Love In Those Salad Days

(Here’s another fiction. Me as Mr.V’, a Software Professional traveling back to his home town after nearly ten years to meet all his relatives, childhood friends and eventually his (ex)girlfriend. )





My car’s speedo read 120 kms/hr. Cricket commentary running on my car radio. Heaviest rainfall of the season lashing and literally beating down. I was driving back to my hometown after a gap of 10 years.

“India, batting first are yet to lose a wicket with 2 runs on the board after the completion of 1 over.” the commentator announced.

Well, it has been ten years since I last visited my town, ten years since I visited my relatives, ten years since I watched a movie in one of those movie tents and ten long years since I met my girlfriend. She is married now but I can’t somehow muster to say ‘ex-girlfriend’. But wait, none of us could express it to one another , so it was more a kind of vandalism(on my part atleast). Every time I made up my mind to express my love I would put it off with the fear of losing her even as a friend, which eventually landed me into a mess in my life. What foolish people we were……!! Nowadays I get paranoid about her with questions such as -if she had ever loved me or if she ever had such feelings for me. I had always had this assumption that she loved me as much as I did. It definitely appeared so.

“India score 60 for the loss of 2 wickets after 10 overs.” The rain was incessantly pouring down. My car’s wipers were wiping in full swing. Still zooming away I was……………

I still can’t forget the day of her marriage. I sort of repent attending the wedding. It was such a painful thing to be there. How could she not realize my love. I just couldn’t accept that it was a mistake on my part not to convey my love. But why didn’t she do the same??. Anyways, I never visited nor talked to her after that. I realized that my worst fears had come true. Amidst all this I also had this filmi feeling that she should stay happy wherever she was and I should never tell her about my feelings that were towards her.

“India score 140 after the completion of 25 overs with the loss of 3 wickets.” Not bad, I thought. Still raining………….

All the fun we had together, all the wonderful sweets she used to prepare for me, all the never-ending conversations we had, all secret meetings during festivals and all the stares we exchanged during classes, oh how can I forget all those feelings of inchoate love. She had an unforgettable winsome smile. What’s heartening is that there was this innocence in our relationship. I realize that now after I witnessed so many break ups in my present place, a city. Life’s different in a city. And I’m not spared too in the change of lifestyles. SIMPLE and COMPLICATED are two words to describe life in a village/town and a city respectively.
Anyway, I was ambivalent if I have to meet her after a long gap or not. And moreover the main difference of now she being married. I was on tenterhooks. I actually wasn’t really looking forward to it.

“India score 270 for 8 after their quota of 50 overs. Target set is 271.” The score’s ‘okey-dokey’ I said to myself. The rain reduced to a drizzle now…….

I now entered my town, came across my primary school building, which hadn’t changed an iota since my school days. With the dilemma of whether to meet her or not and after more than 2 hours of ‘mind contemplation’ I concluded that I would pass by the street where she stays and if I find her I would talk to her or else ‘forget it’. It was hard cheese for me. I entered the street and proceeded dead slow, recognized her home and had a glance over it and even passed it after finding no one. Just when I thought she wasn’t there, I heard a loud female voice calling me by name. I looked back, it was her hurrying towards me from her small garden. I stopped and got down my car. She came running, she looked so excited to see me after almost a decade, she almost hugged me when she suddenly came back to senses and enquired- “ How are you? Where had you been all these days? I’m so happy to see you today….”
With few more of such enquiries and not so realistic replies from both sides, I decided I must move on. I get quite sensitive and emotional during such circumstances.
I had a nettlesome feel in me which I experienced for the first time in my life. A feel of pain and happiness at the same time. Pain that she wasn’t mine and happiness for she was settled happily.
I said – “I have to leave now. I’ll see you some other time.” rather bluntly and got back into my car.

“India lose the match convincingly. Life becomes very difficult for them after this disastrous series. ” said the commentator. How is my life different , I thought…

Just as I brought the car to ignition, she came close to me and asked rather softly – “On the day of my marriage I observed you being so dull and depressed. And when I came to talk to you, your face and body totally drenched in the rain, why did you just go away? ”

My answer was simple- “It wasn’t only the rain which had drenched my face that day…”

The Poor or Beggars.....??

