The wooden box which held me was opened and closed very frequently. Infact the frequency started increasing slowly.
More and more of my relatives, majorly elders, got into the box and very few of youngsters got out. I was trying to be one of them. Once in a while a stout hand will just pick my elder relatives and count them and place them in their dedicated shelfs.
For sometime I thought this was the place where all of us end up. I had to wait for more than a couple of hours to get of this place and at last that moment came.
The second senior most person in our family was thrown into the box by the stout hand. Then the hand came to pick a couple of us. Luckily this time, the hand picked me up and my elder brother. We were placed together on a white round plate and over us he placed a steel round cup.
I don’t know what was there in that cup, but another hand took the plate and started moving. We crossed the tables which were dark. It was too noisy inside and some people were shouting, clapping hands, crying, slapping and some were even dancing. The more far we went, it was darker.
At last we were placed in one dark corner of this area. The hand knocked the table twice and left. There was a man, sleeping with his forehead bent over his folded arm on the table. There were some plates, with left out onions, chips, groundnuts, bones of chicken. Also in the table I found one emptied plastic water bottle, one tall bottle which had TEACHERS printed on it and it was almost empty. The glass had a couple of ice cubes in it.
When the hand knocked the table, the man slowly lifted his head “hmmmmmmmmmmmm” he stretched his arms and turned left and right. He pulled the white plate in which we were kept towards him.
“See what I have got” he grinned seeing us.
Biting some last pieces of chicken, he took a sip from the glass. He poured some more from the tall teachers bottle and shouted for ice.
He took me out of the plate, holding me in both the hands he turned his head slowly to left and then to right.
“So, you are the guy. I was waiting for someone to be with me and talk with me or atleast listen to me. Now I got you little man” he kissed me a couple of times.
“I wish he could also hear me” I thought to myself.
“Nowadays, I tend to talk to non humans, I talk with my cell phone, talk to my camera, talk to my mirror, my bike, my toilet, my laptop everyyyyyyyyything”, he grinned and removed a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
“So what do we talk about?” Again I thought to myself.
“A lot of things are happening around me are not at all good. I wake up daily trying to enjoy the whole day, but never sleep like that. I almost end up crying man”
He now took me very close to his eyes, “Can you see me? Dude Can you see my tears?”
Ah! I didn’t see any tears in his eyes, but in fact he seemed depressed to me.
“Now since you have seen me crying, I can tell everything to you…..” he continued. “Do you know why people cry? Hmmm???” ….I very well knew he won’t hear me, so I was just listening to what he said
“Tell me man,…..tell me why people cry? It is too noisy here, come on tell it in my ears”
With both his hands, he took me close to his ears. I didn’t know whether I had to tell something, but before I did I heard him talk again “Yes. Correct, you are 100% correct” he said.
He placed me now on the table between his hands, by this time, his glass was filled with ice. Taking another sip, he said “People cry when something very sad happens, they break out and their tears are just the relief of all their pain. Today I am sad, very sad……….I WANT TO CRY” he shouted. I really wanted to help him out of this, wanted to ask which thing was it, made him cry and shout like this.
“Sir Its closing time!” the waiter came near us and informed.
“Yeah! Yeah I know its closing” and lying again with his is forehead near me and started scribbling over me with his nails.
“Today……” he continued. I think he is going to tell what happened to him today and infact he did “Today…..my team lost a cricket match against Australia” He stopped.
Pushing his forehead nearer to me he continued, his nails were still on me. “How could they lose it? I was so confident on it. BTM BONKERS has the best players in the world; even then they lost it, that too against Australia?” He hit his palm on the forehead twice. I was going to faint now.
“The match between BTM Bonkers and Australia started off well, but again as usual it was a sad ending for me. We had all the great players like Manjunath, Someshwar, Lingaih, Mallikarjun, Gopinath, Kasi, and Subbiah in very good form. Even Venkatreddy and Santhosa were bowling in bowling session. Even then we lost the match by 1 wicket”
“Do you know how terrific it is to lose a match, that too against, Australia in our home pitch Madiwala? Damn it” he hit the table hard and started shouting “Why, Why not, Why Me?”
The waiter came to the table and this time, he held the shoulders of this guy and said “Please, its time” and helped him walk away till the entrance of the room.
I sat there confused of what was happening, I didn’t understand what he said and couldn’t really figure out the reason for his sadness.
The waiter came back to the table and looked at the table, he picked the remaining teachers bottle and took me in his hands.
From a distance, I heard a voice, “Wait a min”
Oh no, not him again, the drunk fellow came near the waiter and rested his hands on the shoulders. “Actually, I was talking to my friend; I cannot leave him alone here” saying it he picked me from waiter’s hands. He gave him a different 50Rs note. He also managed to get back the remaining bottle from the waiter, having both of us in each hands, he headed towards the gates.
