Playing the gods
04.26.07 (6:01 pm) [edit]I was sitting in my office. Not at my desk, but in a glass paned room which housed the TT and pool tables. The pool table wasn't busy and my room-mates were playing TT. I was sitting on the floor, I was sweating - I just had some consecutive sets of TT and the lack of A/C wasn't heping me much. I wasn't squatting but sitting with my legs forward with a bend in the knees. I was looking down at some void with a TT racket in hand. Anyone who saw me then would have easily envisaged a tired player sitting and probably waiting for his next turn at the table. I knew that I was deep in thought...I couldn't have been any nearer to the solution than I ever was...
I walked back from school that day - I could not remember what, but it was a burden on my back. As always I was moving along with short simply movements, I always walked fast when am alone. But this day I was scratching my shoes on the ground. I hated that sound - hated it as much as I hated beige. That's all I could remember.
A few days after my aunt's marriage in Pnadalur, I was walking alone to my home from a place called uppati. The place was a good 3 kms from my home and I was returning from our tea estate. We had went as a gang, my cousins and a big gang of localites who told me stories of night-time robberies rampant in those parts. After an all-day playing, we started home when someone realised that the youngest cousin ( three years junior to me) was missing for a while. We searched him, and all I remember was that by the time we found him it was pretty dark. We missed the last bus to our place and had to settle for a van which transported tea leaves to come to uppati. From uppati, our house was 3 kms away. There was a flash of stupidity and everyone departed due to some pressing issues. I walked the last three miles with wild flowers along the side-walk. I had a fearful thought that someone might suddenly emerge from the dense foilage on the left side (the right side had a huge steepy pilage of rocks and very few greenery). No one came out that night..
The hatchlings
04.18.07 (3:32 pm) [edit]I wandered the underground parking lot for a while but decided to get outside for a smoke. I really needed it - it was one of the coldest nights in hyderabad, something which I hated immensely. But to smoke I had to go out and to go out was surely a mistake - it will only get colder. I took out my cellphone to see the time - a habit of mine. Sure, I had a nice metal strapped watch and all but I like to see my cellphone once a while. Besides, I wanted to make sure I hadn't missed the call - the phone showed the precise time and it was also accurate in showing that I had no missed calls. Sure - how'd there be one...haven't I been seeing the phone once every five minutes for the last hour or so waiting for the call. I am quite phobic about missing calls. My ringtone starts off with a quite bell gradually increasing its volume and finally launches into a tirade of polyphonic violent music. Music cannot be violent, only until you hear my ringtone, believe me. As such the violent cacophony is quite distinguishable but the barely audible bell is not. So many times, I have muted my TV in the midst of something for I would be sure I was being called. I am not sure when this problem started - I have always been good about answering calls, even when it comes from some lame guy wanting me to buy his credit cards or some good nuisances asking me for my bank account details - I always have answered them properly. Hindsight as they say is a bitch..
I put my phone inside my trouser packets and reached for my car. I always had a fresh pack inside it. I usually have one inside my trousers' but today I threw it into the dustbin vowing to quit it. It was almost full - dammit it - I am wasting a lot of money trying to quit this habit. Better to throw empty packets from now whenever I want to quit. Nevertheless I took out the new pack, wished to put it into my mouth then and there, but decided to go out anyway. I was almost sure that the sprinkler system in my company wouldn't work but I didn't want to check today. Not now - not by starting a false alarm in the underground system and having to soak a torture on why I did it. I would hate it to ruin the office - sure all the computer and gadgets would get messy but I dont want the carpets to get soggy. For some reason I hate soggy carpets...
As I was nearing the gate, the call came. This time I was sure I was not delirious for I could sense the vibration in my thighs. I pulled it out. It was the call I had been expecting. I said a casual hello, trying to be as casual as possible. I walked out of the gate just as I did that and once outside I heard the plan from the voice at the other end of the phone.