want know more about him, specially when I have already told him so much about me.

"If you are asking what's the 'actual' job I do, I guess it's researcher." He gave me a final reply.

A Researcher? Now I get it, ofcourse he is a researcher, This explains why he such a typical weirdo. I have only seen in movies that there are people who act like mad scientist, wearing white coat in laboratories doing some evil researches with their chemicals. Guess researchers are really like that.

"Ah! By the way, if you think I am some mad chemist who plays with chemicals doing evil research, sorry to disappoint but I am a Physics scientist who research on planets and have absolutely no interest in chemicals, unless it's necessary." He replied me as he saw the deep thinking I was in when I tried to comprehend his meaning of researchers, in my not so scientific brain.

Is he really a esper, I mean he really can read minds as I asked him that, he just replied [ Don't know why but people always think that I am some evil scientist who always stays cooped up in laboratory even though I love going places that's why I kind of guessed you were thinking same].

Well I guess he should understand if everyone thinks wrong, it means it's him who gives them all wrong idea, I mean he is definitely attractive, definitely average from looks, but he is so good of a listener that I think his personality is even loveable. But the way he looked when I first saw him on bus. Gloomy and lonely type, I didn't even thought that he would respond me, let alone initiating a conversation.

Now that I think, he even took the initiative to talk, and haven't even looked at his smartphone once, his manners are commendable as well.

Now I am a little sad, as we are already in plains area, we will soon reach Dehradun, and then he will go his own and I will go my own. Now that I think about it, Does he feels same? or for him, I am just a random encounter, a girl he met on way and nothing else. Actually I will be lying if I say I won't feel sad if he do, but it's only natural to feel that way towards some stranger you know for only few hours. A random stranger huh, I will really feel sad by a stranger, how pathetic of me.

[S]-------------------------

[Just a random encounter she is, yet I don't want this journey to end.]

I started to think as I was listening to her chatter about how she end up in photography. I don't really wanted that journey to end. No I don't think those are the correct words. I didn't wanna lose that encounter because at that time, when I almost shunned the world away from me, she was the first friend I made, at least I thought of her as one, how pathetic of the past me.

During her conversation she suddenly asked me what I do, And I couldn't really answer at first. The reason was simple, as I told earlier, Both, the me of that time, and the me of now, are still unsure of what we actually do.

Just Think about it, How will you actually define your profession? By what do you do for living? What if you do more than one, like part time jobs? Maybe by which you earn most? But what if your one of your job is one with unstable income, like a writer or a freelancer, Maybe one you do for more time? But what if your job offers multiple working hours? Maybe one which make you most interested? But if you are a person like me, it means you aren't just interested in one thing right?

So after going through all these questions, If one think about the what job does they do, I don't think they will get to an answer. So was the case for me. Me who researches for fun and earn money with this full time job, writes short stories for time pass and again earn a fairly good amount from that even though I write like one story in months. Freelance programmer and have a pretty good profile there as well. And acquainted with a magazine director who time to time eat me out for providing interesting ideas, articles poems arts or whatnot.

That was the type of person I was. So ofcourse I would be confused what actually is my profession.

"So where actually will you go in Dehradun?" She asked me as we were not even 30 minutes away from our destination.

[That's my chance] I thought to myself as I found my grand plan.