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Sunday, March 30, 2008

Geographic coordinates: 26 00 N, 50 33 E

Location: Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

This place used to be Home for me. It still is..in some sense.

Ah, it feels great to be back Home. It certainly does.

Yet...I have a feeling that I still miss 'Home'.

I miss 'Home'.

Do you like...get me?

Friday, March 14, 2008

..And then there were None.

Author's Note:
This post is long. Quite long. But please don't stop reading in the middle .
And oh yes, any resemblance to real life characters is merely purely PURELY coincidental. Really.

*****************************************

She wasn't late for work. She never was.

But that never stopped her from speeding down Kasthoori Ranga road which was her favourite road in Madras solely because of the speed at which she could drive her Blue-Scooty. The luscious greenery on both sides, the conspicuous absence of gargantuan lorries and the tireless stretch of smooth cement for as far as the eye can see, was more than just an enticing reason to adopt that route to work. Driving and speeding had never been this peaceful before.

She knew the route to work like the back of her hand. Well everybody who took the same route to work did, but she'd known the nature and the soul of that area so well that she subconsciously knew all the spots at which she had to slow down or speed. And it worked each 'n everytime, everyday. She was the master of that route, she knew.

Her mind was the busiest during this time. She would hum a different tune every 30 seconds, try an aalaap for an exotic rAga for the next 120 seconds, think of a friend she'd recently gotten to know and like, reminisce over good times with old friends, try memorizing a DIshitr krithi, wonder what her dad would be doing at this time at home- such a multifaceted array of thoughts, however, never once concentrating on the road and its traffic.
She prided herself for that, for being able to maneuver her vehicle down even the toughest roads of Madras, with such admirable ease and agilance.
That too inspite of her her rash driving.

'Touch wood' is what she'd smile and say when people gasped at her abominable speed on the roads, and she'd immediately lift her right hand and touch her head.

Today was no different. The rAga on her lips today, was vArAmu. Such an enchanting rAgA would have customarily made her close her eyes and surrender but she was after all, driving. She sang, neverthelss, as loud as possible, knowing that at 07:30 AM there would be no one on the roads to turn around and give her the 'huh-what-the..' look.

Half way through Kasthoori Ranga road now, there was still a long way to go. She brought herself to see the road in front of her and register . But for a sinfully beautiful Black Skoda far in front of her Blue Scooty, it was just her vehicle on the road. Just as always.
Lovely.

But all of a sudden the Black Skoda in front of her, came to a halt. A sudden stop.

Ok, this was too sudden. Too unexpected.
Why did the car stop?? Why did it friggin stop??
There wasn't any signal in front..not for miles, and there wasn't any vehicle in front of it either... and what were the chances of an old blind-deaf-dumb lady crossing a usually-desolated road at 7:30 AM in the morning??? Zilch??

Crap..She now had to stop her Scooty. And fast. And how!
Thoughts rushed through her mind as she quickly scrambled for the brakes.

As she was fast approaching it, she had a look at the Car. It was far too shiny and far too beautiful be crashed against. She tried to maneuver her vehicle to the right without skidding and managed to pull the brakes in time, probably saving her from being thrown head over the Skoda-however not without a significant crash at the Car's posterior and a terrible fall.

The next few minutes were a dream. She lay there on the road, with the Blue-Scooty on top of her. Motionless....

(To be continued..)

...And then there were None- II

(...contd.)

Startled by the sudden jolt at the back, 3 men came out of their Car.

She waited for help as she lay sprawled on the ground with the Scooty's weight on top of her, but the 3 men just stood still. She knew better than to ask for help, so she pulled out her left arm from somewhere underneath and pushed the Scooty's weight off her body and got up on her own.
She felt thorroughly numb.

The three men stood majectically staring at her. She took a look at the men with the very little strength she had. One of them was in his early thirties -perhaps a newly wed? Like she cared anyway. The second one was not more than 22. Smart. He looked like one of those college studs who'd bunk class to get his hair bleached or his butt tattooed.
The third fella was the Car's driver clad in white. One happy family. How nice, she thought sarcastically.
"Well?" said the mid-thirties gentleman. " Now that you're up and running, lets see what you've done to my car".

She suddenly felt dizzy.

She was now visibly petrified, as she watched the man move to the back of the car..fervently hunting for a dent or a scratch, while the other Young-Lad stood there staring at her- from head to toe. She immediately felt a wave of nausea run through her. She'd have normally stared back at him with her award-winning mean eyes, but she was far too much in a state of shock now.
She just stood still, waiting for someone or something to rescue her.

There was nothing there, at the back of the car. Nothing. No scar. Not even a mark. No wonder these cars were bloody expensive, she thought. Despite having a Two-wheeler crash against it, there was absolutely sign of damage on that automobile. Neat, she thought. She thanked her stars silently and felt like crying immediately.


The man lifted is head and spoke.

"I think you've escaped this time. You're a lucky girl", he said nonchalantly. "For the money I've paid, this Car is starting to make me feel good afterall".
He laughed out loud at his own joke.

