These were the days of Zubin's internship when he was just out of university. On the way back home late night at around 12.30 midnight, he missed his bus and started walking since the distance to his place was not a long one. It was cold winter in Delhi and not a soul was visible on the streets. He reached a bus stop where he saw a few girls standing. His first impression was correct, they were call girls.
He decided act as if he did not see them and increased his pace of walking. They called him and shouted quite a few lines but he decided not giving a shit about it. He could see one of the girls following him but pretended as if he doesn’t know.
Suddenly, that girl increased her pace and caught him. She stopped me and said, "I am not one among them, I swear I just missed cab to my office and I was waiting here till they all appeared". She even showed Zubin the ID card of her office. Now, he was not sure what to do and didn’t know how to react. Before he could say anything, she continued, "Can I walk with you till next bus stop. You know it is not safe being alone; I will get a taxi from next stop and leave." He thought about it and said "OK".
There no really no one on the streets, the police control rooms were either empty or the people on duty were sleeping. Zubin was feeling really discomfited and awkward.
They walked along without even saying a word and reached the next bus stop and there were no taxis. Zubin didn’t say anything and told her that if she wants, he can wait till she gets a taxi. She was a bit reluctant but then, agreed. Zubin was really tired after working and wanted to crash in bed but there he was, waiting for one dam taxi to appear and that too for someone who he didn’t even know. He waited and waited and it was almost 2’O clock midnight and he had lost his patience.
He told her that he ought to leave because he has to reach office at 7.00 AM morning. Zubin could see that she was feeling scared and knew she was alone; still he was adamant on leaving. She said that she will die of fear and he either accompanies her to hostel or wait till she gets a taxi. He got furious thinking why the hell should he help her? Zubin actually didn’t know what to do, to be or not to be. But then, he left without saying a word, not even looking back. He didn’t want to get into any trouble and left.
He went home crashed in bed only to wake up 8.00 AM in morning. He was running late for office and was getting ready. He switched on the TV while he was eating breakfast. And there he saw the news that haunted him for the rest of his life. That very girl he met last night had been raped and murdered on that very road where he left him.
And there was Zubin, crying like a baby, shaking and blaming himself for what had happened. He simply could have changed her fate. We all are just so busy in our lives that we don’t really care. And all that exists is lies, frauds & deception.
According to Mamkol, “Who to blame when we ourselves are a part of this dirty game”?
Being from the same neighborhood, of the same age group and their families having known each other for years, Daani and Zeezu were meant to be best friends. Their day started together with both walking all the way to school, spending all the time in class together, coming back together and playing in the evenings.
Both the families were poor and for them to afford a school for their kids was something really admirable but the two kids had to walk 3 miles everyday to reach the school. Being just 7 and 8 years old, they were too young to understand why they can’t travel in bus like other kids used to. They would always talk about the day when they would have money to travel in the fast travelling bus that always used to pass in front of their eyes.
One day, both Daani and Zeezu decided to save money so that they can one day afford to go school in that bus. They started saving every penny they would ever get and finally after two months, they managed to save 4 rupees and it was enough for both of them to get a ride to school in the bus. Just to make sure that the money is enough, both got it confirmed from their class mates that the fare was 2 rupees for one person.
So, they selected Monday as the day to board that bus and both of them were really excited. They hardly slept imagining how the experience would be. Both of them woke up early, got ready for the school and waited at the stop for the bus to arrive. It came running and honking as always and both kids just jumped into the bus, sat into it fighting for the window seat and putting their heads out of window to see what difference it made to be on that side. The conductor came and started collecting money from the passengers. When he reached Daani and Zeezu’s seat, the kids realized the money had been stolen from the pocket.
The conductor started abusing the kids, slapped them hard saying that they never had money and called them all the bad names. Both started crying and their dream of traveling in the bus got shattered. Even some people advised to throw the kids out of the running bus to teach them a lesson. There was no one to listen to them and everything seems going the wrong way for them.
Suddenly an elderly man stopped the conductor and shouted at him for beating the kids. He took out his wallet and from the corner of this wallet, took out a 5 rupee note and handed over to conductor as the fare for the two kids. The kids saw that his wallet was full of money – 100, 500, 100, rupee notes. The kids reached school not talking to anyone and that day changed their life altogether.
