“Did you see that?”

“What?”

“The boy.”

“Which boy?”

“You are crap, look!”

“Crap!”

“What shall we do?”

“Is he vomiting?”

“No singing! Damn! What should we do?”

“What:?”

“Let’s go.”

“Hey wait!”

But who was there to listen to me? Snehangshu had jumped out of the auto. The auto was standing at the red light, and I was at mess. Shall I also move out of the auto? With all these big bags? But will the auto driver wait for us? Shall I pay him the money? But how much I pay? Full 70 bucks when we were such long a way to go yet? Will he take less? What shall I do?

“Fuck man! What are you doing there?”

I put my hand inside the pocket, brought the purse out and held Rs 100/ out! The signal turned green. The auto driver sailed away! my rest Rs 30/ at least? Damn! I dragged the bags out! Heavy! Put them on the road! A Corolla came in front of me and the person driving showed me his middle finger! I need to put the purse inside the pocket; take the bags; leave the road… but the cars were shouting! What shall I do?

The guy from Corolla was saying something! I was not getting it. Was he abusing me? of course he was! Duffer me. But what shall I do? Yeah, let’s drag the bags on the pavement!

I bent forward, dragged the bags and while doing that, my sunglass fell on the road from my pocket! The Corolla smashed over it! Damn, it was my favourite one! Another Hyundai Accord passed through me; the guy said something at me, at which the beautiful girl beside her burst into laughter! What a pathetic state man! And this was all because of Snehangshu! Why the hell he had to leave the auto at the middle of the road and run like that?

I turned back! Saw that Snehangshu was sitting on the far side of the pavement with the head of the boy on his lap. I reached them with these bags on my shoulder!

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Get an auto!”

“What?”

“Get a Fucking Auto!”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“You Damn fucking asshole! Get an auto soon!”

“Damn you are………”

“Ani…”

“Ok, Ok!”

I turned back and started waving to all the autos! Bloody none was stopping! This was so awkward! I mean this whole thing was so…. So….. yeah, there was an auto approaching us!

“Give me the water bottle!”

“What?”

“Water bottle!”

“It’s inside the bag I guess!”

“So take it … I’m stopping an auto!”

“GIVE ME THE DAMN WATERBOTTLE!!!!” he screamed on me!

I hurried and tried to bring the bottle out! Damn, two big bags! That too his bags! How will I know where was the bottle?

“Hurry up!”

“Where is that?”

“On my head!”

I got that and held that in front of him! The boy had blood on his face; Snehangshu wiped it away with water!! I turned back. Damn the auto was gone!

I turned towards Snehangshu, the guy was still vomiting! BLOOD!! Why? Snehangshu was trying to cool things down! What was I doing? Oh auto! Yes, an auto! After some 5 minutes I got one! And asked him to rush towards the nearest hospital or nursing home! Snehangshu held the boy up on his shoulder, sat on the back seat, let him lay on him!

“But where shall I put the bags?”

“You Morone!”

“Ok, Ok, OK!”

I somehow managed to push the bags between their legs, sat beside the auto driver and brought out a deep air out! I looked back! The thin, black boy, blood spots on his face, on Snehangshu’s sleeves, bare body, torn apart half pant, mouth open!

I asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing!”

“Means, I see something wrong with him. What do you think wrong with him?”

“Nothig is wrong with him. Something is highly right with us!”

“What?”

“Money!”

 

HE IS SNEHANGSHU! (IN DELHI)

HAPPY DURGA PUJA AND NAVRATRA TO YOU ALL.......

ENJOY

(REMEMBER, SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH US!)

 

Last night, 20^th Sept, Wednesday, I had gone to PVR Saket again to watch another movie, Pyaar Ke Side Effects (Side Effects of Love) with a friend of mine called Priyanka and one of her roommates, Shila. Generally, I watch movies alone or with friends who are boys; but this time, for a change, went to watch with friends who are girls. Plus, this girl Shila was not that much known to me, I mean had exchanged Hi/ Hello once or twice. The moment I reached at the counter, the counter person politely told me, “Sorry Sir, this show is houseful!”

Me, “What? Houseful!! You mean to say that I can’t get any ticket.”

