Inimitable Encounter Poem by Ratnakar Rout

When the setting sun in the western horizon
Along the mountain peaks
Was looking like a vermillion mark
On the forehead of a newly wedded woman
The foggy winter afternoon gradually
Plunged into darkness
The glow worms enkindled
Their vicinity and lighted the surroundings
Even though for a while
A stranger companion
Was travelling in my front row
In the crowded compartment of a down town local train
Her innocent look was matchless
A keen observer she
Candidly desired to have a glimpse of
The poem I completed a minute before
She read the poem
Complimented me time and again
A ray of smile caught her blushing lips
She seemingly got filled with contentment
As she was a student of literature
She was so engrossed
Finished the poem at one goes and asked now and then,
Have I ever read T.S. Eliot, Byron, Keats and Tennyson?
Like a curious child she wanted to learn, what am I
And intimated me what is she and where is she born
Let me tell you she was an academician.
Her inquisitive eyes at the moment searched something
And she naively got caught up to something or someone,
I noticed, and strangely she forgot to get down from the train
Alas! The train passed away the schedule platform
And she unfortunately missed the station
The eerie whistle of the passenger train
Could not even alarm her
And bring back her consciousness at that situation
The pregnant monsoon rein was almost merciless then
She realised after a long while
She was far away from her destination
When she edgily hurried
Everybody around her questioned
How could she commit such a grave mistake?
She remained speechless
And quietly got down from the train in a mid way station
Since then we have not met again.