The drudgeries of life
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Surprise!!
As I stepped into an autorickshaw, I switched on my mobile after 20 odd hours. I calmly gave the driver the address I wished to be dropped off at while at the same time contemplating whether or not to receive Mumma's call, a dilemma to escape which my handset had been in off mode all the while ... a few more minutes wouldn't make any difference, I thought to myself, so I cut the calls. I knew she'd keep on calling, and she did just that... it doesn't take much to get her suspicious :p
I got off in front of Madina Manzil, stared at the PNB hoarding on the second floor making sure it was really there, paid off the rickshaw fella and dialled back the number at the top of the Missed Calls list. The questions I was probed with as soon as my voice got registered was about where have I been and what have I been upto. As I walked slowly towards the building, I continued the story I had built up over the course of the last week... been busy with excess work, meetings, conferences, and hence, the switched off cell phone. The excitement with which Mumma asked the first couple of questions noticably subsided... as I begun my unhurried ascent up the stairs, I found out what the enthusiasm, that I had unwittingly(:p?!) killed off, had been all about. The women of the house, my mother and my sister, had actually contemplated that I'd be coming home as a surprise for my sis' birthday the next day... "You people na! How can you all expect something like that when I said I'm so busy", said I. The big SIGH that followed was me at my dramatic best :D
The disappointment in Mumma's voice was evident as she explained what led to such assumptions being made about my surprise visit. I walked through PNB's congested entrance and made my way towards a cubicle where I could make out that someone was present, albeit hidden from my view, and all I could notice was the top of the head of the person sitting there. As I moved closer, I could tell that the head movements of the cubicle occupant complemented the utterances I heard from the other end of the line :) And when I stepped in front of her, she looked up but it took more than 10 seconds to register who was standing there with luggage and all. Her reaction was as expected, if not better... a perfect Kodak moment!
After one round of sentimental stuff, I dissuaded her from notifying Dada and my kid sister about my arrival, something that she was as eager to do as was I. Well, I had waited almost 2 months to pull off this surprising spree and I could wait for another hour to make sure I had surprised the entire lot! And surprise them I did!
Reached the Phool Chowk branch of PNB on Mumma's Activa. Left my luggage and strode in alone. There he was, sitting at his desk, working away to glory... my old man, looking quite young and handsome though. As I walked towards him, he looked up and noticed me but it didn't strike him who the tall dude approaching him was, until I grinned at him. Even when Dada realized that it was me, his reaction (if at all there was any) was just the opposite of Mumma's. That's my calm and composed father for you... it takes a lot to shock/surprise him :) Nonetheless the embrace and firm handshake reassured me that he was pretty happy.
Two down, one to go. Left for home where the third and last "victim" would be present. Dada promised to come home after winding up things at the office. Reached the two-storeyed mansion and rang the bell while simultaneously announcing in a loud voice "Courier". My little sis (maybe she's 16 but she'll always be a little kid to me), who had been expecting a courier from me, fell for the bluff. Sweety was racing down the stairs when the sight of me sort of paralyzed her! Clean sweep! Another round of hugs and kisses, and it felt good to be back.
The 2 days long vacation was pretty neat... The sis' birthday, the outing with the folks, the time spent at home, delicious food prepared by the parents *yummy*. Save for a sad one-off incident triggered off thanks to misunderstanding and pent-up feelings, this was one helluva homecoming!
Back to being busy for a while... the CAT is lurking nearby :( Sorry people, I haven't been able to read your blogs and leave comments... will do that soon.
I got off in front of Madina Manzil, stared at the PNB hoarding on the second floor making sure it was really there, paid off the rickshaw fella and dialled back the number at the top of the Missed Calls list. The questions I was probed with as soon as my voice got registered was about where have I been and what have I been upto. As I walked slowly towards the building, I continued the story I had built up over the course of the last week... been busy with excess work, meetings, conferences, and hence, the switched off cell phone. The excitement with which Mumma asked the first couple of questions noticably subsided... as I begun my unhurried ascent up the stairs, I found out what the enthusiasm, that I had unwittingly(:p?!) killed off, had been all about. The women of the house, my mother and my sister, had actually contemplated that I'd be coming home as a surprise for my sis' birthday the next day... "You people na! How can you all expect something like that when I said I'm so busy", said I. The big SIGH that followed was me at my dramatic best :D
The disappointment in Mumma's voice was evident as she explained what led to such assumptions being made about my surprise visit. I walked through PNB's congested entrance and made my way towards a cubicle where I could make out that someone was present, albeit hidden from my view, and all I could notice was the top of the head of the person sitting there. As I moved closer, I could tell that the head movements of the cubicle occupant complemented the utterances I heard from the other end of the line :) And when I stepped in front of her, she looked up but it took more than 10 seconds to register who was standing there with luggage and all. Her reaction was as expected, if not better... a perfect Kodak moment!
After one round of sentimental stuff, I dissuaded her from notifying Dada and my kid sister about my arrival, something that she was as eager to do as was I. Well, I had waited almost 2 months to pull off this surprising spree and I could wait for another hour to make sure I had surprised the entire lot! And surprise them I did!
