The Airport

Life is in total dumps...... As always nothing new about it. Anyways, that's a tale for some other time. It's 2AM, and I am at the airport on an unusually pleasant weathered March night. Pleasant, yes! Just the weather.

The airport was alive with people. Most of them have come to see off some one or the other. Next arrival was at 3AM, flight from Singapore; so there were a few at the arrival area, waiting for some one or the other. Thing about airports is that it makes you feel rich and affluent.... You end up paying 200 bucks for a tea or a coffee and you savor it as if it is usual thing you do everyday. So, while I was ordering for my portion of "nectar", my attention was drawn to an odd couple. 

The guy in his late twenties, balding, dark and lean. The girl too in her late twenties, long smooth black hair, fair and lean. The guy was holding a helmet in his hand, the one that is of the shape of a cooking pot (meen chatti (fish pot) in malayalam) and a shabby bag on his back. The gal had a black over coat and a hand bag, on the ground was the big jumbo VIP check-in bag.

The guy, obviously had rode a bike to the airport and the girl definitely did not come pillion with him. It intrigued me, everything about them. The girl looked way out of league for him. There was an untold sadness in their face. The guy had put a hand around her, as if consoling her or to an effect consoling himself. 

By the time I got my pipping hot tea, the couple had hugged each other in a sad intense manner, mumbling precious nothing and proceeded towards the departure gate. Both looked tensed and sad. The guy looked more emotional than the girl.....!

I stood there sipping my tea watching them indulge in their slow tragic good bye. There were people jostling all around and I wasn't at a vantage point anymore; So I now  moved closer to them and in the way ended up photobombing couple of group pictures.

Finally, the time had come for the girl to enter the security cordon, she holds the guy's hand and nods her head as if telling him not to worry and we will meet soon.

He says nothing, just looks on. She strides into the departure lounge, the bag on wheels in one hand. After a couple of steps...she gives a tentative glance back. The guy hadn't moved from his place, the last permissible area for the visitors. He looked on from there, with his helmet in one hand and the other hand on the barricade. She goes thru the initial security and enters THE airport, from there she waves at him, he

waves back. He stands there motionless, eyes fixed on the girl. Once she got in I couldn't find the girl, she was lost in the crowd inside, but I saw her thru his eyes. His eyes following her, unwilling to say the final good bye. She carried on with her check-in processes, he stood there waiting. I waited with him.

 

The hot tea was now cold; cold, like the breeze that caressed my face. Momentarily, he looked back, his eyes met mine. I could see the tears he had stopped from rolling out in his eyes. He glanced back once more, looking at me for a brief moment longer than what is normal. I looked away.

I stood there, watched him wait till she got into an escalator. As the escalator went up, I knew those were the final seconds of his vigil. He sighed, his shoulder drooped. His gaze was fixed on the escalator, the last place he had seen her. Slowly, he turned back and ambled to the exit. He took his mobile out and tapped on it couple of times before taking it to his ears....looked like he dialed a number; but suddenly, withdrew from completing the call. He puts the phone back into his pocket and walks off.

I stood there wondering about the odd couple. What could be and what not. There was an overwhelming sense of pain in him and somehow unknowingly, I carried back with me a portion of his pain.

The Fantasy Express

Every single time I embark on a train journey, I step on to the platform with an eternal optimism.


An optimism that has kept alive one of my deepest desires…. That a hot beautiful young single mallu gal would occupy the seat next to me, she would initiate a conversation with me and one things leading to other would mould our relation into something meaningful!!.

"Ding Dong!! Daivittu gamanisi…. Gaadi sankye ondhu muru…. " That’s how I usually come back from my fantasy and realize that it is still a desire. It was no different the last time I travelled on train.

So wasting no time I scan around my platform prying for that “fantasy-girl”….after completing 270 degree scan my optimism meter was down at a hopeless 10 from a cheerful 100. But as I entered the last 90 degree of the scan I find a perfect match!!! Voila the optimism meter shoots up beyond 100.

Loose fitting white top and casual blue jeans…. Lovely smooth hairs…. A pretty face….Just one bag ….heelless sandals…and more importantly no one with a big sticker screaming BOYFRIEND on his forehead around her…!!!

She looked slightly tensed and was constantly looking at her watch!!! "what to do babe…. Indian Railways…can’t help it " I empathize with her inside my mind. Just one bag was a disappointment as that ruled out me offering a helping hand.

A little later, I hear the hoot of the train…. I now had just one and only one thing on mind, on my lips…. It was a prayer….. "Let her be in my compartment…let her be in my compartment!!"

