3 issues I wanted to report
Reservations is getting bulldozed further down the countries throat.
Manmohan Singh has failed me as a politician and as a man of conviction. I cannot vote the Congress anymore not for the next term atleast.
Fanaa will be blacked out from Gujarat.
Good! I never voted the BJP because of its overtly divisive agendas. And I never will. Narendra Modi is the last thing we want in India. Whats interesting will be Aamir's take on this. I have a innate respect for him as a professional. What does he do?
India has lost its second consecutive match against the Windies.
I quite like this. You may call me antinational but I no longer enjoy the success of the cricket team which represents the BCCI politics than India as a whole. Infact these days I revel in its failures.
But this leaves me with 2 problems to grapple with. One, I won't vote the BJP and I can't vote for the Congress. So whom do vote for? Second, if I do not enjoy watching cricket anymore so what other sport do I watch?
May 24, 2006
May 23, 2006
Being in the heat
Whenever this issue of reservation crops up I somehow feel very agitated. The recent pictures of students getting beaten up only added fuel to the fire. I wished I was there in one of those protests feeling the heat. One friend of mine was part of one such protests. And I have one more reason to respect him.
Click here to know more.
Click here to know more.
May 20, 2006
Misnomer Arjun
The folly of being named Arjun
Unfortunately I follow Indian politics very closely. And I admit it does not endear me well to others as it forces me to devote my time and read about people like Arjun Singh.
Born a rajput, Arjun Singh was never able to accept that he would not rule some day. Good for him because one of the key attributes of a ruler is that he has to be a leader. And leaders have to take a stand.
But Arjun's dilly dallying during Narasimha Rao's era is famous. When you do not have a cause you are left with no option but to look for the right reason and right time to strike. Afterall a deep set desire to rule cannot be called a stand.
Narasimha Rao atleast had some scholarly credentials for us to respect him as a man. Arjun unfortunately has no such specialities which will earn him any respect. The typical oxymoronic Congressman he symbolises what has always been wrong about Congress.
His entire life has been spent proving his loyalty to the Gandhi family. His only agenda is to cling on to political limelight. Now Arjun is an old man. As a reward for his unabashed loyalty he was thrown the HRD pie. But his brand of politics is no longer hep and happening. He does not have any developmental agendas of his own. And there were indications he would sleep over his tenure and then be cold storaged into a gubernatorial position.
But Arjun is a greedy man. His hunger for power and his senility made him do a VP like decoy. But I hope he knows that inspite of gifting India Mandal, VP could not last the issue. VP is now a lone ranger and cries out from time to time barely audible. He is like Chetan Sharma who gets his chance to do commentary for only the DD channels.
Arjun's fate will be no better. I have intrinsic faith in life and believe that India will live through people like Arjun. We have lived through far worse people like him and tolerating many more in our polity.
Inspite of being on a walking stick, Arjun on the last mile of life, has the vulgarity of clinging on to power. Do these people realise that they are mortal? That they would be standing in a queue in front God. Where the entire account of his life will be audited threadbare. Does he realise that the life he has led will only lead him to be a lizard or an insect in the Amazonian forests in his next birth?
From the looks of it he does not. Result - The Congress will get on one vote less in the next general election.
Unfortunately I follow Indian politics very closely. And I admit it does not endear me well to others as it forces me to devote my time and read about people like Arjun Singh.Born a rajput, Arjun Singh was never able to accept that he would not rule some day. Good for him because one of the key attributes of a ruler is that he has to be a leader. And leaders have to take a stand.
But Arjun's dilly dallying during Narasimha Rao's era is famous. When you do not have a cause you are left with no option but to look for the right reason and right time to strike. Afterall a deep set desire to rule cannot be called a stand.
Narasimha Rao atleast had some scholarly credentials for us to respect him as a man. Arjun unfortunately has no such specialities which will earn him any respect. The typical oxymoronic Congressman he symbolises what has always been wrong about Congress.