I was worried of my life ahead, this guy is sick, he is mad, I thought to myself.
He came out to the road, his legs were not stable, and his body was rolling in all directions.
Crossing the road, he started walking towards a corner of the road.
“AUTOOOOOOOOOOO” he shouted and within seconds an auto rickshaw came and stood near us. He was holding me in one hand and bottle in another and he was shaking.
He bent forward to the driver seat and asked the auto driver “What is the time?”
“1135 PM sir” the auto driver replied.
“Oh Ok, thanks, carry on” saying this he started walking again. He had held me high in his hand. from here; I was able to see the auto driver slapping himself.
After 15 mins, he was in front of a wooden door, which seemed to be his house. He knocked the door for some time and also rang the door bell. There was no response.
“Shhhhhh” breathing heavily, he shouted “Open the door man”
After a couple of minutes, the door opened and a man with bare body and shorts was standing before us.
“Can’t you open the door yourself, you have a key with you” the other person shouted.
“Can’t you see? My hands are busy buddy” he replied. Ignoring the other guy went inside his room.
He sat on his chair, and took another sip directly from the bottle and after a long time; he placed the bottle on a table.
He saw me again and said “I told you about my story, now tell me yours”
I knew he cannot hear, even if I saw. So I stayed silent. He stared at me for a couple of minutes. He placed me in the table and started searching for something, later came in front of me with a transparent tape.
With one hand he placed me on his cupboard door, and with his teeth, he tore the tape and placed on piece on my right top end.
Slowly pieces of tapes were fixed on my bottom right, bottom left, top let and a long strip in the middle of my body.
I had no idea, what this guy was doing with me. He sat down in his chair which was against another wall.
Even without opening his shoes or anything he was still busy doing all these. I saw him opening something, it was his laptop.
I was able to make out that he was typing by couldn’t see because he was hiding with his shoulders. He took couple of sips and in another 30 minutes and slowly drowned in his chair itself. When he lay down, I was able to see, what he had typed on his laptop…….........
One day with me......by 20C 0J6JJ4 A ten rupee note....................
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
One day with me......by 20C 0J6JJ4 A ten rupee note EPISODE X
Lying below, the shop keeper’s jute bag, only my head peeping out to see these kids enjoying with the toffees. Of all today’s activities, this was the most memorable moment I can think of. Happiness for so many kids, with their sweet smiles and in their sweet smiles, this old man trying to find his happiness, I was getting emotional now.
I was in the middle of sliced mangoes, pineapples, watermelon on steel plate, 4 jars of different colored toffees, dry tamarinds, peanuts, dates etc. There was a small stick on which the shop keeper tied some old cloth and he was waving that over us, to drive the flies away.
After a long hot day, I started feeling the cool breeze around me. The jute bag below which I laid was giving me more comfort than I expected.
Thinking of what happened the whole day, I got into my own world. My travel from call center employee till this road side shop keeper looked better than staying inside some stupid lockers. I got all the excitement, which I wanted. I was hurt a couple of places, but still I had the same energy, value, power.
I don’t remember when I started sleeping but woke up with a sudden shock, when the jute bag was pulled out.
I was holding the jute bag tightly, which flew away from the shop. I saw the shopkeeper shouting and crying at four guys around his shop. They were breaking the glass jars and took the money from his pocket and the shop. One of them came towards me plucked me out of the jute bag and pushed me inside his pocket.
His pocket was dirty, and I couldn’t see anything out. The guy started running and I was able to feel it from inside. The smell of the tobacco was filled inside his pocket. After a few minutes, he stopped. He pulled me and others out of his pocket and held us in his palm.
I saw three of the other guys surrounded his palm. They also pulled some of my family members from their pockets and placed them over me.
“Count it!” shouted one among them.
“Okay, wait, let me check how much we got” he started separating us according to our heights and started counting. He licked his fingers when he did that and this time I was not able to escape from his wet fingers.
“Two hundred…….!” He shouted.
“Wow, come on we got enough for today” the other said and snatched us from the first person’s hand. He folded the bundle and his hand went below his hip level. A curtail below his hip opened and he I was able to see a trouser inside the curtain. He pushed us inside that trouser pocket and patted twice.
It was dark inside but I was able to see a bundle of Indian beedi, match box, dry tobaccos, a small knife, and some papers inside it. We all were scared inside that dark trouser, which was torn slightly at one end. I thought of escaping from that hole, but I realized, I cannot move without anyone’s help.
I found that guy had stopped walking and pulled us out of his dirty pocket, after getting us out, his curtain closed automatically.
My eyes got a slight irritation, when I first saw so many lights around me. There were bottles all around me.
“How much?” handing over me to the other guy he asked.
“180” a big bellied fellow at the counter took us in hand and started counting. I escaped from this person’s saliva.
“Give some plastic glass and chips for the rest of the change” the curtain clothed person said to the shop keeper.
