On a Train

Sue and Glen, standing on the moving train, stood facing each other as they held a steel pole for support. Crowded with office goers, there were no empty seats on the Red Line train bound for Harvard Square in Boston.

A tall blonde, Sue looked at Glen who was holding the same pole as her. She took in his dark eyes and hair, noting a rugged handsomeness about the man. Glen too noted the young woman with a business like look on her face. He wondered if she was thinking of her office like some other passengers going to work. Sandwiched between other commuters, their bodies were close, the eyes taking in the other. Glen's dark eyes looked into Sue's sky blue ones, like night sky reflecting in the sea. It was as if destiny was willing them to meet. They stared at each other and countless stars suddenly broke across the sky. Both were smiling with dawning of recognition, an inner voice saying, this is it. Glen's wide generous mouth quivered as the eyes took in her rosy, painted lips. With the closeness of their bodies, their breaths came faster.  And each could feel the the delicious warmth of the other drawing them like magnets. It was as if they had been together for ages, though in reality they were strangers. At those moments, only the shiny steel pole held them back from melting into the other's embrace.

When the train stopped at the next station, more passengers boarded and Sue and Glen found it impossible even to move their hands or feet. They stood, sandwiched like sardines. Momentary uncomfortableness vanished, none wanted to move away, in fact liking every bit of the closeness of their bodies. Glen felt the firmness of Sue's body against his chest, he took her left hand and laid it on his waist, offering more support on moving train.  To on lookers they looked like some touchy-filly lovers. She could feel the cologne on him and then felt him lightly bury his nose in her hair.  His right arm went around her and in the rhythm of the train their bodies were balancing each other so as not to tumble and fall.  Eyes closed, taking deep breaths, Sue and Glen had two hearts beating as if unable to believe the miraculous find. How come this long waited meeting was so unexpectedly there? An immense sense of amiability flooded two hearts.

Both wanted to let go of the steel pole between them and be in each other's embrace. But the train would not stop, the next station seemed so far. Sue and Glen wondered how their attractions could be defined, love at first sight or lust? There was no doubt, they desired each other, physically and emotionally. Both bodies were set on a fire and they had no clue as to what would happen once they were alone. Sue felt Glen's hand draw her closer and closer, as if fearful she would move away. Her own arm around his waist tightened.

The train whistled as if to acknowledge the strange meeting of a man and a woman. Sue and Glen felt helpless at the inability to stop the train, to get down and be on their own. Their ears strained for the sound of the train's engine to screech to a halt, for the announcement of a station. Train stations had never been so far and if there was one, they did not know. Their lips were sealed on each other's and ears shut to every sound except the beating of their hearts. Sue and Glen had no clue that, after years of searching for soulmates on Internet, they would meet on two sides of the pole on a train. 

Tulip Chowdhury writes from Massachusetts, USA.