Daani was of the opinion that GOD was cruel to them and HE is cruel to all poor people. Daani thought that if that rich guy who paid their fare had lost few notes, it wouldn’t have mattered to him but it was these little creatures that had to bear the fruits of that lost money. He then concluded that their is no GOD as such and he refuse to believe that anything like that exists.
Zeezu had a different way of putting that incident. He believed that it was GOD who sent that rich man to help them out of that nasty situation. Things could have been real worse had that rich man not appeared on the scene. He concluded that GOD is always for them no matter what happens.
Today Zeezu is 23 and Daani is 24 but both are poles apart. One believes in GOD and other rejects its existence. One incident changed them both but in real different ways.
According to Mamkol, “You cannot influence the way things take place but you can control the way they influence you”.
Going through three security checks and two metal detectors, I made my way into the highly scrutinized airport. The only thing I did not take of while frisking was my skin, the security men were kind enough to let it go with me inside. Went to collect my boarding pass and the lady at the counter had an amazingly horrible accent where she would stretch every last alphabet of word and it became almost impossible for me to communicate with her. Somewhere I had read, “Smile, it helps” and did the same. But what I did not realize while I was all smiling and nothing that the flight was late by four hours and it was too late for me to even ask why?
Not knowing what to do, I checked out a few books in the book store, grab a cup of coffee that cost me 75 bucks and a muffin which had no silver or golden covering but still was worth 175 bucks. They first make you feel ashamed of yourself by the way they frisk and then serve you the worst food at the best prices – that is marketing fellas!
With CCTV cameras everywhere and dozens of security men around, it looked no less than an army bunker. I could relate to it more given the fact I saw myself growing up amidst such scenarios. There was an eye on every movement for every moment.
In the middle of this hustle bustle, a moth got attracted to the white sparkling lights and came inside the airport. The moth bypassed the three security checks, two metal detectors and an X-ray machine and made all these things look like worthless. Unlike me, he needed no ID proof or a ticket to reach to this place. Unaware of this highly scrutinized place, he was in his own happy mood running from one light to another. He was there just to die in the way nature meant it to or they way it is supposed to be.
Suddenly, a security man saw this moth running from here to there and started chasing him. He collected a few more men and they decided to run after the moth. The got all kinds of sprays and long sticks to take him out of the place. The moth kept on running from here and there wondering why they are chasing him. He wanted to tell them that he meant no harm to anyone, that he is anyways going to die in the next few hours. But he was not even given a chance to explain anything and soon everything was on alert. He was immediately labeled as an “outsider” who was a threat to “everyone”. Even when I tried to help the moth, I too was looked upon as a “threat” too and hence, I backed out.
Everyone knew what was happening but no one wanted to interfere, because we don’t care for others. In spite of being harmless, this creature was brought down by the security men and killed mercilessly and all stood there just watching. The officer in charge had all praises for his security team and everyone around applauded for the efforts being made to destroy this undamaging creature brutally. Inside our hearts we know what the truth is but the system has left has shallow. We need to wake up before it is too late. . .
According to Mamkol, “React before the reaction leaves you dead”.
Habit of waking up late made me miss my cab today. So, in order to reach office in time I had take up an auto rickshaw but getting it was not so easy. As my office is quite far away, every rickshaw driver was reluctant to take me. But finally after toiling in the heat for about 15 minutes, I found a rickshaw driver who was ready to take me there but with a condition. He asked me to pay 50 rupees extra than the normal fare but I refused out rightly. With both of us being Indians, negotiation was always on the cards and finally we decided on 20 rupees extra than the normal fare.
The guy was quite loud with his words and expressions, was in his early 40’s but full of words. While I was in the rickshaw, he narrated his entire life story to me and I don’t know why he did so. Either he wanted to kill time or may be he was like that only. So, there he started his story . . .
“Sir, you might be wondering why I talk too much but I think that we should say whenever we feel like and I feel it now. My name is Abdul Kareem and I have been driving this auto for last few months only. I need to collect 20,000 rupees in next 3 months to pay to the agent and then I will be in Kuwait.”
I asked him if 20,000 was all they charged for giving him a job there and why is he going at this point of time in life when old age is not that far away. He replied . . .
“No sir, they charge 80,000 but I have 60,000 already and I have been in Oman for three years before. It was in 1996 and I used to work there (in Oman) in a company dealing with equipping buildings with things for fire safety like extinguishers, etc. But then I had to come back and now I realize there is nothing left here for me”.