They left leaving me there, it was bright here and again I was inside a wooden box, whenever the box opened I was able to see the bright light and hundreds of bottles placed in racks around me. They were placed, type wise, height wise, weight wise, and color wise. I wasn’t able to find many differences between each rack and the only thing which didn’t change was, whenever I came out to light, one of them was missing from the rack.
I was in a deep thought, who are these guys? Why are they staked? Why those guys hit one shopkeeper and gave the money to this shopkeeper. What is there in these bottles?
……………..To be continued. concluding next week.....
I was in the middle of sliced mangoes, pineapples, watermelon on steel plate, 4 jars of different colored toffees, dry tamarinds, peanuts, dates etc. There was a small stick on which the shop keeper tied some old cloth and he was waving that over us, to drive the flies away.
After a long hot day, I started feeling the cool breeze around me. The jute bag below which I laid was giving me more comfort than I expected.
Thinking of what happened the whole day, I got into my own world. My travel from call center employee till this road side shop keeper looked better than staying inside some stupid lockers. I got all the excitement, which I wanted. I was hurt a couple of places, but still I had the same energy, value, power.
I don’t remember when I started sleeping but woke up with a sudden shock, when the jute bag was pulled out.
I was holding the jute bag tightly, which flew away from the shop. I saw the shopkeeper shouting and crying at four guys around his shop. They were breaking the glass jars and took the money from his pocket and the shop. One of them came towards me plucked me out of the jute bag and pushed me inside his pocket.
His pocket was dirty, and I couldn’t see anything out. The guy started running and I was able to feel it from inside. The smell of the tobacco was filled inside his pocket. After a few minutes, he stopped. He pulled me and others out of his pocket and held us in his palm.
I saw three of the other guys surrounded his palm. They also pulled some of my family members from their pockets and placed them over me.
“Count it!” shouted one among them.
“Okay, wait, let me check how much we got” he started separating us according to our heights and started counting. He licked his fingers when he did that and this time I was not able to escape from his wet fingers.
“Two hundred…….!” He shouted.
“Wow, come on we got enough for today” the other said and snatched us from the first person’s hand. He folded the bundle and his hand went below his hip level. A curtail below his hip opened and he I was able to see a trouser inside the curtain. He pushed us inside that trouser pocket and patted twice.
It was dark inside but I was able to see a bundle of Indian beedi, match box, dry tobaccos, a small knife, and some papers inside it. We all were scared inside that dark trouser, which was torn slightly at one end. I thought of escaping from that hole, but I realized, I cannot move without anyone’s help.
I found that guy had stopped walking and pulled us out of his dirty pocket, after getting us out, his curtain closed automatically.
My eyes got a slight irritation, when I first saw so many lights around me. There were bottles all around me.
“How much?” handing over me to the other guy he asked.
“180” a big bellied fellow at the counter took us in hand and started counting. I escaped from this person’s saliva.
“Give some plastic glass and chips for the rest of the change” the curtain clothed person said to the shop keeper.
They left leaving me there, it was bright here and again I was inside a wooden box, whenever the box opened I was able to see the bright light and hundreds of bottles placed in racks around me. They were placed, type wise, height wise, weight wise, and color wise. I wasn’t able to find many differences between each rack and the only thing which didn’t change was, whenever I came out to light, one of them was missing from the rack.
I was in a deep thought, who are these guys? Why are they staked? Why those guys hit one shopkeeper and gave the money to this shopkeeper. What is there in these bottles?
……………..To be continued. concluding next week.....
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
One day with me......by 20C 0J6JJ4 A ten rupee note EPISODE IX
The woman stood in front of the well fit police officer and other 2 women. He gave her a tight slap. She almost fell to the ground but the woman wearing chudidhar stopped her. She took the baby from her hand and started crying loudly. She kissed all over the baby’s face.
The other stout woman and the beggar were pushed into the back seat of the police Van, while the woman in chudidhar took the middle seat of the van. I thought to myself, that the child was hers and wished them to stay happy together.
In the meantime, a small wind blew me away from the bike and I flew along with the sand. I thought I’ll fly like this and get drowned in some sewage canal and my life is gone but I was stopped by a hard force, something, like a be a stick which, almost pushed me in to the sand.
Slowly and steadily two fingers relieved me from the stick. It was an old man who was completely white. White pajama, white kurta, white mustache, white hairs, white teeth and a white color framed glass. He turned me front and back, gave me a gentle blow. Holding me and his stick on one hand, he corrected his glass and took me near his eyes.
“Its 10……hmmmm, it’ll rain today. It seems I am lucky after such a long time” he said and folded me and pushed me inside his pajama. I rested there for sometime after such a long day, I wanted some sleep but the old man kept on putting his hands inside his pocket to check if I was still there.
Where the hell would I run? Even if I run I would be in some other person’s hand and my travel will still go on.