The traffic signal falls to RED. I switched off my car only to look around the ‘not so interesting’ place. I wouldn’t look to my left as I didn’t want a ‘mouth watering’ session to happen as it usually happens when I see Mc.Donalds. So that meant I was empty enough to emanate a stare at two pretty girls passing by. Who said it’s a ‘not so interesting’ place.! Next, I would contemplate the side on my right and that is when I almost got lurched when I encountered the sudden sight of this woman begging, knocking on my window shield. She had a baby with her as well. She appeared awful& battered. It certainly appeared it wasn’t easy for the destitute woman & the child to fend for themselves and survive.

Her eyes had a story to tell, obviously ‘Poverty’ written all over it. I assume the eyes said – ‘ Look at me struggle in this heat. Homeless I am. I make a day with no more than what u spend on a single meal. And look at the pathetic state of my baby. Please donate something’.
Almost oblivious of her presence , staring at her, I was lost in another world of thoughts altogether. Assuming my silent stare to be supercilious ignorance her face began to wear a different look now. The story of her eyes was seeing twists now. I assume those eyes now said- ‘What is that stare all about? You rich, parsimonious people think about donating a negligible little amount so much.! How does it matter to you people anyway? What fulsomely atrocious people you are.! Curses to you’.

Well, if it was a month ago, I would have made a generous donation and felt ecstatic for having done a great deed. It was an article in a newspaper which ignited a thought on my perception towards beggars. I had read – Woman rent months’ old babies for begging to attract sympathy, which they hope materializes to ‘money’. How depressing.! That was when I took umbrage on beggars. Just a bunch of lazy brats is how I can describe them best now. Maybe the old are exceptions. I realize helping ‘beggars’ is different to helping the ‘poor’. I also realize that my past ‘apparent good deeds’ now reads as ‘Encouraging Beggary’.

Anyway back to the present, the woman still agonizingly staring, not willing to budge but yet hopeful. I downed the window shield hyping her hopes. But all I had in store was this innocent, irritating smile, the smile that I employ when I ask my dad for pocket money, the smile that pisses off one and all. If her eyes said stories, so did my smile. Done with the smile, unable to prevent a glance at the Mc.Donalds, with no more pretty girls to stare at, I drove off…..

Now tell me what should I do the next time a beggar approaches me...

A Rendezvous (Out) Of Sorts ...

(After two emotional posts , another fiction, on a lighter side this time. )





Scene – Feb 14th , I am driving to my friend’s place and I’m already late by half an hour . My cell phone ringing , it was him ----

Me – “Hello ! ”

Him – “You still in the car ? ”

Me – “No, I’m running alongside it . ”

Him – “You must have reached here by now . I’m waiting . Where are you ? ”

Me – “On the way ”

Him – “Okay , where exactly are you ? ”

Me – “ In the car ”

Him – “ Okay , where’s the fuckin’ car ? ”

Me – “Street 29 . 2 mins ”

We hung up . I reached his home , found him and shook hands .

Me – “ Happy Valentines’ Day ..”

Him – “Happy Independence Day. You are single right? ”

Me – “Yup.Where’s your valentine ? ”

Him – “ With her valentine . I’m ‘ex’ now . ”

Me – “ Oh , where’s the party ? ”

Him – “You teasing me?? ”

Me – “ No , I don’t tease ‘betrayed bachelors’ u see . I only pity them . ”

Him – “ Shut Up ”

Me – “ Okay , what’s the reason you insisted me in coming here ?”

Him – “ Just a casual meeting over a cup of coffee ”

Me – “ It sounds like – Do me a favour and I’ll treat with you with coffee. ”

Him – “You are smart ”

Me – “ Well , I’m here to meet you , am I still smart ? ”

Him – “ Over Smart ”

Me – “ What can I do for you ? ”

Him – “ Dude , I flunked in 2 subjects . My mom literally blew steam into my ears whole night last night. ”

I was about to laugh out loud but for a gentleman I was , I din’t .

