That Brownie Sundae ...

Ok. So I am back with another attempt to canvas my thoughts and like my previous effort this also is about one of my experiences albeit this one has a much more jovial tone (I gave my best shot). So here I go ….


I have had many eventful days in my life but the 4th of December 2010 really deserves a special mention. If you are thinking that why am I writing about an event which occurred more than a fortnight ago the answer is “aalasya” . The sinful pleasure that you derive out of sitting on a sofa, munching chips, watching TV and doing nothing else is, to say the least, other-worldly. But my liking for this activity is a topic for another day so let’s get back to the topic at hand. 4th December 2010. I had already had a pretty strange and hectic day in Gurgaon and so on my way back I decided to take a halt at Connaught Place for KFC (there are only 2 KFCs in entire Gurgaon, what a pathetic place!!!). Anyways, I finished my meal there, 2 pieces of crispy chicken and a zinger burger (slurrrrrp!!!) and asked for a brownie sundae on my way out. Now I must add here that I totally love my Brownie Sundae, it’s just one of those temptations I can’t resist and I don’t give a damn to the direction in which I am heading when I have one in my hands. So, I was walking in complete oblivion when out of nowhere I saw a “harmless” shabby child carrying a gunny bag walking briskly in my direction uttering “ice-cream de do”. I thought him to be another one of those beggars so I just gave him a nonchalant “nahi” for a reply and kept walking. “Main tera peecha nahi chhodunga!!! Ice-cream toh deni padegi!!!” was the next thing he said and I realized what I was up against. Here was a tough soul. Toughened maybe by the years of being pushed around and shooed by the people. I retorted “hattt!!!” but there wasn’t much conviction in my tenor and perhaps he sensed it. I turned around and started walking in the opposite direction eating my ice-cream though all of a sudden I was not enjoying it as I would have wanted to. The guy was a real nagger. He caught hold of my jacket. I somehow freed my jacket from his grasp and started walking faster. He followed me shouting “Tere pet mein darad hoga!!!”. I was all at sea as to how to tackle this nagger-beggar when suddenly I found my savior, an Accent parked at the far end of the street!!! I literally ran towards it. The kid was still following me. He really wanted that ice-cream and I was all the more determined not to let him have it. I started running around the Accent (Yes, I actually did that) and he stalked me. To my relief, there was a pillar near the bonnet of the car and every time he used to cross that his gunny bag would get stuck for a moment or two giving me those precious seconds to finish up my sundae (:D). He was a tough soul but now I can really say that about myself as well ( :) ). Finally I finished my ice-cream and told him “Bhai khatam ho gayi. Ab toh jane de.”, but he didn’t believe me until I stopped and handed him the empty cup to which he replied ”ek ice-cream ke liye itna kaun bhaagta hai!!!”. I started walking away and quickly became conscious of the small crowd (including some smokin’ hot girls) that had gathered over there to watch the proceedings. I somehow escaped their stares by just looking down and entering the first metro gate nearby. Aaaaaaah !!! The ordeal was over at last!!! (:D)







PS: Those of you thinking of me as a heartless creature please note that I really don’t approve of encouraging such practices employed by beggars and moreover I don’t give my brownie sundae to anyone !!!  :)

When the time froze ... and so did the traffic

As I was heading out of my office after another mundane and monotonous day at work, I saw something which really caught my eye, a deserted Taratala road, a rarity at this time of the evening. During my two months of stay at Kolkata, I had never witnessed this before. I was elated, as the thoughts of reaching home earlier than usual crossed my mind. But the joy was ephemeral. I am just not lucky enough when it comes to matters like this. I realized soon that something was wrong, or rather, something was up. After walking a few paces down the road in search of some means of conveyance, I could see why the road was so empty. One side of the road was blocked off by some traffic cops who were communicating with their senior officials on a walkie-talkie and were giving guys trying to cross over some serious beating. The other side must have been blocked off at some place where I could not see it. The footpath was crowded with onlookers as if some divine incarnation was getting down right there from the heavens. I asked a person standing beside me "What's all this shit for?". "Rahul Gandhi aa raha hai!!!", he replied, with an enthusiasm so glowingly hot, it seemed like Rahul Gandhi would get down of his car and give this guy a hug right there. Even people from my office were there, stranded because of lack of transport, people who would never engage in any conversation with anyone other than that concerned with their work and thought that politics is lame were suddenly in awe of him, praising his policies on matters so abstruse that i didn't get a thing.

Suddenly, the walkie-talkie started buzzing loud with gibberish. The moment had arrived. Very soon, the caravan started passing us. One, two three .... i kept on counting, total 12 SUVs in all, with Rahul Gandhi, the "Peoples' Guy" in one of them. The crowd was cheering the convoy and waving their hands at each and every one of the vehicles. I felt like saying "Dude !!! The windows are all covered in black and moreover he wouldn't even bother to look at you guys." Someone whispered " Baara - Baara gaadi !!! Humaare paas toh ek bhi nahi hai." There was not a score of sarcasm in his voice but of revere, of admiration. The convoy went, the road block was lifted and the traffic police who were so very present till that moment, suddenly vanished. Life returned to normal at Taratala road.