Randomness..

I] Random Encounters

28-Sep-2010: Being bashful!

In an ATR flight from Hyderabad to Pune, I was idling away my time staring into a book and I just happened to smile at Melissa, the air hostess, who was almost done explaining the sleepy passengers the safety regulations of the small aircraft. As Melissa made her way to her seat she commented: “You have a very cute smile…oh…I bet you get that very often!” Lack of sleep and the caffeinated mind told me that my repartee should be “Oh yeah I do have a cute smile….but I do not have beautiful women like you say that often.” However what I actually said was “thank you”, blushed, smiled some more and went back to staring at the banal words in the book!

02 and 03 Oct 2010-Barter of Hope and a Strange Encounter:

On the Saturday of 02-Oct-2010, I met a very vibrant and a highly self motivated person who has managed to fight a lot of adversities-personal and pecuniary to come a long way ahead in life. I spent an afternoon talking to her, exchanging ideas and philosophizing over the clichés of life. Soaking in the vicarious pleasures of her experiences, I felt really motivated and hopeful- motivated because she is one of the few people who actually believes that obstacles are only opportunities and there is always a way over them. An ordinary person with ordinary problems of money and social shackles- she has managed to make things work the way she wanted them to be…hats-off to this woman…she has a long road of success waiting for her to walk on!

The Strange Encounter:

On Sunday, 03-Oct-2010, I met up Rahul and Lydia at Marine Drive and by almost late evening they were on the train back home and I was still staring at the waves crashing in on the boulders on the shore and the brightly lit skyline of Mumbai. Finally when I realized that it was too late and I was feeling a bit salty, I started walking towards Churchgate station so that I could take a cab to CST. On the short walk till Churchgate, I bumped into a man who started talking to me in an incoherent language. After ignoring him for a few seconds I went back to him to understand what he was trying to convey and when I eventually did, I was shocked. His incoherent language was the language that a pimp uses. The conversation that followed was:

Incoherent Stranger (who was very clear in his speech now): Kya aap ko do-teen ghante ka program banana hai?

Me: Huh!!??

I S: School girl, Chinese, Nepali, Foreigner…Jo bhi chaiye mil jayegi…

I start to walk away…

I S: Arre Sahab…dekh to lo….mazaa aa jayega!

Still shocked at being approached by a pimp, I start waking towards the station; however I was also smiling to myself thinking that it was just too obvious for a stranger to read the thoughts about my sex starved status!

After this strange and rather funny encounter what followed completes the second half of the story on “Barter of Hope”. I reached Churchgate station and sat in a cab, but once again I realized that my mouth was not listening to my mind and instead of asking the cab driver to take me to CST, I asked him to take me to Mulund (home). Expensive, but comfortable- I thought, and anyway I was too stressed to bother with tickets and the train commute. (I am just being a spoilt corporate guy here, I guess).

The second I shut the door of the cab, I sighed and started to enjoy the humid and the cool South Mumbai breeze. However my sigh came out as a tiny shriek and that caught the cab driver’s attention. The following conversation happened:

(Most of the dialogues have been translated into English for the ease of writing)

Cab driver: Saab, What happened… are you tensed?

Me: yup…that’s right

Cab driver: haan…you are right…now-a-days everyone is tensed…money, job, family…there are undue pressures everywhere…anyway my name is Hari Prasad…how much money will you give me for the fare till Mulund?

Me: Huh...aren’t we going by the meter…

HP: Nahi…I won’t get a fare back…

Me: ok…you tell me how much should I give you...I will agree if it is reasonable…

HP: Saab, whatever you think is reasonable…pay me…normally the fare is somewhere around 500…

Me: uhh…ok…500 is good…

(After a few minutes of silence I realize that suddenly I am in “let’s talk” phase of mind)

Me: So Hari Prasad, you are from Mumbai….?

