When Lightning Strikes..[5]

Ajay came back to the compartment after a while to see Annie knealed down on the floor with her head buried under her arms in the seat. Was she crying? He went near her and called her name softly. She didnt seem to hear his call. Ajay now raised his voice a little louder and called her again. She lifted her head towards Ajay and he was right with his guess. She was crying. Her eyes had now turned reddish and so the tip of her sharp but cute nose. Ajay didnt know what to do or what to say to this girl who was now looking straight into his face. She looked so vulnerable like a helpless baby that he felt like taking her into his arms and comforting her. As if read his mind and understood his condition, suddenly Annie wiped her tears and got up and took the seat opposite to him. Then a little smile like thing appeared on her face. Ajay wasnt sure what it actually expressed..a small ray of hope or hopelessness to completely surrender to the future? He wasnt sure. Ajay thought this double-act expression of Annie was more natural and confusing than that of the famous Mona-Lisa. He too had a smile on his face now. They both sat there silently lost in their own thoughts until the loud shouts of "tea-coffee" echoed in the train. Only then Annie realized how hungry she was. She was literally starving for the past whole day even though they were earlier provided with food packets at the tents, which she had refused to eat out of agony and confusion that prevailed in her mind. Ajay had already bought some packets of bread omelette and two cups of coffee for them from the change he had in his wallet which was thankfully not lost among his other things back in the valley. He gave the food packets to Annie and kept the coffee cups on the square stand at the side. Annie was about to say thanks but Ajay had already said "No time for formalities now. Eat your food. You badly needs it now. Come on.." and he started to eat. Annie was left with no other choice and she slowly began eating. The bread-omelette tasted so good that after gobbling up some pieces, Annie really felt as if some part of her lost soul had come back into her through the bread-omelette pieces. Ajay had already finished his packet and was sipping the hot coffee, while persuading her to eat, in between the sips. Annie felt safe and secure at that moment which were the two feelings she had lost from the moment she lost her family and her home in the valley..
..........................[...........TBC............]...........................