He, “Sorry sir, it’s full.”

Rationally hopeless me came back and with long face told the girls that the show was houseful. Priyanka was busy over phone scolding her BF on how he could loose the Jet Airways ticket! Kanwaljeet or Kanu looked at me sadly and said, “What now?”

“How would I know?” I wanted to say… but said, “Yeah, what now?”

Priyanka, “Hold on! What’s the fucking issue?”

“Houseful” together Kanu and I said.

“Bullshit!” Priyanka shouted and entered into the queue. Kanu said, “I think she can manage.” And she really did! After 5 minutes, even still having the cell phone next to her ear, even with abuses on her lips, stern looks on her eyes for her BF, there was Priyanka with 3 tickets in her right hand! I was so surprised that I asked, “WTF!!!! How could you manage it?”

Priyanka gave me a practiced smile and said, “I’m a bitch!”

Glad me bent forward and kissed her forehead. Then we moved towards the McDonalds to eat/drink something. And I saw the girl there.

She was behind the group, reluctant to be a part of the group.  You must be wondering who she was!! Was she a hot Delhi girl, or someone’s wife? Or some not-so-hot-but-a-bit-over-fed girl? Well, she was that dark green frock, bare feet, unoiled hair, unwashed hands, unfed belly 8+ girl begging alms from the polished people around in a group.

I was sitting inside the McDonald’s and through the glass I could easily make out that she was the least enthusiastic about the group’s motion. She was executing any of the practiced hunger-pain on her face, instead, she appeared to be a bit cold and hesitant to do what others were doing, yet had a silent faith on what she was doing. I saw her looking at her feet and then looking up at the sky for a while and then focusing at the group’s behaviour.

I insisted the girls with me to move out from the place with the remaining food as we might get late; they agreed. As we stepped out, all 7-8 begging kids seized our knees and Priyanka gave me a cold look. I put my hand inside my back pocket, brought out a Rs10/ note and told the group to leave us with this. They agreed and I handed over the money. As they all were going back happily, I seized the girl I was looking at before this and asked her if she was hungry. She was very surprised at my strange and weird behavior, she had no practiced answer with her and I didn’t give her the time to formulate any answer! I took the remaining burger from Priyanka’s hand and held it in front of her! She took it. I asked her, “What’s your name?”

“Why?” She asked with bitterness in her eyes!

“Say Please” I was desperate.

“Milli” she said and started walking away.

“I go and get a fag” I said to my group. I started walking as well while I heard Priyanka shouting behind me, “I thought you quit.”

With the excuse of smoke I followed the girl and saw that she went behind at the darker parking lot. She stood there for a while, held the piece of burger up, stared at it for a while and to my NO surprise threw it away behind the parked cars! Someone from her group that was sitting afar enquired, “What was that?”

“Ghandagee” (Dirt) said the girl.

I realised that I was smiling………….. A smile for not being proved to be wrong! Inside me there was a nice feeling which was whispering, “Nice to meet you Milli.”.....................

 

HOW MANY OF US HAVE THE SENSE OF DIGNITY THAT MILLI HAS? DO YOU HAVE IT INSIDE YOU? ASK YOURSELF!!!! WE ALL NEED TO ASK OURSELVES!! ENJOY! ...............

OH, I UPDATED THE ALBUM, YOU CAN HAVE A LOOK IF YOU FEEL LIKE.... ENJOY!!!!

PVR Complex, Saket, New Delhi, autumn in the evening air. PVR is one of the best movie places in New Delhi surrounded by food places where you eat because that looks good, clothes places where you shop because that costs a lot, pubs where you watch people drinking because they look good when they are drunk, coffee shops where you sip coffee and chew fast foods because Americans say that fast foods are to be eaten even when you don’t want to eat things that fast!!

Anyway, I go to that place generally for two reasons, 1) to watch movies and 2) to buy few books. That evening I was with Suvam, my MBA friend, a sharp, intelligent, quick witted, smilingly mocking characterless lady killer! Most of the girls had one message to convey to him, which is……. lust.

We were sitting on a wooden bench under a tree. I was holding “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri and “The Third Revolution” by Paul Harrison which I had bought few minutes back. Suvam was smoking Marlboro. Because Shah Rukh Khan smoked Marlboro in Swadesh and I was enjoying my Filter Wills because since my inauguration day it has (sorry, had) been my favourite.

