Paavam Payan

This was my chance to make my proposal. So, I quickly replied, “Hey! I wish you were my bride!”

“What? That must be the joke of this millennium? This is flirting at its height” – She replied with a smile.

“Well! Why not? Let me ask you straight ‘Will you marry me?’”

“Oh come on! You don’t know anything about me”

“I mean it. I’m serious. “

She paused for a while…

“I need some time to think about it. Can I let you know tomorrow morning?”

“Sure!” – I was so happy. I believed that she did like me.

“Before going to bed would you like to join me for a glass of milk?”

“That’ll be my pleasure”

“Oh! I forgot that I already drank one of them. I guess I have only one left with me” -She took out a small pet bottle having flavoured milk.

“I’ll let you have it. You are my V.I.P today”

“Is it? Thanks. I wish I was your V.I.P for the next 50 years…ha ha ha” – I relished the drink.

“By the way Anita, its 11:00 P.M now, I’m eagerly waiting to hear you say pleasant words tomorrow morning. Good night and sweet dreams!” – I climbed the upper berth.

“I hope that the dawn brings you all good things in life!” – She replied.

The Next Day…

“Wake up! Wake up!” Someone was shouting near my ears and patting my back.

Ouch! I had a terrible head ache. I was hardly able to open my eyes. As I slowly came out of my slumber I realized that I had reached Chennai an hour ago. The first thing I remembered was Anita. I forgot to ask her phone number. But, to my surprise, I found no one in the compartment except for the T.T.R who woke me up. As I got down from the berth, I was shocked to see that all my luggage were missing including my cell phone, wrist watch and the gold chain that adorned my neck.

Raged for a moment I yelled at the bottom of my voice “T.T.R, I’ve been robbed!!!”

Later I was accompanied by the T.T.R to the RPF.

The policeman who took down my statement said, “You should have been a bit more careful sir. You know a lot of such incidents are reported nowadays. Did you eat something that was offered by a stranger?”

“Yeah! A girl offered me some drink”

“Then, she must have been the culprit! Being an educated guy you should have been a bit more careful. This is not the first time that we come across this incident. We have received a series of complaints about an unidentified young woman who performs this act”.

For Heaven’s sake! I was shocked when he said these words.

It is only then that I realized that she was after my money. I couldn’t believe such a clever lady with superior intellect involving in a theft like this. She deceived me with her intellect and of course her beauty. I fell a prey to her like an insect getting trapped in a Pitcher plant. It’s very hard to understand people and their true intentions. I paid the penalty for flirting with a stranger.

The ingenious lady drove me to ‘Deception point’ and taught me a valuable lesson in life with a price. Yes, my first salary!



——–THE END——–