There was a round object near me in his pocket; it always was making a sound “tick….tick…tick”. I wanted to give a punch to that noisy guy but didn’t have enough courage. I saw there was something circling within itself and whenever there is a “tick” the tiny lean stick inside that object moved one step forward. There two other guys, who didn’t seem to move. I was able to see numbers till 12 on their circumference. The short guy, among the two was near five and the long guy was trying to catch it and he was near 4. Again the old guy touched me.
Suddenly I was able to hear sounds of small children around me. Mixed voices came up,
“ Haiya thaaatha, chocolate”
“Hey no, lets play first granna”
“No first let him take rest”
“Hmmm yes yes, let me sit children, give some space” it was the old man’s voice saying that, he touched me again. “So, how are you all” he asked “Bindaaaaaaaaaas” a chorus reply came.
“Nana nana…..hmm…why didn’t you come for oneeeeeeeeeeeeeee week?” I heard a small girl’s voice.
“I am sorry kids, actually…..” taking time for each word he replied “I was busy at home…..your nani……she gave me a bigggggggg trouble that’s why” It was time for him to touch me, be he didn’t.
“What trouble? Where is nani?” it was boy now.
Coughing twice “She won’t come with me now. She has gone far away” he said.
"Where nana? Where did she go???? And why alone? My mother scolds me if I come alone even to this park”
“Where is nani, Where is nani, Where is nani, Where is nani,????” the children shouted together again.
“Okay Okay….I will tell you…..me and your nani had a race. We wanted to know who will meet god first. She always used to tell me that she was going to the first and she ran faster than me. I said I will never leave her to be number1 but….……………She has won the race now……… she is with god” Oh no!!! I thought to myself.
“Oh when will she come back?” asked another “ She won’t come back kids, I have to go there…….I will soon have to go there…..soon….soon” when he said I realized how much he missed her.
“Who will say story for us then?” in an angry voice, another kid shouted. “I will say beta, till the time I am here I will say don’t worry” saying that he pushed his hands into his pocket, I thought he was trying to touch me again but he pulled that round object with “tick tick” sound and said “It is time for us to go now It is getting darker and before we go………………..” he said and pulled me out of his pocket.
“We all with have toffees…..” and before he completed “heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy” cheered the crowd.
He handed me over to the tallest kid in the crowd and that kid walked as fast as he could towards the park’s gate. I was handed over to a road side shop keeper and the kid took had full of toffees from him. It was getting dark and from the holes of the fence, I was able to see the kids jumping over one another to grab the toffees………………………To be continued
The other stout woman and the beggar were pushed into the back seat of the police Van, while the woman in chudidhar took the middle seat of the van. I thought to myself, that the child was hers and wished them to stay happy together.
In the meantime, a small wind blew me away from the bike and I flew along with the sand. I thought I’ll fly like this and get drowned in some sewage canal and my life is gone but I was stopped by a hard force, something, like a be a stick which, almost pushed me in to the sand.
Slowly and steadily two fingers relieved me from the stick. It was an old man who was completely white. White pajama, white kurta, white mustache, white hairs, white teeth and a white color framed glass. He turned me front and back, gave me a gentle blow. Holding me and his stick on one hand, he corrected his glass and took me near his eyes.
“Its 10……hmmmm, it’ll rain today. It seems I am lucky after such a long time” he said and folded me and pushed me inside his pajama. I rested there for sometime after such a long day, I wanted some sleep but the old man kept on putting his hands inside his pocket to check if I was still there.
Where the hell would I run? Even if I run I would be in some other person’s hand and my travel will still go on.
There was a round object near me in his pocket; it always was making a sound “tick….tick…tick”. I wanted to give a punch to that noisy guy but didn’t have enough courage. I saw there was something circling within itself and whenever there is a “tick” the tiny lean stick inside that object moved one step forward. There two other guys, who didn’t seem to move. I was able to see numbers till 12 on their circumference. The short guy, among the two was near five and the long guy was trying to catch it and he was near 4. Again the old guy touched me.
Suddenly I was able to hear sounds of small children around me. Mixed voices came up,
“ Haiya thaaatha, chocolate”
“Hey no, lets play first granna”
“No first let him take rest”
“Hmmm yes yes, let me sit children, give some space” it was the old man’s voice saying that, he touched me again. “So, how are you all” he asked “Bindaaaaaaaaaas” a chorus reply came.
“Nana nana…..hmm…why didn’t you come for oneeeeeeeeeeeeeee week?” I heard a small girl’s voice.
“I am sorry kids, actually…..” taking time for each word he replied “I was busy at home…..your nani……she gave me a bigggggggg trouble that’s why” It was time for him to touch me, be he didn’t.
“What trouble? Where is nani?” it was boy now.
Coughing twice “She won’t come with me now. She has gone far away” he said.