Me – “ So you aren’t joining us for the weekend picnic ? ”

Him – “ I want to, but you should convince my mom . ”

Me – “ No way . She is terror man, terror . How can I forget that day when she blew fire (not steam) when I wore a low waist jeans and stupidly gestured – ‘ It’s Fashion ’. I’m only glad that she din’t cane me .

Him – “Hey come on , please . One last favour for me , please .”

Me – “The fourth ‘last favour’. Okay , I shall try . ”

Him – “ One more thing ”

Me – “ Dangerous thing . What’s that ? ”

Him – “ I lied to her that you’ve flunked in 3 subjects. ”

Me – “ Dude , you are shit . Any other lie about me ? ”

Him – “Sorry . No . ”

We went in to meet her . There was something foreboding about this whole thing . Meanwhile , she was blasting at her cook . I heard her shout – “ Why is there less sweet in the sweet ? ” . Whatever that is . Finally , we entered the dragon , she saw me & we greeted each other .

His Mom – “ Looks like a ‘Failed Students’ conference . Can I know what is the agenda ? ”

Me – “ Nothing like that aunty . We are planning to go to Goa this weekend . Came for your permission . ”

His Mom – “ Oh , I thought he told me it’s to tirupathi ”

Oh shit . I was lost for bad words for my dear friend .

Me – “ Oh ya , Tirupathi ”

His Mom – “ Seems like your rehearsals din’t go right . I don’t like you people lying at me . ”

Me – “ Sorry aunty ”

His Mom – “ Okay , I’ll ask you one question . You answer me right now & I’ll consider about the permission . ”

After a minute’s pause

Me – “ Okay , go on. ”

His Mom – “ Where was my son last evening ? ”

Oh God , a liar what he was , I din’t have an idea as to what he had told his mother . I looked at his silly face wanting to kill him. I deduced that telling her “ I don’t know ” would be a safe bet .

Me – “ I don’t know aunty”

His Mom – “He said he was at your place for combined study and you yourself didn’t know about that. That’s Great . ” She continued “ No picnic , nothing . Liars . ”

Totally pissed off at his sillyness, his mother’s ‘adding insult to injury’ programme and my stupidness to go there in the first place , I drove back home .

A Journey To Nostalgia...

On a blustery , cloudy evening , sitting in my balcony , smelling the wet sand , sipping away a mug full of hot evening coffee , watching school children play in the small puddles that were formed after the rain , the high school girls carrying colorful umbrellas walking along the street giggling along , “Oh my…..!! Feels so nostalgic” . I was mesmerized into a valley of thoughts, feelings and sweet memories . I was in mood to rejuvenate. “Wow , Childhood was fun ….” .
Those days are over . Those days when mummy used to tell moral stories at night before going to bed . Those days when I waited for my dad till he comes back from work to take me for a ride on his bike . Those days when my grand parents used to take me to a children’s park every evening . Those days when I cried when my teacher punished me . Oh, so many…….....

Maybe I enjoy re-living it now more than how I felt then . But no denying that it was the best part of my life . Life is a journey . Both good and bad memories are a part of that journey . But the fact is – ‘Bad memories makes the sweet ones sweeter’ . By now I invented that re-living childhood memories is the most efficient stress buster . I was in no mood to end my nostalgic journey . So , I decided to walk to my primary school which is just a stroll away from my place.

Walking down the street , I observed a lady and a small girl with her . The girl was crying for an ice-cream after seeing another kid having one . Couldn’t prevent a smile on my face . I also came across an old woman kissing her grandchild on her cheek for reciting a rhyme . I was on a smiling spree . My second invention of the evening – A stroll across a street isn’t actually boring .

I reached the school , entered it with permission . It was empty as it was almost 6 in the evening . I passed through the basket ball court recollecting that we used to play everything other than basket ball there. I walked through the assembly hall , my class rooms and the playground . School friends , incidents involving them , all those memories kept popping up simultaneously . It was once that I said that my dad was an AGM in a company when my friend told his dad was the GM , unaware that GM was a higher post . Luckily he din’t know that too . Another reason to smile though . Anyway , I was feeling so blissful about the whole evening . I started heading back home wondering how life changes with time , how even bad memories manage to bring out a smile and how time moves so fast.