His entire life has been spent proving his loyalty to the Gandhi family. His only agenda is to cling on to political limelight. Now Arjun is an old man. As a reward for his unabashed loyalty he was thrown the HRD pie. But his brand of politics is no longer hep and happening. He does not have any developmental agendas of his own. And there were indications he would sleep over his tenure and then be cold storaged into a gubernatorial position.
But Arjun is a greedy man. His hunger for power and his senility made him do a VP like decoy. But I hope he knows that inspite of gifting India Mandal, VP could not last the issue. VP is now a lone ranger and cries out from time to time barely audible. He is like Chetan Sharma who gets his chance to do commentary for only the DD channels.
Arjun's fate will be no better. I have intrinsic faith in life and believe that India will live through people like Arjun. We have lived through far worse people like him and tolerating many more in our polity.
Inspite of being on a walking stick, Arjun on the last mile of life, has the vulgarity of clinging on to power. Do these people realise that they are mortal? That they would be standing in a queue in front God. Where the entire account of his life will be audited threadbare. Does he realise that the life he has led will only lead him to be a lizard or an insect in the Amazonian forests in his next birth?
From the looks of it he does not. Result - The Congress will get on one vote less in the next general election.
May 19, 2006
Divide & Rule: British Ishtyle
2 recent incidents will lay etched in my memory forever. Scenes stark enough to make blood curdle.
First when the news channel were showing a hapless constable being chased by a mob on the streets of Bangalore after Rajkumar's death. As an outsider I could not fathom the reasons behind the riots.
A walk down my neighbourhood told me it was an enforced mourning. Small groups of youth carrying the Karnataka flag on their two wheelers were patrolling the streets.
Even the cooler climes of Kodai were'nt enough to temper me down when I saw a policeman was carried away by mobs and getting lynched in full public view. When you see such a thing you lose all faith in the state.
Second when I saw the mumbai police contables beating up a group of protesting doctors. The policemen looked hellbent on breaking every bones that the students had. What prompted that kind of fury?
It is one of those moments when you itch to be in scene of action and take a stand. But there was not a single voice of condemnation. Reservation is a sensitive issue in country. - a gift of V.P. Singh. Views are polarised based on which side of the coin you are.
Both the above incidents have larger social undertones. The first about the north-south divide and the second about the class divide. And then you Mr. Advani's gift to handle - the communcal divide. The language divide. Each would be a material for a thousand posts.
India's complexity lies in the fact the these different divisive parameters are not independant of each other. If you look each had some virgin nebulous. But each issue was raped by some poltician or the other for furthering their political cause. Each with the potential of becoming a caldroun too hot to handle for the Advanis, the VPs and the Arjun Singhs. These maniacs do not realise that these issues will last well beyond their mortality.
Why does India have so few politicians who leave a positive legacy like Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.
First when the news channel were showing a hapless constable being chased by a mob on the streets of Bangalore after Rajkumar's death. As an outsider I could not fathom the reasons behind the riots.
A walk down my neighbourhood told me it was an enforced mourning. Small groups of youth carrying the Karnataka flag on their two wheelers were patrolling the streets.
Even the cooler climes of Kodai were'nt enough to temper me down when I saw a policeman was carried away by mobs and getting lynched in full public view. When you see such a thing you lose all faith in the state.
Second when I saw the mumbai police contables beating up a group of protesting doctors. The policemen looked hellbent on breaking every bones that the students had. What prompted that kind of fury?
It is one of those moments when you itch to be in scene of action and take a stand. But there was not a single voice of condemnation. Reservation is a sensitive issue in country. - a gift of V.P. Singh. Views are polarised based on which side of the coin you are.
Both the above incidents have larger social undertones. The first about the north-south divide and the second about the class divide. And then you Mr. Advani's gift to handle - the communcal divide. The language divide. Each would be a material for a thousand posts.