"Where nana? Where did she go???? And why alone? My mother scolds me if I come alone even to this park”
“Where is nani, Where is nani, Where is nani, Where is nani,????” the children shouted together again.
“Okay Okay….I will tell you…..me and your nani had a race. We wanted to know who will meet god first. She always used to tell me that she was going to the first and she ran faster than me. I said I will never leave her to be number1 but….……………She has won the race now……… she is with god” Oh no!!! I thought to myself.
“Oh when will she come back?” asked another “ She won’t come back kids, I have to go there…….I will soon have to go there…..soon….soon” when he said I realized how much he missed her.
“Who will say story for us then?” in an angry voice, another kid shouted. “I will say beta, till the time I am here I will say don’t worry” saying that he pushed his hands into his pocket, I thought he was trying to touch me again but he pulled that round object with “tick tick” sound and said “It is time for us to go now It is getting darker and before we go………………..” he said and pulled me out of his pocket.
“We all with have toffees…..” and before he completed “heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy” cheered the crowd.
He handed me over to the tallest kid in the crowd and that kid walked as fast as he could towards the park’s gate. I was handed over to a road side shop keeper and the kid took had full of toffees from him. It was getting dark and from the holes of the fence, I was able to see the kids jumping over one another to grab the toffees………………………To be continued
Thursday, February 18, 2010
One day with me......by 20C 0J6JJ4 A ten rupee note EPISODE VIII
The girl was still holding me in her hand while all the three of them moved to the end of the road. I struggled to peep through her fingers to check what was going on outside.
There was a brown big bike near which, the khakhi fellow stood, with one leg on its foot rest. He had some papers on the front seat of the bike and waved to both these women to get near the bike.
“What’s the matter?” splitting saliva on the road, he asked the women.
“Inspector sir….” When the girl started he showed his hand towards her and said in a brisk voice, “I am constable” and now looking at the crowd around he shouted “get away, don’t you guys have any work?”
“Constable Sir….” the girl continued “This kid….the kid the lady has is not hers; they are a gang......,people who kidnap the kids from their parents and ……and sell them….rent them….” Before the finished, the other woman started crying again.
“No sir……it is my kid…..this young girl has gone mad, she is trying to separate my baby from me” she shouted again……..”No one is there to save me and my child……our life is so miserable…..” she continued to cry….and I wasn’t able to hear what she was saying.
“Stop it” said the constable. “What’s your name?” he asked the girl. She kept me and other papers on the bike seat and pulled her card from her bag and showed it to the constable.
“Listen madam, if there is any issue, go to the police station, complain it to the writer and the Police will take action on it, why are you taking the law in your hands, why are you creating public nuisance?”
All these time, when the constable was shouting, she was typing something in her mobile and once he finished,
“I am ready to come to any station, take this lady we will go now itself” she said and by this time, the dirty lady started crying loudly.
“Sir, please leave me and my baby alone, I don’t want anything….please leave us….don’t believe this girl…..she seems to be some mental...leave us please......” and when she finished, a bike stopped near us.
Hey, it was the same guy, whom I left in the cinema hall. Now I understood, what she was typing in her mobile. He pushed the girl aside and they were talking something.
I was still lying below a bunch of papers on the bike's seat.
“Hey Mr……come here” said the constable.
He kept his finger on the girls lips and said not to talk anything and came back near the Constable and continued, “ Hello sir, I am a student….. i am her friend...he he….you see….nothing…there has been a small misunderstanding…..she is okay now….I will take care of her....……You leave it.”
“No, no misunderstanding” the girl said, the guy turned to her now “I asked you to stay silent” he said….. stopping him the girl said “No need, constable take us to the police station we will give her police treatement and she will spill truth” and when she finished there was more crowd around us and somewhere far away from us I was able to hear sounds of siren.
“Okay, okay….stop all these now, assistant commissioner is leaving, let him go and we shall talk” he pushed all the three of them aside and went to the center of the crowd to clear them from road.
“Let’s go, come soon” the young boy looked at the girl and dragged her from that place.
“Leave me, I will show this bitch, who I am” she was shouting, but couldn’t withstand the boy’s power. He pulled her towards his bike and made her sit behind him and rode the bike away.
The Dirty lady was still standing beside the Police bike and now her hands were over me, she almost picked me up from the bike’s seat when a Police van drove near us. She left me on the seat again and started moving away from the bike.
Another person in Khakhi dress jumped out of the front seat. His body was more fit than the constable, behind him there were two ladies.
One of them was, young, fair, in red chudidhar. Wiping her eyes again with her hand kerchief, she pushed the other lady in front of her. Other lady was older, stout, and black and with not so neatly dressed up walked up near our bike.
The black lady pointed her finger towards the dirty beggar near the bike and seeing that the beggar with the baby in her hand started running away from this bike.