I was lost in a totally different world altogether . The world of past , innocence , pure affection and love . Just then I got a call on my cell phone . It was my friend – “ Hey , How about a movie tomorrow Morning Show uh?? ” . Yes , that ended my ‘ Journey to Nostalgia ’. After a short sojourn of the past, I was back to the real ,pestiferous, present world . Cell phones , movies , bikes , lap-tops ………….more gadgets , less time for feelings , apparent fun but less or no fun , responsibilities , competition and a monotonous life . With people factitiously getting ‘broad minded’ and ‘modernized’ ,it’s become hard to find a seat for human values .The world is getting dissolute. Whatever it is , Human Beings are fallible & The World is still a beautiful place to live in . It’s only that we have to live and re-live our experiences to enhance freshness in life.
And ofcourse I watched the movie the next day .


(P.S – Its my first shot at fiction . A ‘goal’ or a ‘miss’ is for you to say …..
Cheers..!! )

I CALL IT FATE...

It was Winter , it was a Saturday and it was six in the evening . It was one of those days when I just couldn’t find company for a Saturday evening outing . For me , a Saturday without an outing is like a ‘ Coffee without Sugar ‘ .After all the ideas draining out of my mind , I decided I should be adding sugar(to the coffee) all by myself and hence got up, got dressed and left with the destination undecided .

As I was walking down the lane , I observed that none of my neighbours were around . I had a stupid imagination of them partying in a club . There was a feeling of freshness intilled in me maybe because of the weather which was asusually (in Bangalore) so romantic . The Orange evening sky , a cool breeze which was kind of soothing my senses and the chirping birds which left me feeling peaceful made for a perfect evening . The poet in me was in flowing form. Or maybe it was one of those silly imaginations of mine (untolerable says my sister ) . Anyway , I put a full stop to my ‘in-form’ imaginations and proceeded .

Just as I moved a few paces , I noticed a familiar face looking at me in excitement . I could recognize that he was my primary school classmate . He approached me and said “ Heyy , Arjun right ? ”

“Yeah”

“You remember me ? ”

“Ofcourse Naveen ”

“Heyyy , I’m Sachin ”

(Uff!! Not again ….)
“Oh ya ya , sorry ”

“Haha , You are still the same .!! ”

Strolling along the pavement , we made few more enquiries and exchanged memories of our school days and our teachers . He was so excited about our unexpected rendezvous . We entered a near by park and we did the ‘ Walk the Talk ’ . Though it was long time since we met , we developed very good chemistry between us . He already made it to my ‘Good Friends’ list .
He offered to have some Tea , which he still remembers that it was my favourite drink . While sipping the tea , he invited me for a picnic that he was to go with his friends the next day .It was to some WaterFall . I was busy with a family function the next day , so told him I can’t make it . We left it at that . He had so many things to say about our school . He was up to date with all it’s advancements . After some more talking and walking , we decided to disperse . I told him “Lets catch up on Monday , I’ll take you to my place ” .
He said “ Sure ”.
We shook hands & departed . More than happy with the evening’s proceedings, the freshness still intact on me , the poet in me asleep, I headed home looking forward to meet him on Monday .


And Monday evening I get a call saying “ Sachin is no more . He drowned in a WaterFall near Mysore”.

WHEN TRP RATINGS MATTER ...

The Role that has been played by the Media in the present political system is immense , especially in a ‘Developing’ and a ‘Democratic’ country like India. It has rightly earned it’s position as the fourth pillar in any democracy of the world , more significantly in India . I believe there is an association between the ‘ developing media ‘ and the ‘social changes’ that are taking place . Though I’m still not sure about the degree of its association . But yes , Media , especially the Electronic Media’
has brought a change .
It has been tremendous in highlighting the cases of such as Jessica Lal ,Manjunath and so on .

