It was a cold windy night as the moon hung low in the sky with dogs howling, a kind of that weather most known to people in the hills but known for its own mist and dusty terrain with vehicles passing by in the road and things hanging in the balance in the backdrop with few shops kept closing.
Sudden steps would cause the pet dogs to bark loudly but it would turn into a silent growl once the footsteps vanish or vehicles go away at top speed. people were going back to their homes, laughing on an old joke or with neighbours coming back from work and the night was turning dark with less vehicles moving around as the time ticked silently.
A rush of car window pane slam could be heard with two dogs barking in the opposite direction though it didn’t stop but the movement gave chance to a stranger who was trying to get in and he took a few steps to go inside the colony which he knows from his past experiences.
Those memories were not positive, they are like the yowls of a wolf inside a colony of dogs and this person doesn't want to recall them. He loves to be a stranger but his eyes may light up to see a few changes and he hopes the people may be more polite to him.
Surprisingly this man didn’t even notice that someone else had also chipped in quietly as he took a few steps towards the main gates that separate the colony to the main shop from where he had arrived a few moments ago. It was a small creature, shivering in the night but the man didn’t pick it up at first and his eye darted from one window to another hoping to hear shouts, but nobody came.
His mind didn’t rush fast as he was indeed a stranger to new people who had started to live here but the man looked to find a place to hide and his eyes fell on a small broken place that must have been hit by the local weather as he decided to take it as a rescue lifting the small creature with him as he walked closer.
“thanks to god, I have got this place, i don’t have anything to give you as food”, he added to the small creature which he brought along but he allowed it to crouch low on a small twig fallen close to the place as he looked for his pockets. he was fond to light matches or smoke but he gave it an afterthought, again no one was coming so he lit a cigarette and started to smoke slowly.
“What trash? I was not hoping to be that alone on this dark night. it would be dawn very soon and i would drop the creature back”, he thought with not much intention to consider it and a pink light started to spread around the sky as it was coming closer to the moment as he didn’t think of time while smoking in that broken place.
The small form of life started to moan like it also knew the man may drop him back and the mornings were also a bit clammy for the weather here but the stranger heard footsteps as he decided to leave and they forced him to stay in his place.
“Alas, I was not expecting this place to be of any use, very wel if a stranger has come. I sell milk in the colony. Would you like a hot glass once I return to handing their orders?:”, he asked the stranger as their eyes met and the visitor bowed with a word that he would stay here for some more time.
As soon the milk man had gone, one more seller had come: This time a lady holding a box on her head wearing a sari as she announced her to be a bun seller and it gave some happiness to the stranger as he checked for few notes in the pocket which he handed her asking for 2 large buns and a small one for the creature which she handed him with delight leaving the place.
The milk man came back with a packed glass of hot milk which the stranger received warmly paying him for the service and it was going well as the creature became ecstatic to get some food in return to give the man company in the night but the stranger was still worried about having a stay here or not as those past memories haunt him connected to the place.
As he finished the brunch, he could see that sunlight had started to spread in whole corners and he decided to get going lifting the creature by hs hands. he thanked him for being in company in the night to which it made small sounds and the man dropped him at the place from where he had entered last night but turned back to find how the colony may greet him after this long gap of time.
As the man turns, he realises the place to be somewhat different. There were no poles, hardly anyone at the gate even when he came last night and the noise was low. The quarrels were not very frequent with hardly loud choruses of women trying to fight for water and it made him feel a bit strange to find this site with so much calm.
he decided to go back towards the place where he had entered and his eyes gaped the opposite side of the road. The board he was expecting here was on the other side and he had come to a strange place so he won’t have to worry indeed. This gave him a sense of relief as he was indeed a stranger here and he started to turn back as the nearest shop owner watched him impatiently to ask for anything and the stranger bought a package of snacks to calm his nerves while walking slowly.
The stranger found a small park open and he decided to sit still holding the package in disbelief for what he had got last night. The woman who looked after the pak asked him a ten rupee note for entry which he handed peacefully and he was sitting in a chair with fresh air and plant life as he munched his snacks and covered the wrappers in his bag as it was a pleasing moment for him to chill in natural presence.
He looked at his wrist as a watch dangles from it making him realise that it was almost time to go and he stood up in polite surprise. he thanked the park owner as she did have a smile and he started to go when something caught his eye forcing him to turn showing the way towards the main colony where he wanted to go and he decided to have a walk there.
10 minutes later he had made a knock as low voices came from inside a small cottage at the end of the colony. A girl of around 8 opens the door with a jolly smile in greeting. The stranger bows confused about what to say as her mother comes forward with a word of welcome asking if he needs anything and in response ‘maggi’ comes out of his dry lips as the girl brings a chair for him to calm down handing a glass of water to him.
“First time in the hills? not sure where to go or have done a tour already?”The lady peppered him with queries as the bowl started to steam around them and the man felt polite as he was now sure he had come to a different place. “You may have got the wrong people in the past somewhere, right? the face says everything”, the lady said, handing him a bowl of maggi with tomato sauce as he nodded and his trip was almost about to end.
"I need to go back, it's been a true joy here but I also have to be in the city where I work so how is it possible?”he asked, handing him the cost of service as she informs there is a cab driver who can be called who can manage and it brought a smile on his face as he noticed the way they have solved his problem.
He did feel much joyous here compared to his trips in other places and it was a memorable one but he was not sure why all the people had helped him so easily. They did wish to be part of his happiness and made it possible not even asking who he was that did help him to reconsoul from the past.
“We are taught how to greet and enjoy ourselves with strangers. it's in our nature”, he heard the young girl speak in broken english as he tried to ask making him laugh and he bought a snack to recall the place for one last time from the shop at the other side as the cab arrived and he sat inside with a word of thanks to the lady who bowed.
They were smiling while bidding him farewell from the place as the driver drove the cab away and the stranger put his head down surely in peace wondering what he witnessed feeling a perfect day of his life come to a true fold by being at this colony where he had come mistaking it to be some other place last night.
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