Serendipity.

One end of the Bus stand

The day was finally here.I reached the bus stand where he was waiting for me.I got down from the auto rickshaw.My eyes searching him desperately.'Where are you my ladoo?'.I called him to tell I was already there.'I am at this place you said, the bus stand, some building looking like the India gate ! where the hell are you !'. He asked me to wait there only.Every damn second now stretching so long.Ahhhhh, I hate him when he makes me wait.Naaaa, I can never hate him.'Where are you my ladoo?'.I called him again.While i was talking to him, an auto rickshaw stoped right in front of me.He probably thought I needed a ride.I thought he might help.I asked him, where was I exactly? He said something which I couldn't understand.He then went off.The name plate read, KA 03 23 23.


Other end of the Bus stand.

The day was finally here.I reached there way before the time.I was so excited.The thought of spending two days with her after such a long time was so overwhelming.Amongst all the noises around the bus stand, I could still hear my heart beat.In Dolby digital.Or was it hers for that matter.I wondered.I kept on staring at both ends of the road confused from which side would the princess arrive.Accepting defeat, I asked the driver.Right side, he uttered.That was a easy guess, i told myself.I got to be the right side.I smiled.Where is she?Is she still in the auto rickshaw?To anxious to wait anymore, I called her.'I am already there at the Bus stand.Where are you?' I almost jumped.Came back to earth.I stated looking here and there.She told me name of some building she was standing in front of.I started running to the right.Then left.Then here and there.I could not find it.People around seemed unaware too.I came back to the same place i was before.I called her again.'Where are you? Some monument similar to India gate? I don't see any'.While I was busy talking to her figuring out in which parallel universe she slipped into, one auto rickshaw slowed down towards me.He probably thought I wanted a ride.Even after I denied, he stayed there for a while listening to what I was asking her.He suddenly smiled.'She is waiting for you at the other end towards the right', he said and left.The Name plate of the auto rickshaw read, KA 03 2323.

My Name is Khan * * *

This is the story of Rizwan Khan who suffers from a common form of autism, the asperger syndrome. The movie is a narrative by the same who goes through a wonderful journey to achieve something which might seem very weird or would not make any sense to you at the first place.But after witnessing his voyage, just think about all the questions this character comes up with.They are so simple and true and yet not answered to.Why do we judge people by their religion? Why do we judge people at all? If a common man wants to meet his president, whats wrong with that? Why can't we be civil with people with abnormalities ? And so many more.Think about them.

Anyway,the plots builds someplace in India where Rizwan is born into a Muslim family with this unusual abnormality. Her mother's love and care though somehow keeps him off the extremes. His mother tells him a very important thing which he always remembers. There are only two types of human beings. One, who are good and do good things.Two, who are bad and do bad things.Religion has nothing to do with being good or bad. So our asperger boy slowly grows up and gets all his education from a retired professor courtesy all the humiliation at school.He cannot stand loud voices, crowd, yellow color. He cannot cry.He cannot laugh.He cannot show emotions.Or understand them for that matter.But he is very pure at heart.And very intelligent and pretty good at fixing stuff.His younger brother moves to U.S.And he follows after his mother's demise.There he falls in love with Mandira and eventually starts a family and leads a happy life.

We divide the time dimension in B.C and A.D.But there came another wall.9/11.Rizwan had no clue how this is going to rip him off.Mandira's son is killed just for being a Muslim.She blames it on Rizwan and asks him to leave her.And then he starts an amazing journey to get back his love and to give a message to this world. This is the best of SRK you might ever see. He is so into the character and the best thing is that he never loses it.His eyes never making contact with any other.His hesitation to hug someone.His fear of yellow.Pebbles in his hand.Repetition of words.Oh my god! He is God.Kajol does well too.As a film, it can seem a little long and boring as there have been many others on the same lines.But the way Karan has presented it is very new and very different.The problem being, too many messages in one flick.Kinda hard to get.But you have to give it to SRK.His name is Khan(pronounced with the epiglottis) and he is an awesome actor.

