The Girl With the Strange Smile

The Girl With the Strange Smile

Chapter 1: A Strange Smile in the Rain

Mumbai was drowning that evening.

Not literally, of course. But the rain had taken over the city. The roads were shining beneath the streetlights, trains were crowded, people were running with umbrellas, and the sound of rain seemed louder than everything else.

Somewhere in that huge city, two people were travelling on different trains.

Different journeys.

Different stories.

But somehow, the same destination.

Neither of them knew that this rainy evening was about to become the beginning of something they would never forget.

The destination was one of the most famous places in Mumbai—the necklace of the dream city.

Marine Drive.

When I reached there, the rain was still falling heavily.

People were everywhere. Some were running for shelter, some were waiting for the rain to slow down, and some were simply enjoying the weather.

And then I saw her.

She was completely drenched.

Her clothes were wet, her hair was messy because of the rain, and there was something about her that made me look at her for a little longer than I normally would look at a stranger.

For the first time, I saw her.

But I didn’t know her.

She was just another stranger in a city filled with millions of strangers.

So I left.

Without saying anything, I started walking towards the bus stop.

Bus number 121.

After some time, the rain finally stopped.

I found a place to sit and, as usual, started overthinking about everything and nothing at the same time.

Then suddenly...

I saw her again.

The same girl.

This time, our eyes met.

For a few seconds, neither of us looked away.

I gathered a little courage and said,

“Hieee...”

She looked at me.

And then...

She smiled.

But it wasn’t an ordinary smile.

It was strange.

A little confusing.

A little funny.

And somehow, impossible to understand.

I didn’t know why, but I kept thinking about that smile.

Strangers can’t just become friends, I thought.

Or maybe they could.

I sat there until 9:49 PM, still lost somewhere inside my own thoughts. Eventually, I got up and started walking around Marine Drive, exploring the place.

The rain had stopped, the roads were still wet, and Mumbai was beginning to look even more beautiful under the night lights.

Then suddenly, I heard a voice behind me.

“Hey!”

I turned around.

And there she was.

The girl with the strange smile.

She walked towards me and stood beside me.

“Are you a local guy from Mumbai?” she asked.

I looked at her and replied,

“Nope.”

And then I started walking again.

For some reason, she started walking with me.

At exactly 10:01 PM, a conversation between two complete strangers began.

At first, we were just asking random questions.

Where are you from?

Why are you here?

What do you do?

And then I asked the first question that actually mattered.

“What’s your name?”

She looked at me and said,

“Riya.”

Then she looked at me.

“And yours?”

I smiled.

“Kundan.”

Then I added,

“Kundan... but some people call me Prawasi.”

She suddenly started laughing.

I still don’t know what was so funny.

Maybe the name.

Maybe the way I said it.

Or maybe she had already decided that I was a little weird.

After walking for some time, I asked her,

“Have you eaten anything?”

She shook her head.

So, instead of ending our conversation, we decided to continue it over food.

And in Mumbai, what could possibly be better than vada pav?

We went to the famous Ashok Vada Pav, a place that had been serving Mumbai’s favourite snack for decades.

We ate, laughed, talked, and continued exploring the city.

It was strange.

Just a few hours ago, she was a stranger standing in the rain.

And now, we were walking together through Mumbai like we had known each other for much longer.

Maybe that’s the magic of some cities.

Or maybe...

Some strangers are not meant to remain strangers.

When it was finally time to return to the station, Mumbai decided to show us its true colours once again.

The rain started.

And this time, it started heavily.

We quickly found a small shelter and stood there.

For 18 minutes, we waited for the rain to slow down.

But those 18 minutes didn’t feel like waiting.

We laughed.

A lot.

About random things.

About each other.

About things that probably wouldn’t even be funny if anyone else heard them.

But standing there, under that shelter, with Mumbai drowning in rain around us, everything felt strangely simple.

I didn’t know it then.

But those 18 minutes would become one of those small memories that stay with you much longer than you expect.

Finally, the rain slowed down.

We continued walking and eventually reached CSMT station.

Before going inside, I asked her,

“So... where do you live?”

She looked at me and said,

“Actually, I’m not from Mumbai.”

I was surprised.

“I’m from Nagpur. I came here to explore Mumbai. Right now, I’m staying with my relatives in Thane.”

For a moment, I just looked at her.

“NAGPUR?”

She laughed.

“Yeah. Why?”

I smiled.

“That’s strange.”

She looked confused.

“Why?”

I told her,

“I live in Vashi right now... but Mumbai isn’t my hometown either.”

She waited for me to continue.

“My hometown is near Nagpur.”

Now it was her turn to be shocked.

For a few seconds, we both just stood there.

Out of millions of people in Mumbai...

Two strangers.

From different trains.

Meeting for the first time at Marine Drive.

And somehow discovering that both of them had a connection to the same place.

Maybe it was just a coincidence.

Or maybe coincidences are simply stories that haven’t revealed their meaning yet.

We caught the 12:04 AM train from CSMT.

The train was slow.

And thankfully, so was time.

We continued talking.

The city outside the window was slowly becoming quieter, but our conversation wasn’t.

Then she suddenly asked me,

“Will you show me your Mumbai?”

I looked at her.

“Of course.”

And just like that, our conversation continued.

That one hour and twenty-seven minutes felt different.

Honestly, they were some of the most unexpectedly beautiful minutes of my life.

Not because something magical happened.

Not because I had fallen in love.

Not yet.

But because sometimes, you meet someone when you least expect it.

And suddenly, an ordinary train journey doesn’t feel ordinary anymore.

When the train finally stopped at Platform 1, it was time for me to leave.

I looked at her.

“Bye.”

And I started walking towards Platform 10.

I had only walked a few steps when suddenly...

A voice came from behind me.

“Prawasiiiii!”

I turned around.

She was standing there, laughing.

“Arre yaar!” she said. “Give me your number!”

I froze for a second.

Then I laughed.

“Ohhh... sorry, sorry!”

We exchanged our numbers.

Such a simple thing.

Just a few digits on a phone.

At that moment, I had no idea how important that small moment would become.

We said goodbye again.

This time, for real.

She went her way.

I went mine.

I didn’t know what she was thinking.

Maybe, for her, it was just another day.

Another journey.

Another stranger.

But for me...

Something felt different.

I reached home at 1:57 AM.

I remember lying on my bed that night.

And smiling.

Smiling for absolutely no reason.

Or maybe...

I finally had a reason.

A strange girl.

A strange smile.

A rainy evening.

Two different trains.

One destination.

And a number saved on my phone.

I slept peacefully that night.

Little did I know...

That sometimes, the most beautiful stories begin with something as simple as—

“Hey.”

Until the next chapter...

Your KundyaAK