4 other policemen including the constable with on whose bike, I was sitting, surrounded the beggar and pulled her towards the police Van…………….. to be continued.
There was a brown big bike near which, the khakhi fellow stood, with one leg on its foot rest. He had some papers on the front seat of the bike and waved to both these women to get near the bike.
“What’s the matter?” splitting saliva on the road, he asked the women.
“Inspector sir….” When the girl started he showed his hand towards her and said in a brisk voice, “I am constable” and now looking at the crowd around he shouted “get away, don’t you guys have any work?”
“Constable Sir….” the girl continued “This kid….the kid the lady has is not hers; they are a gang......,people who kidnap the kids from their parents and ……and sell them….rent them….” Before the finished, the other woman started crying again.
“No sir……it is my kid…..this young girl has gone mad, she is trying to separate my baby from me” she shouted again……..”No one is there to save me and my child……our life is so miserable…..” she continued to cry….and I wasn’t able to hear what she was saying.
“Stop it” said the constable. “What’s your name?” he asked the girl. She kept me and other papers on the bike seat and pulled her card from her bag and showed it to the constable.
“Listen madam, if there is any issue, go to the police station, complain it to the writer and the Police will take action on it, why are you taking the law in your hands, why are you creating public nuisance?”
All these time, when the constable was shouting, she was typing something in her mobile and once he finished,
“I am ready to come to any station, take this lady we will go now itself” she said and by this time, the dirty lady started crying loudly.
“Sir, please leave me and my baby alone, I don’t want anything….please leave us….don’t believe this girl…..she seems to be some mental...leave us please......” and when she finished, a bike stopped near us.
Hey, it was the same guy, whom I left in the cinema hall. Now I understood, what she was typing in her mobile. He pushed the girl aside and they were talking something.
I was still lying below a bunch of papers on the bike's seat.
“Hey Mr……come here” said the constable.
He kept his finger on the girls lips and said not to talk anything and came back near the Constable and continued, “ Hello sir, I am a student….. i am her friend...he he….you see….nothing…there has been a small misunderstanding…..she is okay now….I will take care of her....……You leave it.”
“No, no misunderstanding” the girl said, the guy turned to her now “I asked you to stay silent” he said….. stopping him the girl said “No need, constable take us to the police station we will give her police treatement and she will spill truth” and when she finished there was more crowd around us and somewhere far away from us I was able to hear sounds of siren.
“Okay, okay….stop all these now, assistant commissioner is leaving, let him go and we shall talk” he pushed all the three of them aside and went to the center of the crowd to clear them from road.
“Let’s go, come soon” the young boy looked at the girl and dragged her from that place.
“Leave me, I will show this bitch, who I am” she was shouting, but couldn’t withstand the boy’s power. He pulled her towards his bike and made her sit behind him and rode the bike away.
The Dirty lady was still standing beside the Police bike and now her hands were over me, she almost picked me up from the bike’s seat when a Police van drove near us. She left me on the seat again and started moving away from the bike.
Another person in Khakhi dress jumped out of the front seat. His body was more fit than the constable, behind him there were two ladies.
One of them was, young, fair, in red chudidhar. Wiping her eyes again with her hand kerchief, she pushed the other lady in front of her. Other lady was older, stout, and black and with not so neatly dressed up walked up near our bike.
The black lady pointed her finger towards the dirty beggar near the bike and seeing that the beggar with the baby in her hand started running away from this bike.
4 other policemen including the constable with on whose bike, I was sitting, surrounded the beggar and pulled her towards the police Van…………….. to be continued.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
One day with me......by 20C 0J6JJ4 A ten rupee note EPISODE VII
The taxi, cutting through the buses and trucks, reached the next traffic signal. I and the girl in the taxi were still trying to digest the things which we heard from the driver.
There was another knock at the cab window and a lady and her baby were standing in their usual dirty clothes. This time the girl inside the cab didn’t respond to them, she closed her eyes tightly and it looked like she was trying to hold her emotions.
While, the lady with her child moved to other vehicles, this girl suddenly took her wallet and gave some money to the taxi driver. She got down in the middle of the road and started walking between the vehicles.
Before I realized, where she was going, she reached the old lady and gave her a tight punch in her nose. I was totally shocked at that moment; the girl now was trying to snatch the baby from that beggar’s hands.
“Oooooooooooh, leave me…..leave me and my baby alone” the beggar started shouting and she was trying to retaliate now.
“Give the baby to me, you Bitch!” the girl demanded “I will take care of the baby; you don’t have to beg to keep it alive”
“It’s my baby, my baby……” screamed the lady with the child and still the child was not making any noise. Nothing could stop this young girl and she was still trying to pull the baby from beggar.
By this time, black dirty hand, of the beggar came towards me. It held the shirt pocket, where I was sitting and pulled it hardly. “creeeeeeek….creeeeeeek….creeek” the pocket was torn and I flew down and got settled on the road.