Suddenly Suvam started, “Ani, the black top one. Have a look!”

I had a look, the average hot chick with enough colours here and there and a sunglass on her head! Evening 7 O’ Clock and a sunglass, that too on head! That spoke all about it! I smiled and saw that there was big GUESS written on her T shirt at the most lucrative place. She was holding the right arm of a guy who was checking out another girl crossing him. When the couple came nearer to us, Suvam spoke out, “NO NEED TO GUESS. IT’S OBVIOUS!” the girl turned towards us and smiled seeing Suvam’s mischievous mocking eyes!

I knew it will go on, so I thought of concentrating here and there as well. My eyes were tired of the so called ultra modern young males and females and the respective posters on their T Shirts. These lines on the chests/breasts always drag me, but it’s not advisable to read out always. Because to read the lines one needs time, look and gaze. There is no problem with time, look or gaze; but the issue is with the place I gaze at. I can’t keep on gazing at girls’ T Shirts, because that it not decent for a guy and I will never dare to gaze at guys’ T Shirts as that might make a toss of my sexual orientation. 

Suddenly, my eyes fell upon the near by snacks stall. The snacks stall was under a small tree giving it both light and shade! I saw a man in his 30s standing in front of the stall. The man was wearing a white thick shirt, a white trouser, a pair of white shoes, had red lips due to beetles and through his unbuttoned hairy chest at least 4 thick golden chains were popping out! He was talking to someone over the cell phone in solid abusive Hindi. I heard him shouting carelessly, “Haan, Eh Bahen ki Laudi ko movie dekhna tha. Toh leh aya koy mother chod movie dikhane. Gandigi hai shaali!” (Abrupt translation: “yeah this bitch had to see a movie so I brought her to a mother fucker movie. Bullshit bitch”)

Surprised, I started searching for the woman who was getting all those adjectives and soon I discovered her behind the tree and the back side of the stall, standing in the darkness with a bottle of cold drink in her hand.

She was an absolute beauty!

A girl hardly in her 19, golden colour, in a pink saree, hands full of Chudiyaan, forehead full of Sindoor, and an oblivious smile on her face. Even in the darkness, I could clearly see the beauty standing there. Her eyes were wide open at the flashy aura of the modern metro city’s ultra modern bulk of super sexy couples around! Perhaps her eyes were full of so many questions! The girls of age were in front of her and she was standing in that darkness. I was into her at that time. Inside me, someone was definitely feeling bad.

Suvam nudged me, “Let’s go. 5 mins to the show.”

I got up and intentionally took the direction through which I could be nearer to the woman. Suvam was in front of me. I looked at the man, still busy in abusing through his phone and then looked at the woman, now she was gazing at McDonald’s where a girl with green top was giving a tight hug to a guy and at the back side of that girl’s T Shirt it was written, “Being Girl Rocks”.

I could hardly stop myself from laughing. Suvam asked, “What?”

I said, “Being Girl Rocks!”

He smiled and said, “Seeing Girls Rocks!” 

 

DEAR FRIENDS, SORRY FOR THE DELAY. HAD THIS NONSENSE FEVER. AM FINE NOW AND THANKS FOR YOUR LOVE AND CARE AND WISHES AND PRAYERS AND  PATIENCE AND WORRIES AND CALLS AND LOVE AND ...................... EVERYTHING! GOD BLESS YOU!

The day was different, since morning, it was different. I entered into the classroom and it was flooded with students, young boys and girls in that long hall sized classroom. I was wearing my school uniform, white shirt, navy blue trouser, black shoes, wet hair combed back and notebooks in hand. I reached the back bench of the class and there were my friends smiling.

I sat by Piku and Raja. All other friends were smiling. It was the 1^st day in class 11 and there was a special new thing in that classroom…… Girls!!! Piku uttered in an excited voice, “Ani, saw the girls, all are beauty!!! It’s heaven, isn’t it?”

Raja grinned, “Duffer, no girl will look at you.”