Bangalore Express

Train journeys are boring.At least the long ones are.Small talk with the people in the compartment.Loud Vendors.Confined spaces.The only good thing being the view through that glass window.I was looking out through the one beside me when I heard someone utter the word 'Secunderabad'.My eyes literally came out.I took control.When i came back to my senses I realized that it was the Uncle sitting in the next birth who told my dad that this train has a stoppage in Secunderabad.I couldn't stop myself from asking.'Uncle, will it also stop at Hyderabad?'.Me blushing at my best.'No beta, only at Secunderabad'.Dad confirmed.I was still super excited as both are indistinguishable. I need to tell him right now that I will be passing by.I acted sleepy and told dad that i was going to the upper birth for a quick nap.I called him and told him.But I knew that he will not get off by then and won't make it.But i was still excited for that very feeling of being hum-sehar for a while.Whatever, I was so damn happy!

Just another day at office.Today i decided to finish off the things quickly so as to generate some free time.Why did I do that? I got the answer pretty soon.She called from the train.She was off to Bangalore.She said she just came to know that the train was via Secunderabad.My eyes literally came out.I need to here this again.Just to confirm.I got off my desk.'Are you kidding me, you really didn't know? ..ammmm...ummm...when ....what time..what train...tell me!'.I was in a super excited state.It was bound to hit Secunderabad around 7.I have never been to that place.But I have a bike now ,i thought.I can go anyplace.'I will call you back in a minute'.I figured out the whole plan, looked at the google map and also thought of something nice to tell my manager.And I was out of office.I called her.

He called back.He said he is coming.My heart stopped.For a while though.Now I needed to figure out what to tell dad.Casually slipped in the old classmate phenomenon.Went well i guess.I don't care.I want to see him so bad.I don't care.I was so happy that my face was all giving it away.Had to hide it from my dad.He was coming.I could see heart shaped clouds now.And that lovely rainbow.Love is awesome, i thought.

There I was on my bike on the way.Way to Secunderabad.I was so excited that it took me a while to understand that I was not aware of the route but was aware that it was way too far.Asking for direction driving a bike which u just learnt last week and that too in Hyderabad traffic can be injurious to your health.And all the people whom I asked for directions seemed to be have a geography of their own.After 1 hr and 40 minutes and after god knows how many twists and turns and god knows how many deja-vu's, I was there.She called when I was at the parking.

I was so anxious.These two hours were the longest two hours ever.The difficult part being to hide your super excitedness.I told dad that I can't wait to get out on that Secunderabad Station.'Why so beta?' And i could just come up with,'Bas papa, tired of sitting naa!'.And then when the station was approaching, I was on the door.He might have reached already waiting for me on that platform.I got down.He wasn't there.I called him to tell that the train had arrived.He was at the parking then.'Will you be able to recognize your school friend beta?'.I smiled inside.Nodded.Suddenly dad pointed to a guy standing just beside us and said,'Is he the one?'.I was so embarrassed.'You will know papa, he will come running!'

I was running towards the station.She told me some platform number which I kind of forgot.I didn't stop at the enquiry neither to get a platform ticket.I had lost all my senses.I went up the bridge crossing platforms and got down at the 9th one.That train was going off the platform.I lost my breathe.I chased it for a while with my helmet in my hand only to realize that this was not the one.10.She said Platform No.10.I rushed back to the bridge.Went to 10.The train was there but i was at the at the wrong end.I ran and ran.Until I saw her with her Dad.She smiled.

I had to rest for air before talking.Paid my regards to her dad.Casual conversation.I think I eventually had to tell him everything about me in those 5 minutes.It was nice.For the minutes he left us alone, I just looked at her.Her presence makes me so happy.There is something about her.I so wanted to hug her.I should have hugged her.If only I could go back in time.And then soon she was gone.I stood there smiling with tears in my eyes watching the Bangalore Express depart.