Flickering light

#Real incident

I was walking swiftly on that dimly lit deserted road. The salty Chennai breeze swept my face not helping my case of perspiration from carrying my travel bag which only got heavier with each second or every step I took. Already irritated by the bumpy ride and the filthy share auto crowd, I strode on hoping to make it in time for my train.

A distant street light from main road flickered casting its feeble light making the street glow in a mild yellow shade. It is uncommon for a Chennai street to appear this deserted on an 8p.m. night, but this street served as an exception mainly because of the inaccessibility of it by any four wheeler and not  so uncommon power cuts . Pushing away the scenes from a previous nights’ horror movie, I valiantly marched on towards the main road carefully jumping and avoiding the numerous potholes and other kinds of holes that pockmarked the street.  

I heard a faint set of footsteps and looked ahead to see a middle aged man with striped shirts and cargo trousers entering my road with a carry bag in his hand. Busy talking with someone over his phone he didn’t notice me and he continued walking ahead. I was trailing a few yards behind owing mostly to my bag’s weight. Suddenly a shuffling movement from under a tree caught my attention.

I hadn’t noticed that tree until then mainly because it was on a particularly dark side of that street. But now three figures emerged from under it. Silhouetted against the street light I could see 4 figures now. The man with the carry bag, following him closely were two short lean shadows. Following slightly behind was a slightly taller but stumpy man with shocking mess of a ragged hair.

  The shadows of the short ones looked excited almost maniacal with a kind of restless energy that even the poor lighting couldn’t veil. They moved fast towards the man but stopped short when he slowed; again speeding up when he walked. The stumpy shadow seemed like shushing the shorter ones and walked in a controlled steady rhythm. They were silently closing in on the man who was still chatting away nonchalantly in his phone.    

  My heart beats raced and I fastened my steps to warn him. At that exact moment the man with the bag seemed to slow down at a corner. The short ones went too close to him and they didn’t stop this time. The stumpy one quickened his pace as well. I broke into a run ignoring the weight of my travel bag. Just when I reached close enough to shout a warning, the man with the carry bag turned and walked away from the corner.

Confused and out of breath from running I tried to get a better look at the corner and abruptly power came on and lit up the whole street. The short lean ones were a girl and a boy of about 7 to 10 years each. They had a filthy piece of clothing covering them, torn and dirty. Their faces were covered with a mixture of mud, soot and nasal mucus. They were reduced to their bones by malnourishment. They had the carry bag that seconds before was with the man they followed. Having taken it out of the corporation waste disposal container from that corner, they were searching for anything remotely edible.  

“Appa ithula konjo idly irukuppa, Amma kitta sollunga”(Dad, Tell mom that there are some idlies in here), shouted the girl in joy having found her prize in that fly infested, rotten smelling, urine soaked container. “Seri Seri neenga rendu paerum sanda podaama sapdunga”(Ok Ok, You two share and eat without fighting) replied the stumpy man who reached there finally. He turned slowly towards me and smiled awkwardly showing his brown tobacco greased teeth with two missing in the front. I, for my part, just stood there dumbstruck at the horror and misery an everyday street light can unveil.

Love

   At that moment he agreed wholeheartedly with all those numerous people with Ph.D’s in love. There were indeed butterflies flying in the pit of his stomach. And not just ordinary butterflies. These are the kind that spread its wings and flutter to its fullest intensity, screaming of its presence whenever she comes near and reduce doing so gradually as she passes, strangely as though she is the flower they are hoping to hop onto next! After his numerous not-so-elegant episodes with other women in the past, this he decided was undoubtedly love! Oh and what a feeling it is! To stand in that bus stand wearing those Fast track coolers and a branded T-shirt (which were until yesterday in the form of a bundle of notes in his dad’s pocket) just to get a glimpse of her by the window sill.

           

       And just when he was starting to think these window episodes have lost their initial ‘kick’ they used to have on him, she smiled. She smiled a smile which was not too inviting for him to directly approach and talk to her, not too restricted to doubt if it was just a twitch of mouth or an actual smile but the right amount(the amount passed from generation to generation among girls)  that admonished even his thought that the window episodes were losing their sheen thus instantly making him a bit guilty. Yes! This must be it. The guy who struggled to get a 50% in English during his 12th has now become a man who mastered the language of eyes!

       

         “Can’t wait to see you. Come and pick me up by 8 tmr, good nit darling. Love you”. He smiled at the sms he received. It’s been almost 6 months after that killer smile. His life has changed tremendously since then. Mobile phone is next to God for him(the God being she),  missed calls have become the most romantic gifts which he received almost 10 times a day, interest in politics and GK has risen enough to notice the increase in petrol prices and life seemed to be 10 times more interesting. Getting his usual share of pocket money from his dad and brilliantly convening a lie about some coaching class, he drove early morning all the way to her meeting place to pick her up.

