A walk in the rain

Its strange how when you think of writing about something-you don’t know where to start and when you do you can’t stop. As a friend interestingly pointed out-I start speaking in the second person the moment am intending to criticize myself and it even goes to a third person when the criticism is severe like for instance-they all are like that-the people of the world…blah blah.Works when you want to shift the guilt...eh? (There I go again!)

So coming back to where I started-this happened on a late morning, couple of days ago. On a day when a particular news channel-“India V.T” or was it “Kal Aaj Aur Kal” was announcing that the city was to go down the drains (literally, possible and believable) with videos marked “files” showing waves lashing out of some sea. On another channel, a hassled looking guy with a hooded jacket was standing besides a Tata Sumo with 4 guys on top of it. He was saying- “Jaisa ki aap dekh sakhte ek baar phir Mumbai hui behaal..Aaiye jaane iska aankhon dekha haal”. (Man! this guy was good at rhyming!) “Hum khade hain Mumbai ke ek vyasta ilaake me jahan log fanse hue hain...wo jahan ban pad raha hai...Apni zindagi ke liye latke hue hai.” The camera just then zoomed on a passerby busy happily talking on the cell phone followed by a voice-“gaadivar focus kara “(Roughly translated to – focus on the car) ” and the camera zoomed in where it was to be meant to in the first instance. Before the man could finish elaborating on the inconveniences of subjecting one’s butt to the roof of a vehicle (pardon my language-or is it unwarranted till I use its synonym..a certain a**?) –I swiched off the I-Box (The ‘I’ does not stand for Internet). I looked outside the window. It was drizzling and decided to take a walk in the rain.

As I came near the gate of my building the watchman called out (should he be called watch-person keeping in mind the gender equality trend in line with the likes of chairperson, etc?).”Maidum - aaj haiee taid hai haiee taid-aaj duniya khatam hone waali hai”.As I looked at him nonchalantly patting the tobacco leaves and baring his beetle leaf stained teeth-I was surprised by the unremarkable impact of doomsday on this guy. He might as well have said – “Maidum aaj doodh waala nai aayegaa”

As I tugged my jacket closer and walked on the road, I saw the shutters of “Siddhivinayak” drawn up and sacks of grains being pulled out to display. Heard Raoji – the store owner call out – “Walk pe niklaa hai kya...bain-staind pe khoopach public hai…aap bi jao..Chutti hai…he he”. I smiled at him and continued walking. A couple of rickshawaalahs were gathered at a tea stall. One said-“aaj suboo se hee carter pe ricksaa lagaya.Do ghante ke andar paanch sau...khaali idhar se udhar...he he”. So Doomsday Tourism was turning out to be quite profitable for some people. There were some BMC vehicles marked on the roadside apparently in anticipation of the calamity. Prolonged periods of sleep curled up on a seat is said to induce high levels of action orientation or so I thought looking at our “rakshaks” enjoying their late morning siesta.

The rain had stopped. The sun was shining with determination against all odds as if to disprove the media and weather bureau speculation of its performance. I smiled hearing a passerby on a by-cycle singing, “Dhaga li laagli kadaa paani them padaa...”

And I walked back home