Above me I saw the two ladies holding each other’s hair and the girl in jeans, was trying to snatch the baby.
Wind gently tried to push me out of that place, however I requested it to show me some mercy, I wanted to know what was happening to this girl, the beggar and baby.
Within few minutes I saw more people around me and they were trying to separate both these women. A stout person in khakhi dress came forward and gave a tight slap to the beggar.
For an instance, everything was silent; the dirty lady started crying loudly. Somebody picked me from the ground with other papers and handed me back to the same girl. She held me in her hands tightly and said “I want to have these people punished, the baby should be saved”
“Come on……let’s go to the police station!!!!” the khakhi fellow shouted at both these women………………to be continued.
There was another knock at the cab window and a lady and her baby were standing in their usual dirty clothes. This time the girl inside the cab didn’t respond to them, she closed her eyes tightly and it looked like she was trying to hold her emotions.
While, the lady with her child moved to other vehicles, this girl suddenly took her wallet and gave some money to the taxi driver. She got down in the middle of the road and started walking between the vehicles.
Before I realized, where she was going, she reached the old lady and gave her a tight punch in her nose. I was totally shocked at that moment; the girl now was trying to snatch the baby from that beggar’s hands.
“Oooooooooooh, leave me…..leave me and my baby alone” the beggar started shouting and she was trying to retaliate now.
“Give the baby to me, you Bitch!” the girl demanded “I will take care of the baby; you don’t have to beg to keep it alive”
“It’s my baby, my baby……” screamed the lady with the child and still the child was not making any noise. Nothing could stop this young girl and she was still trying to pull the baby from beggar.
By this time, black dirty hand, of the beggar came towards me. It held the shirt pocket, where I was sitting and pulled it hardly. “creeeeeeek….creeeeeeek….creeek” the pocket was torn and I flew down and got settled on the road.
Above me I saw the two ladies holding each other’s hair and the girl in jeans, was trying to snatch the baby.
Wind gently tried to push me out of that place, however I requested it to show me some mercy, I wanted to know what was happening to this girl, the beggar and baby.
Within few minutes I saw more people around me and they were trying to separate both these women. A stout person in khakhi dress came forward and gave a tight slap to the beggar.
For an instance, everything was silent; the dirty lady started crying loudly. Somebody picked me from the ground with other papers and handed me back to the same girl. She held me in her hands tightly and said “I want to have these people punished, the baby should be saved”
“Come on……let’s go to the police station!!!!” the khakhi fellow shouted at both these women………………to be continued.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
One day with me......by 20C 0J6JJ4 A ten rupee note EPISODE VI
There were a couple of phone calls, which she refused to attend with a grin in her face. “Let him cry for sometime” she talked to herself.
“What ma’am?” asked the taxi driver; she nodded her left and right to say it was nothing.
I was still in her pocket, and we were in the taxi which was waiting at a traffic signal. People were selling news papers, small cleaning cloths, guavas, on that busy signal; some even with sleeping kids in their hands were knocking the unopened doors of the cars.
When that old lady with came near our taxi, the girl took a five rupee coin from her handbag and handed it to that old lady. I appreciated her generosity, while the taxi driver started his conversation after such a long time.
“Don’t encourage these things madam.” He said
“Why?” she asked.
“They are all run by mafias, gundas…….. have you ever seen any lady holding a crying baby in her hand? Or any lady taking rest or feeding her kid? Never, you will never find them, that’s because all these small infants are stolen from their parents”
“What the hell?” she jumped out of shock
“Yes madam, they kidnap these kids and every morning they feed them with brandy or something…….. so that the child sleeps the whole day, a part of their daily earnings is collected by gundas and not only these people, See those gangs” Driver pointed out to a bike surrounded by Eunuchs. They were almost pulling all parts of his body and asking money.
“You can escape from any one, but not from these people. They will humiliate and take the money and usually target young men”
“Can’t the police stop these people?” she asked. I was now putting all my efforts to peep out of her pocket and look the scenes around.
“ha ha, they cannot touch these people, they have unions……but…..” he stopped for a minute and continued putting his car’s gear and moving it forward “I wonder why police is staying deaf on these children issues. They would have surely got complaints from the parents, what action are they taking? We don’t know and don’t have guts to question also. Just like this last week a couple was in my taxi looking for their child all around the city……” and continued his story and grieves for them.
Something fell on me and lifted my eyes to see the young girls shedding tears for them. I wanted to wipe her tears, but was feeling at this moment I was feeling ashamed of myself.
To earn me, people are going to even such extent. It seems only we are causing the problem, if we were not there people might have been much happier…….To be continued.
“What ma’am?” asked the taxi driver; she nodded her left and right to say it was nothing.
I was still in her pocket, and we were in the taxi which was waiting at a traffic signal. People were selling news papers, small cleaning cloths, guavas, on that busy signal; some even with sleeping kids in their hands were knocking the unopened doors of the cars.
