Nov 24, 2006

A Greek Tragedy

w: come closer
m: huh?? what's got into you?
w: just come. feeling funny
m: yippee!
w: mmm
m: mmm
w: mmmmm
m: mmmmmm
w: stop that! not now
m: what the..?
w: just hold me like this
m: (groan)
w: mmmm
m: mmmmmmm
w: take your hand out
m: christ!
w: let me
m: mmmmmmmmmm
w: take it out
m: (pant)
w: mmmmmmmmmm
m: (pant)
w: dont stop
m: (gasp)
w: (pant)
m: shit!
w: what?
m: sorry
w:
m: shit
w:
m: sorry
w:
m: i love you
w: good night

Nov 22, 2006

Not again!!!

Ordering that last one for the road proved to be a drastic mistake. As me and J stumbled into the deserted platform, we realised we had missed the last train home. And except for a few beggars bundled up in newspapers, there was not a single bastard in sight. The walk home was about 3 Km from the station, and it was not a very nice one. Especially on that cold, deserted winter night.

Perhaps the whiskey took the decision to start walking. Perhaps it was some suppressed desire to emulate adventurers who had plunged into the unknown to discover new lands. Whatever it was, it was a mistake.

This was a section of the city which was largely avoided by the everyday crowds. I mention the word 'city', but this 9 odd square kilometres could have been copied from here and pasted in Nevada and it would not have been out of place. It was a dumping ground at one time, when the municipality decided to turn it into a park. And as expected from their efficiency, the dumping stopped but the park was not constructed. And so it was now a deserted wasteland, used for drug deals in the daytime and dumping murder victims at night.

Thankfully it was a full moon night. To me it looked more of a fool moon night. Walking through the deathly silence, through mountains of waste bathed in that horrible cold white light, I finally realised what fools we had been in trying to attempt this. J must have started having misgivings as well, for he suddenly stopped. I turned to ask him what was wrong, but he was staring fixedly at a point about 100 yards to our right, and following his gaze I saw whatever it was that was staring back at us.

It was partially hidden behind the remnants of a smashed up maruti, but the upper half was visible. My screaming brains told me not to panic, that this was a human form, at worst a junkie who will whip out a knife and rob us, at best a beggar or a deranged man who probably stays here at night. But in my thundering heart I knew that junkie or beggar or lunatic - whatever it was, it was when he was a breathing, living man; now he was a creature from the other side.

to be continued (perhaps)...

Nov 16, 2006

What a strange man!!

On one of my fortnightly travels to Mumbai, I was approached by a young guy as I was about to enter the terminal. He was a sorry looking bloke, and it seemed that the weight of the entire world was on his puny shoulders. And as his story came out, i realised why.

You see, what happened was that he had come to Delhi from a small village near Patna. Some friend of a friend of a friend had promised him a job and had asked him to meet a guy outside the airport. He met a guy answering to the description given, who assured him that there was an agent who will place him, in return of a fee of 1500 bucks. You can guess the rest right? He had 1200 on him, the guy magnanimously waived off 300 bucks, asked him to wait right there while he got his scooter..and never came back. So, for the last 3 hours, he was reduced to begging for whatever he can manage, to at least purchase a train ticket to go back to his family.

What can I say? I told him Delhi is full of cheats. I advised him to be more careful in the future. I admonished him for chasing wild dreams, leaving everything for a fools errand. I paid him 300 bucks.

Tears of gratitude flooded his eyes. His trembling hands retrieved a dog eared notebook from his tattered pockets. He made me write my address down so he can send the money back. I gruffly told him, with a lump in throat, that it wont be necessary. But he would have none of it. His parting words made me feel good about myself..here was someone who has finally realised what a wonderful human being I am.

It says that lightning never strikes the same place twice. I found out that its not true for some poor bastards. When I came back from a Mumbai a couple of days back, who do i find standing outside? You are right, it was the same guy! And he came up to me and told me the same story. I listened with rapt attention, wondering the courage it must take to be able to take such misfortune, that too twice, and still be able to fight back and try to survive. While I was taking out my wallet, I saw him taking out his notebook, and told him not to bother, reminding him that I had already jotted down my address a couple of days back.

I dont know why he ran away!! I would have paid him again.

Nov 14, 2006

Some weird dream

I was desperately climbing to the roof. The staircase was caved in and there was no way up. But I just had to go up, you see. And so the only way up was from the outside.

The first floor wasnt a problem. One of the window shutters was open and I was able to use the grill to reach the parapet. But after that it was hair-raising. As i inched along desperately clinging on to any projection I found on that blank, unforgiving wall, the top looked like some impossible dream. I had the standard scares I have seen in countless movies, pigeons suddenly flying out from a hole above my head, one toe slipping and almost hurtling down, looking down and seeing the ground way down below etc. But finally I triumphed. I looked around and saw the world at my feet. And decided to jump.

And then suddenly, Harindranath Chatterjee was at my elbow. He gave me a severe hearing about the futility and cowardice of suicide. He took me home..and i started afresh.

A solemn vow. No more egg curry for dinner.

Nov 6, 2006