INT: PLATFORM 1, LEVEL 2, KMS

(SG MURTHY is on duty.)

RECORDED VOICE: (clear) ತಾಂತ್ರಿಕ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಯಿಂದ ಬೈಯಪ್ಪನಹಳ್ಳಿ ಕಡೆಗೆ ಹೋಗುವ ರೈಲು ವಿಳಂಬವಾಗಲಿದೆ. ಮುಂದಿನ ಸೂಚನೆ ಬರುವವರೆಗೆ ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ಮೊದಲ ಮಹಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಯಿರಿ. (beat) The train to  BAIYAPPANAHALLI will be delayed due to a technical issue. Kindly wait in LEVEL 1 until further notice.

SG MURTHY: Radhika did say that the controls needed to be checked today. (sighs) At least I can take a break now.

A CREAK AS SHE SITS ON THE BENCH.

Ow, my knees...but I did do the stretches this morning. Argh, this chilly weather.

SHE RUBS HER HANDS.

Now about that boy yesterday... where had I last seen him?

ASST. THAPPAR: Seen who?

SG MURTHY: Sir!

SHE GETS UP

What brings you here, sir?

ASST. THAPPAR: Please, take your seat. And call me Rajesh. We're the same age.

SG MURTHY: Okay sir.

SHE TAKES HER SEAT.

ASST. THAPPAR: Um-

SG MURTHY: I mean, Rajesh. (beat) So, what do you need?

ASST. THAPPAR: Nothing. I came here to give you a water bottle. (beat) I saw that you've been working here for six hours straight.

SG MURTHY: Oh...thanks, sir-Rajesh.

ASST. THAPPAR: And, I wanted to apologise for being rude the other time. The Superintendent's wife-

SG MURTHY: It's okay. I understand.

A LONG PAUSE (10 SECS) - FAINT PIGEON COOS AND SPARROW CHIRPS.

ASST. THAPPAR: Um, I was checking the security staff profiles today, and... I think we know each other.

SG MURTHY: We do?

ASST. THAPPAR: Yeah. I don't know if you remember, but, um... we were in the same school.

SG MURTHY: What?

ASST. THAPPAR: I too studied in Nakshatra Academy... batch of 2015?

SG MURTHY: Um, I don't remember. Even though you look familiar-

ASST. THAPPAR: Arre. (beat) It's me, Raju. You know, the one who stuffed cotton candy into Picky Pinky's locker, remember?

SG MURTHY: No... and who's Pinky?

ASST. THAPPAR: Um, scratch that. Um... ha. You remember the trip to Jog Falls? We were in the ninth grade.

SG MURTHY: Jog Falls... maybe.

ASST. THAPPAR: Okay. See, the seventh and eighth graders came with us that year, so the ride to there and back was chaotic.

SG MURTHY: Right.

ASST. THAPPAR: So, during the train ride, someone got their hand jammed in the window.

SG MURTHY: Oh yeah, that daydreamer. I don't know what he was thinking back then.

ASST. THAPPAR: (embarrassed) Me neither. Do you remember what happened next?

SG MURTHY: Yeah, I was the only one who noticed that. Luckily, he didn't get seriously injured. Only got a scar that looked like a hammer. Um, it was on his...his-

ASST. THAPPAR: His left palm.

SG MURTHY: Right, his left palm. So- Oh... So... so you're the boy?

ASST. THAPPAR: Yeah.

SG MURTHY: Wow, that scar's still there. (beat) I couldn't recognise you at all, Rajesh. You were all chubby back then.

ASST. THAPPAR:(clears throat) Thank you. And you've grown taller. Wah, you were like the shortest in the batch back then...four foot seven?

SG MURTHY: No I wasn't. I was five foot seven!

ASST. THAPPAR: (chuckles) It's so good to meet you here.(beat) But why are you here, as a metro security guard? Didn't you want to become an astrologer?

SG MURTHY: Astronaut...and that was aeons ago.

ASST. THAPPAR: We graduated just seven years ago.

SG MURTHY: Just? That's about two-thousand-five-hundred-and-fifty-seven days. You know how long that is? And, what's wrong with being a security guard?

ASST. THAPPAR: Um, nothing. (beat) It's just that, we all thought you would do something big... like winning a gold at the Olympics. See, I-I know being a security guard is a big thing, protecting commuters and the staff. But, I thought you would choose something else.

SG MURTHY: Ah.

A SLIGHT SQUEAK AS SHE DRAGS HER SHOES FORWARD.

I didn't know people had such high hopes for me-

INDECIPHERABLE CRACKLE FROM HER TRANSMITTER

Just a sec-

ASST. THAPPAR: Yeah yeah-

SG MURTHY: Yes sir? Yes. Okay, sir.

A BEEP AS SHE PRESSES A BUTTON

I need to go. My supervisor's calling.

ASST. THAPPAR: Yeah. (beat) It was nice to meet you again, Sarala.

SG MURTHY: You too, Rajesh.

SHE WALKS AWAY.

ASST. THAPPAR: (curious) Out of all the places, why is she working here?