But just as I say that , with so many News Channels having come up , I believe they are much into business of popularity nowadays . The order of the day has become ‘Sensationalism’ . With TRP ratings playing a major role , it’s become more a commercial business now .

It gets really disgusting when I see ‘ Abhishekh-Aishwarya ‘ marriage being so madly hyped , when I see “ Brad Pitt gets a new hair style “ as a headline , when I see 30min programmes about the triangle love story of Dhoni,Deepika and Yuvraj and when I see ‘ Rakhi Sawanth with her weeping skills and all her cheap tricks for public popularity and sympathy , fooling the electronic media around .
It attracts more viewership , TRP ratings increase , more ads , more money . No place for ethics anymore.
Sorry to say , this has become a trend with few of the channels . I learned from another blog that such Journalism is called ' Yellow Journalism ' .

But the point I’m trying to make is that , it’s important to strike a balance between all this . The right balance between taking up issues of National Interest , Voicing the poor , Entertainment and Creating Awareness .

It would be then that the ‘Indian Media’ can make a world of difference in the upliftment of this country .


“ HISTORY ON THE RUN IS JOURNALISM "

When I Had To Wait , Wait And Wait..............

I was counting the number of autorickshaws passing by on the road . I also played a game of golf , which I din't even know existed in my cell phone . I was looking at my watch every now and then very restlessly .
If you are wondering why I was upto all such wierd things , Well , I was waiting outside a saree showroom for my mother , who was shopping inside from more than 90 minutes now. I had the feeling it was the longest 90 mins of my life.

By now , the watchman of the showroom was my friend . I told him to suggest his manager to have an air-conditioned ' waiting room ' for men with berths and a T.V . He thought it was a joke and laughed. I observed that he couldn't bare with my sillyness , which came from restlesness. So, I went back to the car , listened to some ' apparently hyper excited ' RJs' & some familiar songs on the radio and also discovered another new game in my cell phone .

Ok, enough is enough . I thought I'll storm into the showroom and pull my mother and my aunt ( who was accompanying her ) into the car and drive away.
With this rush of blood , I got out of the car , banged the door back and walked towards the entrance in ' Rajnikanth Style ' . Just as I was entering , I saw them coming out . Suddenly , I became cold and I din't know what to say .
I asked " Did you buy the showroom ? "
"Haha , No . 3 sarees . "
"So 100 minutes divided by 3 .................................."

With this mental calculation on my mind, I turned the car towards the ' Entry ' gate instead of the ' Exit 'gate . Another car was coming in ,we both applied sudden brakes . He yelled- " Kannu Kaansalva ? ". I said " Sorry " and turned the car back and exited through the exit gate.

Asusually the roads were ' chock-o-block ' with vehicles , which din't help my restlesness. I was grumbling at everyone . Just then , I saw a person crossing the road right royally like a king , signalling me to stop . I purposefully increased my speed and applied the brakes at the last minute , giving him what you call a ' jhalak ' . He said in a rowdy tone - " Yake guru ,road cross madtha iddini , kannu kaanslava ? " . Oh God , Did I need an immediate eye check up or what !
That Clown was shaken up by my 'jhalak' and he was still commenting something in his dirty language . 'Mr. Clown' was full of attitude and I was sure I had dented it . I turned a deaf ear towards his extraneous comments as I din't want to pick up a fight.

Bangaloreans would get the number 1 spot for ' Road Rage'. People are never short of a word here . Though I don't like it that way , I had few special words to say to my friend, ' Mr.Clown' ,ofcourse I can't tell you what they were . I left immediately before I could hear anything from him .

My Mom was quick to ask me - " Do you think you are a Hero ? "
i said " No. All this was because of your 100 mins of shopping . I'm not that patient . "

"Ok, I'll never call you next time . "

That was what I wanted and soI din't utter a word . At last , I was pleased to reach home after what seemed like a long outing . An outing where I learnt a lesson . The lesson was - " Never go shopping with Mummy ". If I can generalize - " Never go shopping with women. ! ! ! "



( Hey , I've exaggerated this whole episode a bit . But it was only to make it's reading more fun . Cheers ! ! )