India's complexity lies in the fact the these different divisive parameters are not independant of each other. If you look each had some virgin nebulous. But each issue was raped by some poltician or the other for furthering their political cause. Each with the potential of becoming a caldroun too hot to handle for the Advanis, the VPs and the Arjun Singhs. These maniacs do not realise that these issues will last well beyond their mortality.
Why does India have so few politicians who leave a positive legacy like Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.
Namma Bengaluru
The phenomenon that is Bangalore.
I have had the opportunity to spend quite some time in a few Indian cities. Each time I have gone to a new city I have done so with an open mind. To absorb the new culture, their way of life. It is very interesting how each city is different from one another. But no Indian city (apart from Kolkata) has left so much impression on me as Bangalore has done.
The first time when I came here I was bowled over by almost everything that I saw. The natural airconditioning, the youngness of the crowd, the lush greenary, the avenued roads and ofcourse the opportunities that it offerred.
All this, packed into an area which you could safely traverse on your two wheeler with your dear wifey tucked behind. There was hardly anything about this place which I did not like. Not even the admonisment I got for shouting at the nearby chicken stall owner. No one honked from behind if you were a tard late to start your engine at a traffic signal once the green lights were on and timer said 0 second.
It was a city which seemed to be sure of its place. A city in no hurry. A city which was not trying to prove anything to India and to the world outside. A city where I did not have my brush with civic corruption. A city which everybody was gaga about.
The second time I could see a drastic difference. Only 2 year hence. Rents have shot the roof. The summers are hot - the natural air conditioning almost gone. Earlier while you were waiting at a signal, no vehicle used to move till the timer showed 3-4 seconds. But now I can see an impatience when the timer is hovering around 12-13.
As the length and breadth of the city becomes more undefined there is a sense of hurry. Driving in Bangalore is like taking part in an Urban rally. You are competing with everybody else to finish first.
Suddenly you see people are more angry. And now I am admonishing people for not being patient.
On the social level, there is a perception that outsiders from the north and from neighbouring states is enjoying the pie. There is a sense of insecurity. A sense of getting lost in your own land. The recent riots post Rajkumar's were a result of that. The whole segment of the urban poor has not benefited. At best they end up servicing the outsiders who are now the king consumers.
But Bangalore was never meant for this kind of growth. Thus the growth pangs are even harsher than the other big metros have faced. They too have their own share of problems. Parallely the media's honeymoon with Bangalore is over. Once it was fashionable to slam Kolkata and its redness. Now the guns are slowly getting trained towards Bangalore. Today deriding Bangalore sells more than deriding Kolkata. And the Devegowda bumpkins have not helped thing either.
But despite all this I like Bangalore. And I dont feel the need to spell out why.
I have had the opportunity to spend quite some time in a few Indian cities. Each time I have gone to a new city I have done so with an open mind. To absorb the new culture, their way of life. It is very interesting how each city is different from one another. But no Indian city (apart from Kolkata) has left so much impression on me as Bangalore has done.
The first time when I came here I was bowled over by almost everything that I saw. The natural airconditioning, the youngness of the crowd, the lush greenary, the avenued roads and ofcourse the opportunities that it offerred.
All this, packed into an area which you could safely traverse on your two wheeler with your dear wifey tucked behind. There was hardly anything about this place which I did not like. Not even the admonisment I got for shouting at the nearby chicken stall owner. No one honked from behind if you were a tard late to start your engine at a traffic signal once the green lights were on and timer said 0 second.
It was a city which seemed to be sure of its place. A city in no hurry. A city which was not trying to prove anything to India and to the world outside. A city where I did not have my brush with civic corruption. A city which everybody was gaga about.
The second time I could see a drastic difference. Only 2 year hence. Rents have shot the roof. The summers are hot - the natural air conditioning almost gone. Earlier while you were waiting at a signal, no vehicle used to move till the timer showed 3-4 seconds. But now I can see an impatience when the timer is hovering around 12-13.