She stood still. Speechless. She still couldn't imagine how 3 fully grown men could be so callous and indifferent towards a lady who's just survived a fatal fall. That too when the Car had got away scot-free. She suddenly wished that the Car has been smashed to smithereens. But this itself was getting her into hot water. Boiling hot water that too.

Just when she was starting to feel relieved she heard a second voice.
"Wait, not so fast "
It was the College-guy this time. "Let me have a proper look, Kiran. I'm sure there's a dent-somewhere. We heard the crash na? " and he went about his turn, hunting fervently for signs of damage.

She gazed at the all pervading apathy the prevailed there. Signs of petrification vanished. She was now starting to feel the indignation brewing inside her. But she stood still and said nothing.

"Ah, there..see? I told you, Kiran. There's a scratch. Here" said College-Boy pointing at something that couldn't even be seen by the naked-eye.

Kiran came running down to see the scratch he'd failed to see earlier. Both of them took their time analysing a frailfully grey mark that looked like a strand from granny's head.
The driver meanwhile, came up to her and asked her if she was alright and got her Scooty up from the ground. She thanked him with a half-wide smile.

"But that scratch was there from before no, Nikhil?" said Kiran, sounding a bit confused.
" No no no....now only. This female has crashed against your Car and caused this scratch. Ok, so how do we settle this now?"
It was clearly evident. Nikhil was pure evil.

"Nikhil, I don't think we should complicate things. Police, insurance... no yaar. Its just a scratch yaar. Leave it"
That was Kiran. God bless the very Devil, she thought.

"Arrey...what are you saying? You payed 13 lakhs to get your Car damaged by some crazy female? Well, I'm not gonna let you"

This was the last straw. And she now spoke.

" Excuse me Mister", she said politely. She instantly regretted addressing the vagabond as 'Mister'. Probably nitwit would have sufficed.
"There is 'absolutely' no damage on your Car from this accident, except for the scars all over my body. Your Car is just the way is was before my Scooty crashed against it. There. Your brother Kiran said so himself. Have a proper look again if you want. Your Car is fine. Really."

Kiran stood silent.

" Shut up female. I wasn't even f***ing talking to you", snorted Nikhil.

Ok, this was too much. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was foul language. That too thrown at her. She now began to scream like a mad woman.

" Mister, mind your language. Don't you DARE use that tone with me. Do you understand? Don't you DARE!"
She was now yelling at the top of her voice. And trembling.

"Oh yeah? Well, I WILL. What will you f***ing do about it?" Nikhil had a cynnical smile on his face. Yes, he was the Devil himself.

She looked at the Kiran and the driver with sheer disgust. They were both very clearly ashamed of the young-lad's behaviour. But both stood motionless. Cowards. She stood there for a while. And then spoke.

" I'll tell you what I'll do about it" she said, suddenly.


And saying thus, she swiftly walked towards her Scooty, kick-started it, and within a 6 seconds time-span , off she sped, away in the direction of Kasthoori Ranga Road leading to Cathedral Main Road, leaving the 3 mean gaping from behind.

She sped like crazy for the next 10 minutes, with a smile on her face. She was right.
There was absolutely NOTHING they could do about it.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

That post did help a lot.
More than I expected.

Thanks for answering my calls guys.

:D

Monday, March 3, 2008

Talk to me no?

Rite, so whats up?
Nothing??

I'll tell you whats up. Off late, a lot of my friends from the Not-so-Fairer sex (pun intended like never before) have mysteriously disappeared and stopped talking to me. See, this is unfair. I'm just engaged you know. Not like I've been accused of murder or am down with small-pox or something. I can talk. Yes, to you. Very much.
So talk to me no?

Guys suddenly get this thing with committed ladies, I notice. They think they're infringing upon public property if they're still talking to an engaged/married girl. Sad na? Tsk-tsk.
Yes, I know, its every Reggie Mantle 's worst nightmare to get beaten up by Moose when all he's doing is having a friendly banter with Midge.... but seriously, Moose isn't so Moosey you know. So , whats with the disappearing act?
Talk to me no?

My girlfriends. I shouldn't go ahead with this post without their mention.
They have been extra sweet 'n all with me by still generously calling me up time and again to ask me if I'm making the whole thing up just to attract attention. See, that's what best friends are for. What would I do without you gurls? :P
There's another set of girlfriends that's not been talking to me off late as they feel that they'd be 'wasting my time' -as they put it- at this point.
"Huh" you say? Yeah, I say that too.
How would my gurlfriends be wasting my.... (sniff).. Oh crap, You've got me all teary now.
Screw you. I'm going shopping now. :P
But seriously, talk to me no?

See, if you'd just talk to me, I'd talk to you, and I could tell you how boring interesting my life is and you can tell me how interesting yours is. Exciting no? Just imagine all the fun we're depriving ourselves just because you're not talking to me.
Talk to me no?


Listen, I'm not as desperate as I sound.

No, really.

Ok, maybe a bit.

Actually a bit more...

Wait..can you repeat the question ?