A dark evening

8:30 pm, Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. An almost crowded bus is running at its best speed as I could expect here. This bus is very tiny compared to other buses so the crowd is not much pathetic. I got a comfortable seat beside a window. The person sitting beside me is so irritating. He is wearing a full-sleeve sweater and expecting me to keep the window glass open for him or exchange the seat with him. It’s not cold today but still can't really open the window for someone who can't remove his sweater and be sensible. What a Jerk!! Sometimes people are really very annoying at bus/train. I should keep my cool though.

I am trying to gaze at outside. It’s dark out there. I wish I could see some stars now, or at least the moon. City-lights hardly allow me. I wish I could just run away from this city right now.
Suddenly I feel something strange. Is the darkness trying to tell me something? Did I hear my name just now? Is someone calling out my name? Is there someone really? I try hard to recognize the darkness. It’s so blurry. I hear it again.

“Oh I’m coming there.”
“Wait, wait for me please”.

I feel so light, almost weightless. The window is clear now. I touch the glass. My fingers go through the glass, then my hand, then my head… then my whole body. I move towards the darkness. Someone is waiting for me there, there behind the trees, which I see everyday. I have to go past them. And then there is the huge open land, covered with green vegetables. The smell of the soil intoxicates my senses. I feel high. I float around a bit. I suddenly realize I’m flying. I’m flying like a bird. I don’t have my hands anymore. I have got two little dark wings.

There are twinkling lights I can see from faraway places like a diamond necklace. The darkness is cold. I float around but no one is there. Oh there I hear it again. Someone is calling my name again. I follow my instinct. I fly and follow. And there they come. I reached the fairy land. All the fairies with soft, glittering white wings singing a song and dancing. Chorus. They ask me to dance with them. "Its wonderful", I say. "Were you calling me?".
"Yes Swati, welcome home".
"Is that? Is that really? Is it my home?" I scream.

"Yes. Whenever you feel lonely, depressed, pissed and meaningless we have a home for you. Your home of dreamland. Here all of your dreams come true. We are family."

"Family? Then howcome my wings are dark and your are white and so beautiful?" I ask.

"Oh dear! It doesn't matter what the color it is. It matters how strong it is. All it meant for flying and nothing else. Don't you like dark nights? Don't you like black clothes? Then how it does matter? Dark is beautiful too", The fairy says smiling.

"Oh I wish I knew it before. I wouldn't have been so sad ever then." I cry.

And then I mingle with them. I dance. I sing. I fly. I dream.

"Hello ma'am. Come on. Were not you supposed to get down at this stopage? Hurry!!" The conductor shouts angrily.

I come back to the real world.

I see there is no wings at my back. Neither White nor black.