Train halts…I wait for her to board the train…but she seemed to be glued to the ground and really tensed and worried. I just couldn’t wait any longer and was about to board the train.. that I see her finally moving slowly towards the train. I follow her…my seat was 35, 4th compartment. She passes the 1st, 2nd and 3rd compartment…..now was the final test….!!!

She moves inside the 4th compartment and places her bag under the seat. By that time "mann mein mere 2-3 laddooo toh phut hi gaye they".

Now was the time to swagger and act cool. I strode in and placed my bag on the side rack and sat opposite to her and immediately started acting busy on my phone.

The train was still at the station, suddenly a sweat voice breaks the silence "Excuse me, do you know when will we reach the next station?" it was her, asking me…. Everything was working like charm…!! It was as if all the 33 crore God’s listened to my desire all at a time!!!

"In another 30 minutes or so… why what happened?" purposefully I add a question to keep the conversation going. "My husband is yet to reach the station, he has my mobile phone; so can I use your phone to just ask him where he is? Please?"

after the word “husband” I really didn’t hear what she said… I just nodded my head and went with it…!!!



The shock was too heavy for me to even wonder "How come all the gals you would be interested in are either married or in a relationship?? How??"

So, for sure I don’t think my next train travel would begin any differently!!!



:- The above is just an expression of the writer’s imagination and nothing more !

Understanding Gandhi, Knowing Anna!!

As a kid, as a teenager and also in my youth I have actively and enthusiastically pursued the history of my great nation with passion and religious devotion.

I hated that portion of my nation’s history where we were enslaved and subjugated to atrocities by the Europeans/British and the Islamic barbarian invaders.

I further more hated that part where India under took the non-violent route towards freedom struggle. I could easily admire a Bhagat singh, a Sukh Dev or a Neta Ji and a Chandrashekar Azad.

I could admire Gandhi Ji only with some reservations.

I had wondered what power did sathyagraha or non-violence possess. I wondered, wasn’t aggression the best and the easiest way out? I had always firmly believed that violence and aggression would have got us the freedom much earlier than gandhi’s way.

I desperately wanted to relate to Gandhiji and his principles, but I couldn’t. I read books upon books, including “My experiments with truth”; of which I proudly own an original copy from way back in 1950s priced 50 paisa. Still, I couldn’t relate, I simply reconciled and compromised to blindly accept Gandhi ji as a great leader.

All the time last 10 years I had hoped that India gets a leader who will show me the meaning and essence of Gandhism. I had been disillusioned and disgusted at the way nation’s leadership was taken up, none of them worthy of being one. I had pitied myself and my generation to be unfortunate to have been led by spineless and aimless, double faced so- called leaders.

But all that is changed today, all my doubts cleared now. It was as if Gandhiji heard us somewhere from up and sent us Annaji, Kishan Baburao Hazare.

One man, One resolve and look at what we have. We have an inspired, rejuvenated and spirited nation here. And what was his medium??? Anshan, non-violence and integrity. Unwavering and focused, polite and pious, passionate and innocent!!!!!Truthful and determined towards the cause and purpose.

His resolve had the power to mobilize a whole nation, a nation of 125 crore. 12 days of nationwide “protests” and not a single drop of blood was shed. There was no one who came out crying at the end of it. At the end of it each and every person involved came out a changed, energized and a happy person.

Having witnessed this, I can today, now realize what Gandhism is, what Gandhi ji practiced…..words will not do justice to it, it’s something one can only experience.

I today know it is way tougher to protest in a non-violent manner. As often said, you may have multiple solutions to a problem, but trust the most inconvenient one to be the best solution to it.!!!
This phrase proves itself correct again and again.

Aren’t we a lucky generation who read gandhism in theory and also had the opportunity put into practice???
Aren’t we proud to have a leader like Anna amongst us??? Aren’t we proud to call ourselves INDIANs?

Not that we were ever, not-proud, today it makes us even more proud.
World over when, nation after nation is soaking in blood bath protests and we see social degeneration of other nations, we worried that we too might go into that mode. But, my dear friends look at what we have achieved…… aren’t you absolutely ecstatic about it??? Aren’t you filled with nationalist pride and doesn’t a drop of tear break down your eyes when you look back at the days of non-violent protests Gandhi ji led, that were met with violent retaliation from the British.

I truly appreciate the values and essence of Gandhism!!!! And I am proud to be an INDIAN at this point of time more than any other!!!!

Jai Hind Jai Bharat!!!!!