As the length and breadth of the city becomes more undefined there is a sense of hurry. Driving in Bangalore is like taking part in an Urban rally. You are competing with everybody else to finish first.
Suddenly you see people are more angry. And now I am admonishing people for not being patient.
On the social level, there is a perception that outsiders from the north and from neighbouring states is enjoying the pie. There is a sense of insecurity. A sense of getting lost in your own land. The recent riots post Rajkumar's were a result of that. The whole segment of the urban poor has not benefited. At best they end up servicing the outsiders who are now the king consumers.
But Bangalore was never meant for this kind of growth. Thus the growth pangs are even harsher than the other big metros have faced. They too have their own share of problems. Parallely the media's honeymoon with Bangalore is over. Once it was fashionable to slam Kolkata and its redness. Now the guns are slowly getting trained towards Bangalore. Today deriding Bangalore sells more than deriding Kolkata. And the Devegowda bumpkins have not helped thing either.
But despite all this I like Bangalore. And I dont feel the need to spell out why.
May 12, 2006
Happiness Explained??
"Change what you can, accept what you cannot and have the wisdom to know the difference"
In the daily muddle of everyday life how many of us can claim to be happy? The problem may not always be that we are unhappy. It may be with the definition of happiness. What does happiness connote to each of us?
Ilona Bloniwell, an academic psychologist and a practitioner, in a recent study based on BBC Two's opinion poll tries to unravel the seemingly complex question. And there are lessons in that.
To the 1000 odd respondents happiness meant any one or more of the following:
Rathers the 6 factors above made more sense. Does your happiness index lie somewhere amongst the 6 or outside? Here is my take on each. I asked myself how much each factor was influential in making me happy on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being most influtiential). Result:
Relationships: 8
Most of the time our life gets defined in terms of the relationships that we strike up with other humans. Its the quality of these relationships that preoccupy our mind and define our days and finally our lives.
Contentment: 10
I am was not too sure about this. Ilona Bloniwell interprets contentment as "mental or emotional satisfaction and foremost, a peace of mind". And she explains it details (find the excerpt below).
Security & Money: 5
The more you interface with world the more you realise you are short of money and security. But how much is enough. Enough is not enough. But in some cases enough is enough. Thats when one should stop pushing the envelope.
Health: 9
"Jaan hain to Jahan hain". My grandfather always says health is the most important thing in life. Everything around you depends on how healthy your are. If you are not you are not left with anything else.
Transcendence: 7
The dictionary defines transcendence as a state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of material experience. Well if that is the case I am fairly out of it. A very important factor with all the peer pressures, mall hopping, flat buying, car loans etc
Fulfilment: 5
An overlap with contentment? Not too sure. May be it talks about the smaller things in life. But it can be also about the bigger achievements.
But all in all it boils down to Contentment.
Here is what Ilona Bloniwell says. I couldnt interpret it a more better manner. Hence copying
the stuff here.
Inner peace
What they have in common, it seems, is not fighting yourself. You are content when the different parts of yourself make friends with each other.
Discontent, on the other hand, is the result of a discrepancy between what you want and what you get.
However, nobody can have everything they want. So does it mean that we can not be content?
Fortunately not. What we want depends on us, rather than the situation, so by changing our perspective we can affect our level of contentment as much, if not more, as we could do by changing the situation.
In the daily muddle of everyday life how many of us can claim to be happy? The problem may not always be that we are unhappy. It may be with the definition of happiness. What does happiness connote to each of us?
Ilona Bloniwell, an academic psychologist and a practitioner, in a recent study based on BBC Two's opinion poll tries to unravel the seemingly complex question. And there are lessons in that.
To the 1000 odd respondents happiness meant any one or more of the following:- Relationships
- Contentment
- Security & Money
- Health
- Transcendence
- Fulfilment
Rathers the 6 factors above made more sense. Does your happiness index lie somewhere amongst the 6 or outside? Here is my take on each. I asked myself how much each factor was influential in making me happy on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being most influtiential). Result:
Relationships: 8
Most of the time our life gets defined in terms of the relationships that we strike up with other humans. Its the quality of these relationships that preoccupy our mind and define our days and finally our lives.
