Shoe string ties

The street was bustling with people unleashed. . Sales and sales everywhere…. …and there I stood...on the brightly lit street with no particular thought in my mind .Faces hurried past me .. Bodies jostled to get into the buses and the autos did 80 to 360 degrees in that small space adding to the general confusion
I shifted my gaze to the vendors seated .From where I stood..in front of a hardware shop (my husbands idea of paradise )I could see the lady with the bananas, the lime man the,flower vendor and the girl with the greens .As they counted out the change and tucked them into their hidden pockets in the folds of their sarees and shirt, they carried on with their talks .A laugh here ,a sneer there and ,a shout to someone across the street in a world by themselves. I turned .My eyes picked and chose people by their attire and attitude...Colours mingled and separated to come together again ,Mothers dragging tiny tots ,wives dragging behind their hurrying husbands ,couples holding hands and strolling with all the time in the world …it was then I felt that I was being watched .I turned passing my eyes over the crowd , I saw her ,She was standing just a few feet away in front of a medical shop .
I searched her face …no no one I knew...Her clothes were trendy and new She was young and pretty in a newly married way .and that she was ,clear from her Punjabi ‘choodas’.But what caught my attention were her shoes Oh… they were so pretty .Being a shoe collector from birth (as my mother puts it )I could not take my eyes of them .They were delicate .Silver straps criss crossed over her toes to end in a studded buckle and her feet too, was perfect for it, well shaped and delicate ,the heels were silver. I stared and stared, I itched to know where she bought them from.
Now patience is not one of my virtues but impulsiveness is. (And quite proud of it too)In fact it’s my second nature.
I walked across to her and said “Hi, Nice Shoes” She looked taken aback .Her eyes filled up (Dear God ….what have I done now??)She caught my hand and with a smile said “Sorry, it’s just that you are the first person who has talked to me after coming here. I’ve been here for six months now .and have no friends, other than my husband of course...” She gave a light laugh and continued “Sorry I was staring …it was your shoes really...I had a similar one back in Chandigarh and I felt so nostalgic …….”