    

         “Hey, Sorry did u wait for a long time? I am sorry I overslept and got up late. So sorry da”, she said with that cute face.

    

        “Hey cha cha I came just 5 minutes back”, he said his anger from that 40 minutes wait vanishing in an instant. He gunned the vehicle to life. She sat nimbly with her hands on his shoulder. The vehicle as a response exceeded its startup speed.

 “Rahul, Can I ask you something?”, she mouthed after a few hundred metres.

“Yes anything”, said our hero driving his dad’s bike. 

“This mobile I have is very basic model da. Messaging and all ok. But when I miss you so much I feel like seeing you”, she said in a pained voice.

“Yeah, but you can’t come out of your house after 7 na? then how? “, not understanding how seeing him can be related to a basic mobile set.

            “ Aama, my mom is damn strict. Hmmm…But if its not too much of a problem for you, can you get me a video call mobile? I can understand if you can’t da. No problem”, she added with haste.

“Uhhmmm”, started Rahul. She butted in-

“It’s just that Nisha’s boy friend had bought one for her and its really useful for them to chat at night seeing each other, but yeah he is a bit rich… ” she said hesitantly watching his reactions in the rear view mirror. Her hand lessening its grip on his shoulder with every passing second of his silence.

“Well…” ,Her hand slid faster, Rahul already intimidated at his alpha male ego level gave in to the falling hands. “Hey don’t you worry. I will make sure you get the best 3G mobile there is by this evening, ok a?”, said he finally. “Thank you da… I know I could trust you. I love you sooooo much” she hugged him.  The butterflies did their dancing again and he could think of nothing other than how lucky he is to get this loving and caring girl in his life. Love, he thought can justify anything.

            Back home, googling the model(which she said just before leaving) she asked for, updated him that it would cost around Rs.30,000. He cursed himself for borrowing his friend’s costly mobile whenever he went to meet her.  Not wishing to step back now Rahul did the unthinkable. He took one of his mom’s golden necklaces which he calculated would come upto two thirds the sum. He decided to ask the rest 10k from his dad as a coaching class fees.

 “Ethuku da ivlo panam? (Why do you need so much money?) Already join panna courses ella paathilayae nikkuthu.”(already you have stopped in midway all the courses you joined previously), his dad enquired.

“Paiyan padikrakuthaana kekraan, konjo kodungalaen?”(Our son is asking for his studies only right? Can’t you give him?), his mom argued over the sound of the rumbling grinder from kitchen.

“Ippo la ennaala mudiyathu, yaerkanavae neraiya kadan irukku. Ivan phone bill katrakae en sambalam poiduthu” (I can’t pay him now, already we are in debts. And his phone bill itself takes up most of my salary), then seeing his forlorn face, “Seri konjo poruda, maasam porantha odanae tharaen”(Ok wait. Will give at the start of the next month), saying his dad walked away.

          Rahul cursing his poor origin and annoyed at dad’s response sat in a corner. His mom came over to him. “Ennada moonjiya umm nu vechurukka? (Why are you so dull faced), seri unga appa kitta sollatha, intha itha vecha evlo varum nu paaru”(Ok don’t tell your dad, here see how much you can get from this), saying she removed her gold ear rings and placed it in his hands. “Nalla padiknum enna?” (You should study well, ok?), she walked away back to her daily chores of cleaning and cooking as if she nothing different happened and she gave out gold ear rings on a daily basis every morning. Stunned, Rahul heard her boast to the house maid, “En magan Intha computer class a mattum mudichitta, moonu maasathula America poi kai neraiya sambathika poraanam!” (When my son finishes this class, he will go to America to earn lots)

         A single drop of tear trickled down his face. He slowly got up and as if in a trance replaced the necklace as it was. Love, he thought, is amazing. It’s the most wonderful thing there is. It can make or break anything in this world. At that moment with a crystal clear clarity every single cell in him felt his mom’s love and trust on him and for the first time in his life he paid no attention to the hormones playing as butterflies in his stomach when he heard the familiar missed call from the ‘girl from the bus stand’.   

Just another usual morning...

  A particularly loud horn sound woke me up from my slumber. I could hear the radio blaring next door doing its life's worth. Between the sounds I could also discern voices talking and shouting but slightly muffled. Probably because the door to my room was tightly shut, I thought. Now that I am awake and sunlight was pouring in through the windows I conceded my defeat in trying to go back to my sleep. I opened my eyes slightly disgruntled about the long day this is going to be and saw my mobile lying next to me. It was 8:30am.

