Preface
Living in namma Bengaluru has its own perks. One of the most
under appreciated aspects is the non- driving time during a drive to anywhere.
My favorite past time during such time is to see people within / on other
vehicles and try to read their mind and wonder what is going on in their mind
at that particular moment of time. I don’t think I was ever accurate, not that
I intended to authenticate my findings. It has been a fun activity.
This series has been inspired by this mundane activity of mine. This story concentrates on the perspective of the characters
in their situations and what happens when these situations intertwine. I hope to
entertain you (the reader) with this fictional work of mine.
Episode – 1 – Nights ahoy
It was pouring that night. It felt like the skies wanted to
pour out all their sadness. It was dark. But none realized the presence of a
darker shadow, which was moving about. He didn’t want anyone to pay attention
to him. He wanted to fulfill his urge. All of a sudden, the lights came back
on. There was a crowd around him. He was shocked by this turn of events. Then the
song started.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU… HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY
DEAR RAJ… HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU…”
He didn’t know what to say. He dropped the cashew nuts on
the floor and had his mouth open. He looked around and started talking. But the
words were not coming and everything after that was a blur. Something was not
right. It was not his birthday.
------
She hated Sunday nights. Monday mornings were bad. She had
to follow the same old routine. She tried telling her parents that she didn’t
want to go there. But they never listened to her. She had to wear that dress.
She hated wearing it, as it was never been comfortable and lift the bag of
books and go in the bus. She hated travelling in that bus. She didn’t have an
option but to go through this routine for six days a week. How she would love
to come out of this routine. Then she heard a voice.. “Sheetal, go to sleep now
otherwise you’ll be late tomorrow”. She loved it much better when she was home
till last month. One day her parents got her new clothes, a bag and new books
and started telling her that she is now a big girl and has to go to a new place
during the day. They call it something that starts with a pre-.
---------
Life has never been the same since he saw her that morning
while waiting at the traffic signal. He saw her walking on the footpath,
talking to her friends and then the smile and a gentle breeze flowing through
her hair. He saw her, but didn’t think she saw him, especially with his helmet
on. He never felt like this before. Before he could do something, the signal
went green and he had to move. It was a one way and the cops were there and he
lost her.
He couldn’t sleep. All he could see was her pretty face. He
turned around and saw her lying next to him. He didn’t know whether he was
dreaming. He pinched her cheeks and then came a shriek,
“Dude, what are you doing? Can’t you let a guy sleep in
peace. I have an exam tomorrow.”
“Hey Charan, what are you doing here?”
“@##!!@#, Who else did you expect? Your grandmother? Did you
forget that I live here?”
“Sorry da macha, it was that girl I told you about this
morning”
“Shut up and sleep. If you can’t sleep, at least don’t
disturb me. I need to clear that exam tomorrow.” Charan paused and saw his
face. “I don’t trust you with that grin
on your face. I am out of here.”
Charan turned around and just to play safe, he moved to the
next room muttering “Stupid Arjun. Won’t let me sleep in peace.”
Charan put his blanket down and was about to sleep and the
fan went off. He started crying. “First it wass Arjun and now it is the
electricity. Why the hell don’t they want me to sleep?”
Arjun shut his eyes. But he couldn’t sleep. All he could see
was she walking down the road with her smile and the breeze behind her.
------
It has been a tough week for him. Sales were down and he was
not making enough money and things were tight at home. And now he has got a
warning from his landlord that if he didn’t pay the remaining rent, he will be
kicked out of the house. The power has been disconnected. He couldn’t arrange
food, let alone other necessities. They were depending on him. It has been
raining and the merchandise got wet. He started wondering how he is going to
sell them the next morning. He tried covering more ground. He ended up missing
customers. He tried staying at a single place, but none turned up there. He had
to do something about it. It can’t continue this way. The phone started
ringing. He picked up the phone. The voice started on the phone. “Hey Gopi, bad
news. There was an accident. A car hit your cart and all the peanuts on the
cart fell down into the drain”. Gopi didn’t know how to react. All his
investments have literally gone down the drain. He didn’t know what he had to
do now.
He got up from his bed, wore his shirt and started from his
home.
(To be contd…)