Contentment: 10
I am was not too sure about this. Ilona Bloniwell interprets contentment as "mental or emotional satisfaction and foremost, a peace of mind". And she explains it details (find the excerpt below).
Security & Money: 5
The more you interface with world the more you realise you are short of money and security. But how much is enough. Enough is not enough. But in some cases enough is enough. Thats when one should stop pushing the envelope.
Health: 9
"Jaan hain to Jahan hain". My grandfather always says health is the most important thing in life. Everything around you depends on how healthy your are. If you are not you are not left with anything else.
Transcendence: 7
The dictionary defines transcendence as a state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of material experience. Well if that is the case I am fairly out of it. A very important factor with all the peer pressures, mall hopping, flat buying, car loans etc
Fulfilment: 5
An overlap with contentment? Not too sure. May be it talks about the smaller things in life. But it can be also about the bigger achievements.
But all in all it boils down to Contentment.
Here is what Ilona Bloniwell says. I couldnt interpret it a more better manner. Hence copying
the stuff here.
Inner peace
What they have in common, it seems, is not fighting yourself. You are content when the different parts of yourself make friends with each other.
Discontent, on the other hand, is the result of a discrepancy between what you want and what you get.
However, nobody can have everything they want. So does it mean that we can not be content?
Fortunately not. What we want depends on us, rather than the situation, so by changing our perspective we can affect our level of contentment as much, if not more, as we could do by changing the situation.
May 5, 2006
Driving away fears
I owe this one to Opu.
A much awaited holiday was about to be spoilt by the death of Rajkumar. There was no way we could take the bus to Kodai. Bangalore was burning. I had just 2hrs to take a decision. It was then Opu came online and suggested that I drive the distance. 490 kms would be a 10hr drive. I flinched at the idea. And was almost preparing for the dissappointment.
Back home one look at my folks made me change my mind. It was Dad who had no qualms about driving the distance. He is always eager and never gets bogged down by eventualities. Sudeshna too was ready. He is my Dad type. Maa is ever reluctant and Mashi is the eternal fence-sitter (she doesnt have much of a choice anyways). Fortunately June still doesnt have opinions. So after some thought I decided to bite the bullet.
We were up at 3:30 am and by 4:30 we were well on our way to Kodaikanal. The roads were superb. The road atlas bought 5 years back with no thought finally came of use. We wouldnt have reached Kodai without that and the direction of Mr. Kumar (the owner of Tina Tours).
I never imagine our Alto would scream down NH-7 at 120 km an hour. It was equally smart on the highway and the hills. It never made me look like a fool though I suspected otherwise when we bought it. What's more on my way back it allowed only a Baleno and an Indiglo to get past it.
3 days on when we were back to a saner and cooler Bangalore, I didnt regret the decision.
This was the second time Opu coaxed me on. The first time I drove his Opel from Mumbai to Pune with June, Mashi and Mun. It may seem like no big deal but for a reluctant driver it was a huge mental block. The best thing now is that I am starting to enjoy these long drives.
Thanks Opu for egging me on.. Waiting to see what more tricks you have in your bag.
Mashi & June with the Black Beauty in background
Some of the frequent avoidable breaks (thanks to our Alto)
Black beauty resting area in Kodai infront of our (ITC's) guest house
Finally, the Black Beauty and her driver
A much awaited holiday was about to be spoilt by the death of Rajkumar. There was no way we could take the bus to Kodai. Bangalore was burning. I had just 2hrs to take a decision. It was then Opu came online and suggested that I drive the distance. 490 kms would be a 10hr drive. I flinched at the idea. And was almost preparing for the dissappointment.
