The morn sun would stare at me every morn as if challenging a race. Who finishes the day first? Ha! Mumbai. A week (weak) stay there and you know ‘there’s more to life....’
I was traveling by my usual Dadar-Andheri route. Secluded, stranger and tired is what I was that day. One hand checking regularly whether my cell was with me or no, or had it been robbed, and the second hand holding the handle so that I don’t fall off. I was busy. Too busy to notice anything around me. A glance here and there would give me an opportunity to catch someone looking at me since a long time. Strange. Ladies compartment? Oh…I did not know that this was so common here. But then she looked at me in a very strange manner. Again, I checked for my mobile and this time even wallet. All’s safe. Through that maddening train crowd of 4 pm, I could only see her eyes. I am not much of an eye reader but there was something fixing in her gaze. As if asking me, something.
I looked at her perplexed. I wanted to rush and help her. Wanted to give her a tight hug and tell her, ‘everything is going to be alright’. Suddenly, the bubbly teenager blocking our view, shifted. Now I could look at her fully. She was in tatters. Beggar. I am too civilized to use that word. She was from the under privileged strata of Bhaarat. The ones for whom the ruling party always has brilliant ‘plans’ and the opposition always has better. Phew! Shitty…!! What does the government do about these people. Some organization is planning to revamp Dhaaravi. Why don’t they just let them be? Stop interfering in their lives. There are enough of other problems that need to be addressed right now. The Indo-US nuke deal will not change the life of a person standing in the ration line or the coin shortage in Kolkata. The beg…oops…the under privileged ones did a good business at the recent coin shortage in Kolkata. They sold their coins for some more extra bucks. Wow!! Now that is a brilliant move. First you ask for the coins (begging), and then there is a shortage, after this you sell the same coins for extra coins. Clink, clink, clink!!
Taps. Shilpa did tap in the UK bazaar with quite a force. Britishers have started to sing ‘chura ke dil mera..goriya chali’. Now that the Queen has praised our Queen Bee, the Indo-UK relations are gearing up. Now we need a Pakistan reality TV show, where we could send Ayub Khan! You will soon know who Ayub Khan is, once he goes for the Bade Miyan Show. Forget Kargil, and we will have better relations. Soon the nut, Ayub, will be taking decisions about Kashmir. Addha ise do, adha usse do. Mamla khatam! Who cares if the next president of India will be a woman. Political moves. India has no other ‘pratibha’ other than being the ‘first-me’. Making a big deal out of everything. Stop competing with the ‘super powers’. There is only one super power. Almighty. Do meditation daily, practice Tai Chi, do Reiki and follow the Art of Living.
Taps. ‘Pass me the Mid Day’, says a commuter. ‘Yes sure,’ I say. I need my daily dose of Mid Day at least for the time I am in Mumbai. Oh, that beggar, must have gotten off after I blasted on her when she tried to tap me for coins while I was reading about the country. Jai Hind!
(Pic courtesy: AP)
My tears also know no where to go…they stay confused…dazed…shocked.