8:30am

             Shit! Office at 9:30. Adrenaline kicked in and I brushed up, showered and got ready in no time. I unlocked the door to my room and the sounds of radio reached my ears in its full intensity. It was some latest Rajni song. We don't have a TV. Radio made up for that as much as it could. I stopped by in the living room and shouted, “Hey kelambaren da, door close panniko”(Hey I am leaving, do close the door). I received a grunt in response. In the dictionary we follow here that means an 'Ok'. If I don't receive a grunt that's when I should worry. I closed the door and descended the stairs and entered the world outside.

9am

             I was walking to the nearest bus stop. The smell from a nearby hotel reminded me both that I have skipped my breakfast and why I skipped it*. :P The street dogs were still in their morning nap (lucky them), some of them raised an ear or two when I crossed near them, but then lost interest and went back to sleep.

9:15am

            I was in the bus stop. I know office cab would have left. Instead I waited for the town bus praying it shouldn't be as crowded as it was yesterday or day before or since the day I have seen it, but knowing this is one other prayer in vain.

9:30am

             To my surprise the bus was little less crowded and I thanked God and boarded it. Immediately like any South Indian boarding a bus would do I frantically searched for a seat and found one and got seated like my life depended on it. A window side seat! These are the few surprises that essentially boosts me here. ;) My mind involuntarily calculated taking the traffic into account and came to the conclusion that it would be another 40 minutes until I reached office. I asked the conductor “ASV oru ticket kodunga” and safely pocketed the ticket he gave. Then i gazed out the window absent mindedly. It was mildly hot and the bus moving at a rhythmic pace gave admission to the occassional breeze. The warm climate, late night sleep, power cut at about 2am left its effect on me and I felt drowsy. The adrenaline rush ebbed some time back. The bus felt more like a cradle with its swaying...

6:30am

            “Sathyaaa elunthiri da! Evlo vaati ezhuppi vidrathu, night late a thungatha nu sonna kaetkriya?” (Sathyaaa Get up! How many times have I told to go to bed early?). My mom's voice sounded in distance though I know she was just few metres away. “Innum 10 mins ma, plz” ( 10 more mins Mom, please). I could hear the vessels clanging in the kitchen and some God's devotional song being played in the tape in the living room. Then there is always the mews of the numerous cats we have in my home.

7am

             “10 mins, 10 mins nu solli 7 aachu. Apram thirupiyum unakku attendance kedaikathu! Ezhunthirida” ( It's already 7. Then you won't get attendance. Get up now). Now I could hear dad's voice to waking me up. “Itho muzhuchachu muzhuchachu”. I get up lazily and take my time to brush up and finally come to living room. Mom says, “Intha coffee kudichuttu va. Kulikka thanni ready panraen”(Go and have your coffee. I will heat the water to take bath). I drink my coffee watching TV flicking through some random channels. Then I go take bath and dress up taking all the time in the world.

8 am

              “7 ku enthiruchu epdi da ivlo late panra?”- Dad's voice. Yes. I still don't know how but I finally got late for my college which is at 8 30. “College poi saptukraen ma, pasi illa” ( I will eat in college mom, not hungry). Mom will never agree saying everything is already prepared. Finally she feeds me up by walking along with me around the entire house while I search for the different things I have to take to the college. “Pothum ma, full aiduchu”(Enough mom, I am full) will always get a default reply “Itha last vai”(Here, last piece). Can never change Indian mothers! I do my last minute reading for the exam I have that day. “Yenga antha shoe pottu vidunga, padichutrukanla”(He is reading, wear him his shoes) my mom to dad. Dad does so patiently and when its done I disregard the many 'last pieces' on plate and come out. “Tataa ma, Tataa pa” touch my cat once to say tataa to him, “Bike slow va ottuda, college poitu message pannu”(Drive slowly and message when you reach college).

8 15 am

             With those words still in my ears I start my bike, nod and accelerate it. The familiar roads and the wonderful morning breeze against my face refreshes me and I continue driving with a smile looking forward to the day ahead.

             Screeeechh! “ASV ella erangunga, ASV ella erangunga” ( ASV reached, disembark). I wake up to the conductor shouting. The time was 10:15 am. I get down and walk towards my office. Life has changed. And I have come to terms with it. But not a single day had passed yet wishing it hadn't.

*- The smell of breakfast reminded me that I skipped it. But it's that I have already had bad experience in that hotel's quality. That's why the smell also told why I skipped it.

P.S I know I was pampered and am a spoilt brat :P