Back home one look at my folks made me change my mind. It was Dad who had no qualms about driving the distance. He is always eager and never gets bogged down by eventualities. Sudeshna too was ready. He is my Dad type. Maa is ever reluctant and Mashi is the eternal fence-sitter (she doesnt have much of a choice anyways). Fortunately June still doesnt have opinions. So after some thought I decided to bite the bullet.
We were up at 3:30 am and by 4:30 we were well on our way to Kodaikanal. The roads were superb. The road atlas bought 5 years back with no thought finally came of use. We wouldnt have reached Kodai without that and the direction of Mr. Kumar (the owner of Tina Tours).
I never imagine our Alto would scream down NH-7 at 120 km an hour. It was equally smart on the highway and the hills. It never made me look like a fool though I suspected otherwise when we bought it. What's more on my way back it allowed only a Baleno and an Indiglo to get past it.
3 days on when we were back to a saner and cooler Bangalore, I didnt regret the decision.
This was the second time Opu coaxed me on. The first time I drove his Opel from Mumbai to Pune with June, Mashi and Mun. It may seem like no big deal but for a reluctant driver it was a huge mental block. The best thing now is that I am starting to enjoy these long drives.
Thanks Opu for egging me on.. Waiting to see what more tricks you have in your bag.
Here are some photos of our Alto during its sojourn in Kodai
Mashi & June with the Black Beauty in background
Some of the frequent avoidable breaks (thanks to our Alto)
Black beauty resting area in Kodai infront of our (ITC's) guest house
Finally, the Black Beauty and her driverLifeless Bernard & Living August
Many lifeless objects become part and parcel of our life. Our car, the TV, a favourite dress, the good pen and many more. For us these cease to be inanimate. When they are gone, we feel hollow. June had August. But August is missing from yesterday. Another lifeless object was responsible for the dissappearence. His name Bernard.
Back from work, I had an early dinner. June was getting a change. The morning had been bad. June's curiosity got the better of her. She spilt piping hot tea on herself. She calls it "Ta" but she would now stay away from it, alteast for while. Post the incidence, the ensuing chaos to find a scapegoat had shocked her even more. It was one chaotic morning.
The night in contrast was calm and cool, the "Tars" and the "Mun" were up there again. I was relaxing on the terrace. A terrace which we share with our neighbours. They live in a single room house. 3 adults and 2 grown up kids pack themselves in. An asbestos sheet covers their top. At most of times when the sun is down, they spill out of the house.
However Mashi was troubled. The previous day June's extreme care had dirtied August from head to toe. So Mashi had given him a nice wash and hung him like a scarecrow on the terrace to dry. But August was missing and so was another teddy named Mary.
I went up to our neighbours. No one was there except a lady who was deaf and dumb. She was trying to say something that I could'nt fathom. I went for a walk, upset. Sometime later when I went up with my landlord I found a man squatting on the floor, completely drunk. It was Mashi who deciphered the lady's speechless code. This man, who claimed to be a cousin brother of my neighbour, had stolen August. He sold him off for bottle of arrack. I was speechless.
My landlord tried his best to make him understand. They were speaking in Tamil and I felt even more speechless. I was as dumb as the other lady. Each of his words were accompanied by a gust of pungent stench. An hour down the line we were nowhere. He refused to admit and tell us where he had taken August.
Unfortunately the rest of the family was'nt there. How do I retrieve the situation I asked? I was already starting to miss August and June was yet to know. So I took over. I found that he understood English. I sat there for the long haul. I used all forms of techniques - threats, sympathy, kind words even the promise of another bottle if he took me where August was. But he held on, blank and hollow.
It was past 10. Mun had just arrived from office and threatened to take things in her own hands. I still tried to reason out. I probed him about himself. At the back of mind I was itching to know his story. He had 3 kids who stayed with their mother. All three fairly grown up and they refuse to recognise him on road. He meanders and sleeps on the terrace of this cousin brother. I could see some of his belongings scattered here and there.
He said his name was Bernard and he he made a living out of cleaning computers. What living I asked myself again? And then I realised he was not living. He was dead, lifeless, inanimate. My search for August was over.
