It was New Year’s Eve in Kochi, and the metro was alive. The clock had just struck 7:30 PM. My long-distance best friend and I were deep in conversation, catching up after two years apart.

The train was packed, with no seats to spare. We stood and talked. That’s when I spotted a vacant seat. But before I could make a move, a man with salt-and-pepper hair quickly claimed it.

I noticed him lean toward the person next to him, politely asking if they could switch seats. He wanted to sit beside a woman who seemed to be traveling with him. The gesture caught my eye, and it wasn’t until a second glance that I realized—I knew him. He was an actor I’d seen in the movie June, where he played the role of Sunny Wayne’s dad.
I remembered his Instagram profile and how much I loved his captions. They were always thoughtful, just like the man I was observing now.

The woman beside him, I remembered seeing her in his profile, was his wife. They sat close, talking quietly; their connection was so clear. There was something so youthful about them, the way he looked at her, spoke to her—not just with love, but with respect and admiration. The metro was full of couples, yet they stood out. He wasn’t just talking to her—he was cherishing her so fondly.

We got down at Edappally, like most others on the train, heading to the mall. The couple was just ahead of us, walking closely together.

I pointed them out to my friend, who had also been watching them. She said, “They look like lovers.” I told her, “That’s his wife.”

She refused to believe me, replying, “No way!”
I explained that I knew who he was—an actor—and that I had seen his Instagram profile, where he often posted pictures with his wife. Only then did she believe me. She sighed and said with admiration, “Ee prayathil ulla oraal wife nod igane affectionate aayittu oke perumaaruo?”
And she was right. It’s rare to see men in their 50s expressing love for their wives so openly. Most shy away, even if they wish to, perhaps fearing judgment.

It wasn’t his fame or the fact that I recognized him that made the moment special. It was the tenderness, the quiet romance he carried in his words and gestures. On a busy New Year’s night, in a metro train packed with strangers,
we had witnessed something simple yet extraordinary—a moment of love that would stay with us long after the night ended.

   Written by Aswathy P Raju.