HP: Haan Saab….I stay in Wadala…I have been driving the taxi for the past three years…

Me: Oh that’s nice...how old are you…

HP: 26 years…

Me: Oh…you are quite young…How come you are driving a taxi…didn’t you think of pursuing education…

HP: Saab, what do I tell you…it wasn’t that I always wanted to be a cab driver…my circumstances have led me to what I am…

Me: What happened… tell me about it…

HP: I was born in the slums of Wadala and I have grown up in the same place…my father did put me in school…however I was not a very good student…and thus I could not complete my education and after failing in the 10 standard exams…I quit studying…my father was not too happy about it…

Me: What did you do after that?

HP: I started doing odd jobs after that…however not concentrating on anything seriously… I was not bringing much money home anyway…but what I feel sad about is that I started hanging out with the bad people of the basti…

A couple of my good friends went on to complete college and they are now in good jobs…selling insurance, working in hotels…they are leading a good life…am jealous of them…

However the people who I was hanging out…we didn’t do much…and slowly we formed a gang of our own…and people stated referring to me as “bhai”…

Me (shocked): Are you serious…you don’t look like a bhai (given the fact that Hari Prasad was quite a lanky chap)…

HP (smiling): Haan Saab…those were the days… (He got lost in thought for probably a couple of minutes thinking about his infamous past)

Me: So…then what happened?

HP: My circumstances started becoming worse…and they hit rock bottom when three years ago I was admitted to the hospital…I was stabbed in the stomach with a sword…

Me (extremely shocked): Kya baat kar rahe ho?????

HP: Haan Saab…if you think I am making up this story… then have a look at this…

Hari Prasad lifted his shirt and showed me huge and an ugly scar that was running from his navel till the side of his stomach.

Me: How did you land up with this?

HP: Yeh…this was done by Ahmed… a person form the basti who I could not make friends with and for some reason he has always been jealous of me…

Me: Why was he jealous of you?

HP: Family and upbringing…we are poor…but I was lucky to have good family…my father has worked extremely hard to bring me up…he has instilled good values in me…however Ahmed… he does not have a father…it is a known fact in the basti that he is a bastard…his mother has probably slept with many men…I do not like talking bad about his mother…but given these facts you can understand what kind of childhood and upbringing he must have gone through…he was always on the look out to hurt me…and one day we had a very bad argument…the argument turned very dirty…and we had started abusing each other’s family…after the argument finally ended…I went back home to get some rest…

While I was in the house…my father had gone to the market to get some groceries…he was on a cycle…and while he was returning…he fell down and hurt his leg…he fractured his ankle…and he had gone to the nearby clinic to have it plastered…I came to know about this and I left the house to see him in the clinic…however as I left my house…a couple of my friends came an told me that Ahmed was on his way to harm me…I didn’t bother…I was ready to take on that bastard…would have even killed him that day….however fate had it otherwise…as I was on the way to the clinic Ahmed came running towards me in the galli…and I was taken by surprise that he was carrying a sword with him….he just came rushing towards and without saying a single word, he lifted the sword and pierced it through my stomach…I do not remember much after that…all I remember is screams…a lot of blood all around me…when I regained my consciousness I was in the hospital…I clearly remember the face of the doctor who was speaking to me…and I also remember the disappointed and the sad face of my 73 year old father…

Later I learnt that I had to undergo a major operation…which lasted for 08 hours…the situation was exactly the way they show in the movies…the doctors had given up the hopes on me…it was finally a doctor who was called from Bombay Hospital who had to be brought in to fix the mess on my body…the doctor told me that the sleeping medicine…the one that they normally give before the operation…was not effective on me…I had to be given three times the normal dose of that medicine…that is how aggressive and garam my blood was….but all’s well that ends well…after my discharge from the hospital I decided that I will lead a good life and give up all my bad ways…I could not tolerate the look of disappointment in my father’s eyes…I had worked in a garage before…and I spoke to the owner and got him to get me a taxi and that is what I have been doing since the past three years…driving a taxi on the streets of Mumbai…tying to get rid of my past…but Saab…I tell you one thing…the moment I get an opportunity, which will be quite soon, main Ahmed ka game karne wala hoon!