When that old lady with came near our taxi, the girl took a five rupee coin from her handbag and handed it to that old lady. I appreciated her generosity, while the taxi driver started his conversation after such a long time.
“Don’t encourage these things madam.” He said
“Why?” she asked.
“They are all run by mafias, gundas…….. have you ever seen any lady holding a crying baby in her hand? Or any lady taking rest or feeding her kid? Never, you will never find them, that’s because all these small infants are stolen from their parents”
“What the hell?” she jumped out of shock
“Yes madam, they kidnap these kids and every morning they feed them with brandy or something…….. so that the child sleeps the whole day, a part of their daily earnings is collected by gundas and not only these people, See those gangs” Driver pointed out to a bike surrounded by Eunuchs. They were almost pulling all parts of his body and asking money.
“You can escape from any one, but not from these people. They will humiliate and take the money and usually target young men”
“Can’t the police stop these people?” she asked. I was now putting all my efforts to peep out of her pocket and look the scenes around.
“ha ha, they cannot touch these people, they have unions……but…..” he stopped for a minute and continued putting his car’s gear and moving it forward “I wonder why police is staying deaf on these children issues. They would have surely got complaints from the parents, what action are they taking? We don’t know and don’t have guts to question also. Just like this last week a couple was in my taxi looking for their child all around the city……” and continued his story and grieves for them.
Something fell on me and lifted my eyes to see the young girls shedding tears for them. I wanted to wipe her tears, but was feeling at this moment I was feeling ashamed of myself.
To earn me, people are going to even such extent. It seems only we are causing the problem, if we were not there people might have been much happier…….To be continued.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
One day with me......by 20C 0J6JJ4 A ten rupee note EPISODE V
Exactly as he told, within ten minutes the bike came to halt. Placing it in side stand and throwing his helmet again into the bag he started running somewhere.
He removed the purse from his pocket; I noticed he was pulling a couple of pink colored guys. I saw them for the first time inside his pocket. Both of them were very silent for that could be the reason why I wasn’t able to notice them. With his purse still on hand he rushed to a girl, who was in her twenties.
He said “See I reached on time!!!!!”
Oh god!!! I thought, the same guy was crying to the police constable, he said his mom was in an emergency. Is she his mom? Was this an emergency? Breaking so many laws he has rushed to this place?
The girl was very upset and immediately started scolding him, “Its 11 already, you were supposed to wake up soon today, what the hell were you doing till now”
“Yeah darling!” he said, “I woke up very early today, at 10 o clock itself, however you see……..”The guy started narrating how he had reached and how heroically he escaped from the police and how late they were getting to enter the cinema hall. I was still not able to come out of the shock…..as they entered a dark door way I was put into his bag with his purse. This time I felt lucky that I am not behind in ass…………….
I understood it was a cinema hall and was sure that I won’t be disturbed for the next few hours. I started to sleep for a while when the sound from the cinema hall kept on disturbing me.
The movie was about PINDARE and people on horses were fighting with each other. I woke in the middle the movie and saw,
“Yeh Mere Talwar sirf firangiyon ki gardano ke liye hai.......”
HERO WAS FLYING OVER A TRAIN…….
“dabi dabi saason se sunatha maine.....” SINGING WITH HIS GIRLFRIENDS
And ultimately,
“Yeh mera desh hai....agar mere desh ki taraf kisine aaknh bhi utayee .tho veer itni dapai machayega jo akal aur bhookam bhi macha nahi payega.....”
I peeped out for a second and saw that the girl was wiping her eyes. Seems they were watching a sentimental movie. I didn’t want to think about it.
It was around 2PM and the girl wanted to rush back home, but the guy repeatedly was asking her to come on his bike. She was almost convinced to go with him when he committed a great blunder of his life. He said, “We had already wasted 3 hours in that boring movie, why don’t we have a nice time now?”
The girl’s face turned red and started to walk down. I was still peeping out of his bag. “Oh God! What a waste fellow” I thought for myself. I suppose he heard me, he realized his mistake, ran behind her and started to beg. This time she didn’t bother to turn.
“I thought you were also a big fan of him???” She murmured.
“What NO!...... I mean yes…….I am big fan, but the movie….”
She showed her hand hardly asking him to stop it. “Then why did you come to his house and waited for more than 2 hours with me?” Now the boy was very silent.
Slowly holding her hands “I still feel it was the luckiest day in my life” he said with a serious face. The girl’s face started blooming slowly while he continued “ Yeah, even after waiting for more than 2 hours in front of his house, I escaped….I didn’t see him” he winked…..
She snatched his bag, opened it and took me along with his purse. She opened the purse. With my eyes and mouth wide open I was looking at her. She quickly ran her fingers through us and dragged me and couple of my siblings out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
