Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Not a very different day

“Are you getting bored?” Madhurima asked matter of factly and I saw the blue lining on the frame of her glasses as I was seeing everything else and noticing nothing. I heard some chuckles which used to be a roar of laughter earlier but the novelty had been worn off…worn off with so many uses that I was getting bored of it too.
We, some colleagues, went to a restaurant for lunch. Everyone could found something to gossip upon while waiting for the food; and there I was, amidst them, silent, listening to everybody and none.
They couldn’t bear the burden of my sulking face any longer and tried to include me in their discussion. I decided to encash the opportunity, listened to them for a minute and started. At first, I knocked down Samendu with a “How can you talk so rubbish? It is impossible…” and brushed aside Neelanjali trying to support him with “…Don’t talk about them. Stupid people…” They were trapped and I fought like a hero, one against four with “…How can you people talk like this, you are educated…” or “…Let me finish first…” but never letting them to. Sayanti forgot she was giving Abhishek some expert opinions about shopping, eyed me for a minute or two and ordered “Manas, JSU (It’s her style to say Just Shut Up!)” with such a finality that I could not suppress the smile anymore and picked up the glass of water to take a sip. The sip became a gulp; that was the 4th glass of water I drank.
They were in the process of returning to their gossips which I wouldn’t complaint without when Sayanti hijacked them to Shopper’s Stop. I pondered over never ever coming again, but left it at that realizing the thought seemed to be revisited.
I saw the waiter was coming to our table with his hands dangling merrily beside his torso, without any idea of a customer bored to death. He told us a certain dish couldn’t be served. While they ordered another, I swallowed the thought of food with the 5th glass, mind’s respite for a few seconds. I picked up the menu card, read through all the dishes, watched the interior design and decoration of the restaurant and tried to match it with the menu card, took Abhishek’s digi-cam and took some snaps of it.
Samendu requested me earnestly not to be so bored and turned his head back to answer Madhurima. I looked down to the table, looked at the ornamental graphics around the border…
…….
…….

When I was with the 8th glass, food came. I became delirious with happiness; there was now something to do with.
After we got out of the restaurant everybody was looking for a taxi. I got in again looking for the toilet.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Thank God, he was counting his days

Last month, I moved out of my hostel to my friends'. I got to know their cable TV connection was cut and nobody had any clue about the time and reason. As my friends are even lazier than me I had to look for the house where a lady working in the organization lived. Having seen an old gentleman, counting the beads of a Japmala, strolling within a veranda of a house and I asked him if he could help me out, and following is the conversation...

  • Me: Hello sir, would you please tell me which house the lady working in the organization providing cable TV connection lives in?

  • Him: Lady...cable TV connection...why? What happened?

  • Me: Ummm, I have a little business. Can you please tell me where she lives?

  • Him: What is your business? (With an authoritarian voice that normally old people have when they are talking to young people.)

  • Me: (Ohh fuck! now I have to state the whole thing to this senile. I thought about ignoring him and walking past him to the next house. But, I ... complied.) Unhh! Our connection is cut and we are not being able to watch TV. Our neighbor said the lady lived in this locality. So, please, if you direct me to her residence…

  • Him: But she didn’t marry!!!

  • Me: (Stupefied for a minute. What is his problem? That she is not married? That if she is not married then how can she be a lady?). Oh, her residence, please.

Then finally he showed me her home that was exactly opposite his house. I tossed a glance back over my shoulder as I knocked on her door; and there he was, his strolling stopped though counting the beads continued to pile blessings for the eternal life, watching me intently. Lonely old man got something to do in his leisure. While returning, I thanked God that the old man was counting his days.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Dare to get the meaning...

Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.