Me (still trying to digest the truth of the story that I had heard): Game karne wala hoon…you are going to murder Ahmed (I could not believe that I was saying those words to a real person in a real life scenario)

HP: Haan Saab…that bastard deserves the punishment…now-a-days when we cross our paths…uske gaand mein dum nahi hai to look me in the eyes….I have moved on but he is where he supposed to be- in the dumps…but still I will avenge him for sure…it has been three years…I am married now and also have a daughter….but am still on a look out for a ghoda so that I am able to put all the bullets into him…

ME (confirming that Hari Prasad was not drunk and he was serious about the murder plan): You have a daughter!!!…how old is she?

HP: She is 18 months old….

Me: Tell me honestly, Hari Prasad, what will you gain from murdering Ahmed?

HP: Satisfaction…that I taught that Muslim bastard a lesson…I will be at peace…

Me (completely ignoring the racist remark): Are you sure you will be at peace….Hari Prasad…look at the circumstances now that you are in…you are married…you have an infant to take care of…what do you think happens after you have murdered Ahmed…you will be walking Scot free in the basti…Hari Prasad you will be in jail…will you be at peace behind bars…will you be at peace knowing that your daughter will grow up never knowing what a father is….will you be at peace knowing that you have brought yourself satisfaction but your father has gained only more humiliation from your revenge…your ambition of revenge is not something to be proud of…the next time you see Ahmed in the galli…trying not to look at him and don’t think about what he did to you…that will make you move towards your path of revenge…rather think about your daughter’s face…think about the time that she smiles holding your hand…think about your father’s old age…your wife…

HP: Lekin….it is so difficult to forgive him…he is a part of a curse that has come into our society…he is nothing but a Muslim motherfucker…

Me: Hari Prasad...listen to me…there are two things that I want to tell you…first…Ahmed may be bad person…he may have done bad things to you…but that does not make all Muslims bad…there are lot of very good natured and highly educated Muslims in our society as well…people may be good or bad…what makes them good or bad is their actions and not their religion (I felt like Rizvan Khan’s mother from My Name is Khan here)…you and me both of us know that just as there are bad Muslims there are bad Hindus as well….so stop blaming Ahmed being a Muslim for your issues…and secondly about forgiveness…yeah probably it is difficult…but as I told you need to focus on your marriage and your daughter…you are driving a taxi…yes probably it is a small job if you compare it to your friends’ insurance selling job….but do the job honestly…good things will come your way…Ahmed was a bad incident of your past…he will get punished for his deeds…the punishment may take time…but it will happen…keep in mind “Karmanye vadhi karaste mafaleshu kadachan”…this is a quote from Bhagvad Gita…do you know what it means…

HP: Haan...I know...I should keep doing my work and not be bothered about the circumstances…you are right…I think I will let go of hatred towards Ahmed…I will definitely try…

Me: Keep doing good work…and doing it honestly….

HP: Saab…what is your name?

Me (Laughing): Do you want to know my name or my religion…anyway my name is Ronak…

HP: Are you a Brahmin?

Me: No…why do you ask

HP: Because Saab, you were able to quote Gita…

Me: I can quote Gita not because I am a Brahmin…because I am educated…Hari Prasad…forget about what Ahmed has done to you…work hard so that you can give your daughter a good educated life…

(The journey to Mulund had come to an end. I gave directions to Hari Prasad to my home. I finally got out of the cab, paid Hari Prasad the 500 rupees)

Me: Hari Prasad….we have met for the first time…but do remember my words…do not spoil your life by going after a revenge that is uncalled for…

HP: Thank you Saab…no one has ever spoken to me the way you have spoken to me today…I will always remember your words…I do not feel like stopping our conversation here…I wish to hear more from you…

Me (being melodramatic): If destiny has it, we will surely meet…take care…

As I was walking towards the elevator of my building, I was still trying to fathom the whole experience. Was Hari Prasad actually planning to murder a person? Will my philosophical/spiritual/melodramatic discourse actually put an end to the hatred in him? Was I able to make Hari Prasad a hopeful man? I will never know.