My curiosity level began to rise and I asked him if he could tell me what exactly happened, only if he did not mind. He continued . . .
“I met a nurse in Oman and we were madly in love with each other. She too was from India but a Christian by religion. We decided to come back together to India and get married but it didn’t happen the same way – I got married but not to her. My father was not well at all and he was counting his last breaths. He took a promise from me to marry his friend’s daughter and be a father to my two younger brothers. Since my mother had expired a few years back, I did it but just for the sake of the family.”
I really felt sad when I heard about all this but again being selfish, I wanted to know more of what occurred to him. So, I pushed him to go ahead with his story . . .
“Then, I became the head of the family and took all the responsibilities. I never ever had courage to even call the lady I had once loved. From the money I had earned in Oman, I brought some land and started a general store near my house. Things were perfect till my brothers got married. Now, they wanted a share in everything even from the property I earned myself. But being the elder, I agreed. And at the end of the day, I was left with a house only. I sold off the big house and purchased a smaller one and got a couple of auto rickshaws.”
I again felt sad for the poor fellow but he seemed to me a very nice human being. For him, I had respect in my heart. The guy, sorry, I mean Abdul Kareem continued narrating his tale . . .
“My wife told me to take my brother-in-law as driver for the second auto rickshaw and I even felt that this was a nice suggestion. But a month later, my brother-in-law was getting married and my wife urged me to transfer the ownership of the second rickshaw to him and again, I agreed. Now, I was left with just an auto and a house. I realized the need for money and decided to move out of India.”
This appeared another typical Indian story to me and now I understood why he was going to Kuwait, money drives us all. But he had something more to say . . .
“My wife says that she does not trust me with going abroad and so, she wants ownership of everything I have. After thinking a lot, I transferred all my property to my two sons and gave my wife the guardianship. Now, I made all happy and it is my turn to be happy for sometime. I would earn a lot of money in Kuwait and come back after 10 years. I will own a big building and make apartments and give on rent. That way, I will live my life peacefully without having to sweat it out.”
I wished him all the best and by the time he ended his story, I was already near my office. I paid him 50 rupees extra than the 20 agreed. I though this drop might help him a little to fill up his bottle. With prayers in heart for Abdul Kareem, I said bye to the fellow.
As I watched him go, I felt that we all have dreams and we all want them to come true regardless of who we are.
Just as Abdul Kareem was taking a u-turn in this auto rickshaw, a big speeding lorry hit his auto and it got thrown over the pavements and crashed into the wall. All I could see was the auto crashed like hell and people shouting “call ambulance, “guy is bleeding”, “check if he is alive”.
I didn’t have guts to go and check or may be I never wanted to see Abdul Kareem’s dreams’ ending. I closed my eyes and just prayed . . .
According to Mamkol, “Everyone has a tale to tell, I hope anyone actually listens too”.
I was at the mall for some shopping and I entered this “Food World Store” for buying some things. The place was jam-packed as it was a weekend and people seem busy with picking stuff they liked or required. I managed to get a basket and started picking up things I wanted and there suddenly, I saw her. Eyes met for two seconds and I felt there was something. Off late I might have seen a lot of Bollywood movies but this impact was for real and nothing like fantasy. She smiled and so did I; our eyes seem to be catching hold of each other repeatedly.
Whether I was following her or she was following me, but we seem to meet at every corner of that store. With stealing glances and minimal eye contact, we seem trying to know about each other without letting anyone know. For a moment I thought I was hallucinating and things like such do not happen in real but that was not true. I seem to be enjoying every passing second and thinking about the 5 W’s I read sometime back in my university (When, Why, What, Where and Whom). It was a mixed feeling, something I never had before.
Anyways, I finally took all the stuff and stood in the queue to pay the bill. Suddenly, I saw her just in front of me and something strange happened. She gave me a big smile and winked both her eyes. I just stood there smiling wondering what I should do now.
On my right hand side there was a shelf with some chocolates on it, I took out one and waited for her to turn again. The moment she did, I gave her that and there was a pause from her side. With those angelic eyes and a chubby face, she called her mom and asked, “Can I take that chocolate?” She smiled and nodded, of course you can’t expect a two year old baby to take things from strangers.
I gave her a hug and left with memories in my heart making me believe anything can happen in seconds.
According to Mamkol, “A matter of split second does it all for you, it is all about knowing when those seconds arrive”.
