Believe it or not

I work in a make-believe world where nothing is the same to what it actually offers. Before you think that I am evil, of course not, but what to do? After all we all have bills to live with and you need to stick to something that pays for it. And I do write with a lot of guilt, hoping nobody takes me seriously. Even I don’t take advertising words seriously. They are meant to be smart, sassy yet far from facts.
The other day when I boarded the auto, the sticker line wasn’t even close to being intelligent. It was in Hindi and meant something like “The driver of this vehicle wouldn’t disrespect women neither would allow someone to do so”.
I automatically thought, another claim which means nothing looking at the rising crime statistics. I got into the auto and told myself life is all about taking risks. Why fear the unknown don’t I have enough shady briefs to work upon?
The journey began as usual, I was immersed in Sufi Music and too busy to bother about the traffic. That’s the most sensible thing I have learnt while living in this busy capital of India. Worrying doesn’t help because there is nothing you can do other than invite the Blood Pressure to shoot up.
Just then I noticed it. Every time my auto moved, a bike moved with its rowdy rider who was too busy leering at me. Now that isn’t unusual on the streets of my busy city. But what happened next, wasn’t so common. My auto-driver would squeeze in some corner space and get me away from the uncomfortable situation. The bike would follow soon and again my driver would quietly move to hide me within a safe distance. Constantly checking the location of the biker from his rear-view mirror and making that extra effort to duck me to safety. Amazing was fact that he was doing all this without even advertising his heroism. Very gradual and not trying to be James Bond on a mission to rescue a damsel in distress. How different from the world I work and live in!
The bike followed me long and eventually gave up. I wasn’t shaken up because my not-so-educated driver made it a point to not make me feel threatened. Finally, I reached my destination and paid him. I wanted to thank him but even before I could, he honked and left. It came so naturally to him that he wasn’t expecting a “Thank You”.
First time in my life, I felt that Advertising got really, real. Or maybe the guy made every word in the copy of the sticker come true.


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

A love story went wrong

“But you said you love me?” she said.
He clarified, “Ya, but that was some two days back.”
She questioned, “And today you don’t love me?”
He said, “See, change is the law of nature. Day becomes night and so. You change your clothes. You change your food etc.”
She looked into the eye, “What do you mean? Come clear.”
He answered without looking, “I loved you two days back. And two days is a long time. Now I don’t feel the same.”
She was shocked, “Whaaat? But I brought all my stuff to live with you and I have nowhere else to go.”
He was furious, “Did you ask me before doing all this?”
She was confused now because she never thought that things can change so much within 48 hours. And here she was feeling just the same for a very long time.
She was lost in a plethora of emotions. Too confused to know whether she should laugh or cry. Lost in her own thoughts, she could feel his arm shaking her and asking, “Now, where do you want to go? Tell, me and I can drop you.”
“But I want to stay with you, why anywhere else?” she responded. He was equally adamant that she has to leave. He kept insisting that he doesn’t want to stay with her. Moreover, it is his life and he has every right to decide what he wants.
“Leave me alone,” he shouted. He has a life. He wants to be with other women and has no place for this particular woman, someone he knew too long.
“Come on, isn’t spending the last 25 years with her enough?” he justified.
After all a man doesn’t need his mother so what if a boy does. He is a man now and not a ‘mama’s boy’ anymore. He drove her to an old-age home he knew and never looked back.
Since then she kept waiting for him. A son whom she conceived with great difficulty and sacrificed three daughters before him in her womb. She produced him to insure her old age because that’s the way this system works. Mothers take care of son till they are old and the role-reversal when mothers get old. How can you expect anything from daughters? After all daughters get married and move to other families. She too was a daughter, long time back. Her parents married her off and neither did they or she looked back, ever since.
“Why go through so much trouble to have a son?” she kept asking herself. Still she kept hoping that he would come back, one day.
He didn’t prove her wrong. He did come to see the end of her lifeless body, long after she was gone.


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Fear from unknown

One day it finally happened. He died and went away, never to return. Nobody missed him but was scared of his return from the unknown. He had warned his sons of the consequences of not following the death rituals to the tee. The sons too had the right intention but his going was under hostile circumstances. It was past midnight when he took the last breath and the rains were pouring in heavily as if to announce their reluctance in having him up above the sky. Star, he could never reach courtesy his karmas and he was as unwelcomed in heaven as on earth. His family didn’t want him and now the heavens were pronouncing their resistance on his arrival. Still when you die you need to go far without any control on the destination, so the man had no choice. His sons tried to give him a traditional goodbye but weather undid their plans.
Not that the sons shared a special bond with Him or were grieving about the loss. Just the fear of His return made them take some effort. They had lived enough with his tantrums and were now hoping to be left alone. A tyrant in his time, He ensured that life around him would be anything but miserable. He was a man of his own principles and his way or the highway was a written law. The sons listened to him because he had lots of money to bail them out of their miseries. During his lifetime and till his last, He made life difficult for them. Till their mother was alive, she bored the brunt and gave him top rated service because Indian wives are taught to suffer (in silence). Once she was gone they were praying for him to depart. The wait was long and finally He was gone.
Gone away but still every moment they lived in fear. Fear couldn’t get the best out them and they panicked over simplest of things around. If the crow cawed during lunch, they would look at each other. “Is he back?” were the unspoken question and still they were so paralyzed by fear that they couldn’t step out to shoo it off. Days were still better. Nights were nightmares with the feeling of being followed by the dead man. They kept the lights on all the time and were accompanied by escorts to meet nature’s call. That wasn’t enough for them and they kept looking back to double check. Sleepless and tired they just wanted to carry on and enjoy the rich man’s leftovers. But fear was being the spoilt sport.
On an eventless evening, a knock left them moved. Their wives had gone out to splurge on the father-in-law’s wealth. So the brothers were all alone to answer the call. The older ordered the younger to open the door. Reluctantly, the younger brother had to go, first time in ten days on his own. He went and never returned.
The older kept calling, “Who is it? Why aren’t you answering?” No response from the front and silence made him restless. So he went out to check. He could make out his brother lying on the floor even before he reached. Shocked he walked ahead to find his answer. Then he saw. A man carrying his father’s face and built was standing out begging, “Can you please give me something to eat, son? Haven’t eaten in two days.” And the last thing the elder brother could feel was the floor beneath him shaking furiously like an earthquake.


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

New pangs

“New shoes, huh? Niceee lady!” most noticed and didn’t take a minute to shower their compliments. Point taken but I wasn’t happy.
Because the new ones were biting me real bad. So much so that I had to seek the protection of good old bandage. I suddenly realised that everything new does come with its own share of discomfort.

Say for instance,
• Remember the first teeth that came and the troubles you inflicted back home. Maybe you were too young to remember but you’re parents can never forget the teething troubles
• New school and the ‘take me home’ kind of feeling
• New break-up and ‘let’s kill all couples around’ feeling
• New car and ‘protect the virginity’ responsibility
• New relationship and ‘does he like me’ psychometric tests
• New house and ‘easy EMI’s’ which is nothing but easy
• New style but ‘old me’ syndrome
• New clients but ‘poor me’
• New kid and sleepless nights
• New recipes but ‘I like my daal-rice’ statements
• New year but ‘same old salary’ syndrome

I keep complaining about the old and look forward to the new. But new can be painful, some times. Then the comfort of the old feels so good. Like right now, I so very badly want to get rid of the new footwear and step into my old bedroom slippers. So what if it desperately needs to retire but it is harmless and doesn’t bite my comfort away.


Pic Courtesy: Google Images