Story of India-Untold, Still!

Over her thousands of years of existence, India has evolved from being a beautiful maiden, a glorious woman, a ravaged mistress and eventually a hurt and an indifferent Mother to a billion indolent children. After living out each phase of her life, natural or forced, she grew as a nation. Changes that were brought about by the various people were easily accepted by her. The acceptance came in because she believed that the winds of change were for the better. But today the winds have stopped blowing over her and she can only see the dark clouds of apathy scattered all over.
The birth of the Indus Valley civilization led to the flourishing settlements at Mohenjo- Daro and Harappa. These civilizations introduced the world to a beautiful maiden called India. The prosperity of the then Bronze Age resulted in a community of people who were basking in the glory of increasing trade, arts and a new sense of civilized culture. The maiden was enjoying her days of serenity and calm.
Geographic changes and the Aryan invasion gradually put an end to the carefree days of the maiden. Just as a teenager would take to adulthood, India entered the threshold of maturity. The growth through the Vedic era brought not only the foundation of Hinduism to her soul but also the plethora of various cultures. Languages and dialects came into existence and spread across the cultural heartland. The spread of the cultures among the population sowed the seeds of fraternity, diversity and serenity albeit with a sense of merriment in the soul of the social India. India had matured into a beautiful woman whose voluptuousness was defined by her social, cultural and erudite inhabitants. If Northern India flourished under the Guptas, then Southern India prospered under the Chalukyas and the Cholas.
The folklores of a beautiful India had successfully seduced the Mughals and in no time the Mughal Empire had ravaged the Indian soul and put an end to the Golden Age of India. A woman was ravaged; and this left a huge devastating experience on her. The invasion by the Mughals was only the beginning of the many more devastations that she would have to bear in the future. However the Mughals knew how to protect the beauty of their mistress and they treated her well. The Mughals brought along with them the enormous influences of the Persian culture in the form of striking literary, artistic and architectural results. India instead of transforming into a rigid and a hurt woman grew as a liberal, open and a resilient person. The Classic Period of the Mughals saw the growing intimacy between the resident Indian soul and the attractive yet ambitious strategies of the Persian rulers. Her values had transmogrified into a mishmash of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist values but she was happy as the Mughals promised her a brilliant future.
The established British East India Company could not tolerate this growing intimacy and jealously crept in. The thoughts of jealousy soon translated into vicious actions and these cruel doings saw the British violate the sacred Indi
(End of this essay)

This essay was born on 26-Jan-2010…it was supposed to be some sort of an ode to the country on the occasion of the 60th Republic Day…a song of history, praise and displeasure…what if India took up the form of a woman...what would her feelings towards her off springs be…her equations with all the different men (read: empires/dynasties) that wanted to win her over be…however it had to be culminated inappropriately as the thought process put in place got polluted. The concept of projecting India, my Motherland, as a woman through different eras of her life got perverted. Descriptions about her innocence, gloriousness, attraction, strength, lessons and progeny had to be put to an end. The Mother soon became just another woman that I started to imagine and began to relate her in a way I shouldn’t have. This, I believe, is quintessentially the curse of a hyperactive imagination…and am overpowered to end my thought process on this subject for now!

Afterthought:
As diversity becomes the norm and everyone willing to butcher their Mother, it is ironical that apathy is the only emotion that arises in our hearts. This woman who once had the power to give away greatness has been reduced to a starving destitute…yet everyone wants to bite into the minimal amount of meat of prominence…if we do not feed her with our love…the future generations will have nothing left for inheritance….