After the family came, there was only tamasha. Everybody pitched in. Threats of police station. A brother hitting a brother. The deaf and dumb lady contradicting herself. A hostile Mun and mashi. And an amused landlord's son. In between a local Christian community leader, the Godfather to the family, pitched in with his brand of threats. But his agenda was different. He came to make an impression.
It was midnight and I lost interest by now. My landlord ensured the lifeless object be thrown out. That was duly done. But as he walked down the empty road a host of emotions overpowered me. I thought of the umpteen Bernards that stroll the roads every night. Each become dead every night only to spring to life in the morn. Living beings converted into lifeless objects. Objects that their near ones refuse to own anymore.
At that point in time I missed August even more. Its a world of lifeless Bernards and living Augusts. June would be a little more lonelier from now. But somewhere someone would be more happy today.
Back from work, I had an early dinner. June was getting a change. The morning had been bad. June's curiosity got the better of her. She spilt piping hot tea on herself. She calls it "Ta" but she would now stay away from it, alteast for while. Post the incidence, the ensuing chaos to find a scapegoat had shocked her even more. It was one chaotic morning.The night in contrast was calm and cool, the "Tars" and the "Mun" were up there again. I was relaxing on the terrace. A terrace which we share with our neighbours. They live in a single room house. 3 adults and 2 grown up kids pack themselves in. An asbestos sheet covers their top. At most of times when the sun is down, they spill out of the house.
However Mashi was troubled. The previous day June's extreme care had dirtied August from head to toe. So Mashi had given him a nice wash and hung him like a scarecrow on the terrace to dry. But August was missing and so was another teddy named Mary.
I went up to our neighbours. No one was there except a lady who was deaf and dumb. She was trying to say something that I could'nt fathom. I went for a walk, upset. Sometime later when I went up with my landlord I found a man squatting on the floor, completely drunk. It was Mashi who deciphered the lady's speechless code. This man, who claimed to be a cousin brother of my neighbour, had stolen August. He sold him off for bottle of arrack. I was speechless.
My landlord tried his best to make him understand. They were speaking in Tamil and I felt even more speechless. I was as dumb as the other lady. Each of his words were accompanied by a gust of pungent stench. An hour down the line we were nowhere. He refused to admit and tell us where he had taken August.
Unfortunately the rest of the family was'nt there. How do I retrieve the situation I asked? I was already starting to miss August and June was yet to know. So I took over. I found that he understood English. I sat there for the long haul. I used all forms of techniques - threats, sympathy, kind words even the promise of another bottle if he took me where August was. But he held on, blank and hollow.
It was past 10. Mun had just arrived from office and threatened to take things in her own hands. I still tried to reason out. I probed him about himself. At the back of mind I was itching to know his story. He had 3 kids who stayed with their mother. All three fairly grown up and they refuse to recognise him on road. He meanders and sleeps on the terrace of this cousin brother. I could see some of his belongings scattered here and there.
He said his name was Bernard and he he made a living out of cleaning computers. What living I asked myself again? And then I realised he was not living. He was dead, lifeless, inanimate. My search for August was over.
After the family came, there was only tamasha. Everybody pitched in. Threats of police station. A brother hitting a brother. The deaf and dumb lady contradicting herself. A hostile Mun and mashi. And an amused landlord's son. In between a local Christian community leader, the Godfather to the family, pitched in with his brand of threats. But his agenda was different. He came to make an impression.
It was midnight and I lost interest by now. My landlord ensured the lifeless object be thrown out. That was duly done. But as he walked down the empty road a host of emotions overpowered me. I thought of the umpteen Bernards that stroll the roads every night. Each become dead every night only to spring to life in the morn. Living beings converted into lifeless objects. Objects that their near ones refuse to own anymore.
At that point in time I missed August even more. Its a world of lifeless Bernards and living Augusts. June would be a little more lonelier from now. But somewhere someone would be more happy today.