Piku got hurt, “Hey come on, look at your withering hair! Stupid you look like a 40+ uncle.” Everybody laughed and I knew that this smile will last for long.

Within 2 minutes, the Political Science teacher, Nitai Sir, entered who had taught History till 10^th standard and on 11^th he will be teaching us Political Science. After the brief introduction of himself and the subject he will be teaching, Nitai Sir said, “I want all the guys/girls to stand up who have got 1^st Division or Star in 10^th.”

Some 30-35 guys and girls stood up and each one gave their introductions! There was a fat guy in front of me, so I was guarded and I was the last one. When that guy gave his introduction and sat, Nitai sir saw me and said, “Oh hooo”.

Everyone was surprised! Why was it that the teacher was smiling? Everyone looked back at me and I met those eyes and something went through my heart.

Nitai sir went on saying, “Meet this guy. He is Aniruddh Banerjee. He is the topper and has got a Star on 10^th and he will be topping in this class as well. Whosoever wants to compete, can go on competing, but I really doubt on his/her success.” Huge PR in the 1^st class itself! All new faces were smiling, but my eyes were fixed at my feet, I was shivering from inside, who is she? The eyes! My god! Why was it that I was trembling by just looking at the eyes once?

The class went on and I hardly looked up from my desk, I was in a trance. The class ended and Nitai sir went out. Most of the students went to the veranda, but I was still on my desk. I slowly looked up and put my eyes at that direction from where light came and blurred me. She was still there. A white saree with a blue border, hair locks are tied back and she was looking through the window at her right side. The silhouette of beauty! It was as if I was hypnotised, could hardly move myself.  I just kept sitting there for long.

Piku came and asked, “What’s wrong?”

I uttered, “Nothing.”

“Hey come on, your eyes are red! What’s wrong?”

“Nothing?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Get the Fuck off!” I shouted and she turned back. I was so ashamed. Piku was shocked. I seized by registers and went out of the class. Without looking here and there, I jumped over the wall and started rushing towards the playing ground. I reached the banyan tree at the end of the ground, sat under the shade and don’t know why I felt tears on my face!! Why?

Next day, I came to know her. She was a real beauty. Slim, fair, long hair, waving arms, encouraging smile and the eyebrows, as if a great artist has spent hours to paint the curve of the eyebrows! She was the embodiment of beauty, but without any utter consciousness about her beauty. Gradually, Saturday came and that means the next would be Sunday. When the class ended on Saturday, I went up to the top floor of the building and sat there watching her going away by the long road, watching her walking away from my eyes for a day… watching her till she got mixed with the vague nothingness! It was regular. I used to go there to watch her going away and used to write her name on the roof with stones!!! The name, the sound of that name, the spelling of that name was enough to bring thousand impulses inside me!!

Next week spoke for the 1^st time and the 1^st sentence she uttered was “Aniruddh, I’m impressed by your popularity!” The kid inside me was jumping and I was acting cool. It was just a matter of 3 days’ talk that I saw in those beautiful eyes ……. Love was smiling through her! She was in love!!!!

I used to ride my bicycle everywhere and used to imagine so many conversations between us, her smile, my responses, her surprise, a look, an intentionally unintentional touch! I was in heaven. I was rich, I was full, I was mad! I came to know through her friends that most of the times she used to ask about me! Life was so nice, so beautiful, I was in LOVE! First Love!

:

:

:

:

One night after some 45 days……..

Smiling and jumping I entered into the house at 9pm and shouted, “Maa, give me something to eat!” and I went to wash myself. I started humming some soft tune while drying my hands with a towel and sat at the place where we used to take dinner. Taking water on the finger top, I was writing her name on the floor again and again, but didn’t realise that it was some 15 minutes I was sitting there yet my mother didn’t come. Suddenly I heard her footsteps; I looked up and saw her eyes were red. She came, sat by my side and started crying! Clueless, I was surprised like hell! She hugged me tightly, and struggling her tears the sound that came out was…. “Sorry, I can’t feed you dear….. No food tonight!” I heard my father fighting his tears inside the dark room……. I held my left arm tightly around my mother, and my right hand reached the place where it was still written through finger-top water… PRATIMA!! I moved my palm over the name and there was no PRATIMA anymore on the floor!!!