Reached the Phool Chowk branch of PNB on Mumma's Activa. Left my luggage and strode in alone. There he was, sitting at his desk, working away to glory... my old man, looking quite young and handsome though. As I walked towards him, he looked up and noticed me but it didn't strike him who the tall dude approaching him was, until I grinned at him. Even when Dada realized that it was me, his reaction (if at all there was any) was just the opposite of Mumma's. That's my calm and composed father for you... it takes a lot to shock/surprise him :) Nonetheless the embrace and firm handshake reassured me that he was pretty happy.
Two down, one to go. Left for home where the third and last "victim" would be present. Dada promised to come home after winding up things at the office. Reached the two-storeyed mansion and rang the bell while simultaneously announcing in a loud voice "Courier". My little sis (maybe she's 16 but she'll always be a little kid to me), who had been expecting a courier from me, fell for the bluff. Sweety was racing down the stairs when the sight of me sort of paralyzed her! Clean sweep! Another round of hugs and kisses, and it felt good to be back.
The 2 days long vacation was pretty neat... The sis' birthday, the outing with the folks, the time spent at home, delicious food prepared by the parents *yummy*. Save for a sad one-off incident triggered off thanks to misunderstanding and pent-up feelings, this was one helluva homecoming!
Back to being busy for a while... the CAT is lurking nearby :( Sorry people, I haven't been able to read your blogs and leave comments... will do that soon.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The End?
Happiness is brittle.
The notion of evanescence defines good times.
I won't label their story a love story because of the ambiguity involved.
Quite a common thing these days... boy and girl, two strangers, land up in the same team.
Boy likes girl but had never ever uttered a word to her... such things need a kickstart. All he could boast of was stealing glances at her.
He then made a coincidence happen, quite a contrast to his unadventurous demeanour.
He planned for it, he worked out all the odds and though they were against him, he carried it out.
It worked, thank God, and they became friends.
He was, and still is, in love, you can tell... one-sided love or not, it's impossible to jump to any conclusions for the lack of evidence.
Long walks are now a thing of the past, but I made it a point to take a stroll with him now and then... he just couldn't contain his excitement and talked just about her... truly, madly, deeply.
Things seemed to be on course... events and happenings that let our imaginations run wild, guessing what's on the other party's mind, speculating on the implication of someone's actions.
Then came the bolt from the blue: she would be resuming her job in another city.
In the direct aftermath of the shock, it was almost sad to see him buying for time.
Then there were delays in the proposed transfer... seemed like a boon and, yes, from what I heard, the following weeks and months (yes, it stretched to that extent) were rosy times. Things were taken for granted, and things blossomed within the unspecified yet existing constraints. But the extra time was a bane... Oh! How feasible it is to be happy with what you have, rather than going after more even though you know it might be there for the taking.
Contentment vs. greed? Playing it safe vs. taking the risk? Being happy for the moment yet having to live with that life-long nagging sense of resentment that things could've been different? Vacillations, I tell you... options should be done away with, and there should be just one path that must be taken.
Inevitable as it was, even though this fact had faded into oblivion, the departure is right around the corner. This time there will be no delay. Period. The gloom is palpable. After a lengthy hiatus, the rains are pouring down. Goodbye blue sky...
The notion of evanescence defines good times.
I won't label their story a love story because of the ambiguity involved.
Quite a common thing these days... boy and girl, two strangers, land up in the same team.
Boy likes girl but had never ever uttered a word to her... such things need a kickstart. All he could boast of was stealing glances at her.
He then made a coincidence happen, quite a contrast to his unadventurous demeanour.
He planned for it, he worked out all the odds and though they were against him, he carried it out.
It worked, thank God, and they became friends.
He was, and still is, in love, you can tell... one-sided love or not, it's impossible to jump to any conclusions for the lack of evidence.
Long walks are now a thing of the past, but I made it a point to take a stroll with him now and then... he just couldn't contain his excitement and talked just about her... truly, madly, deeply.
Things seemed to be on course... events and happenings that let our imaginations run wild, guessing what's on the other party's mind, speculating on the implication of someone's actions.
Then came the bolt from the blue: she would be resuming her job in another city.
In the direct aftermath of the shock, it was almost sad to see him buying for time.
Then there were delays in the proposed transfer... seemed like a boon and, yes, from what I heard, the following weeks and months (yes, it stretched to that extent) were rosy times. Things were taken for granted, and things blossomed within the unspecified yet existing constraints. But the extra time was a bane... Oh! How feasible it is to be happy with what you have, rather than going after more even though you know it might be there for the taking.
Contentment vs. greed? Playing it safe vs. taking the risk? Being happy for the moment yet having to live with that life-long nagging sense of resentment that things could've been different? Vacillations, I tell you... options should be done away with, and there should be just one path that must be taken.
Inevitable as it was, even though this fact had faded into oblivion, the departure is right around the corner. This time there will be no delay. Period. The gloom is palpable. After a lengthy hiatus, the rains are pouring down. Goodbye blue sky...
Friday, September 14, 2007
The jubilant oncologist had the telephone's receiver pressed to his ear. Something was shivering, and he couldn't tell whether it was his hands or his whole body. His profession had taught him patience but just this once he couldn't contain his excitement. But he had no choice but to wait till the ringing on the other end of the line was put to an end.
Finally, a groggy voice answered with a question, "Hello?".
The doctor noticed the faintness, but he was bursting with news that would take care of that. His usually calm voice was shrill, "Anfuso, my boy! It's Doctor Dave speaking!".
Anfuso's voice seemed to grow feebler, "Oh! It's you, doc. What bad news have you got to offer me now? I thought we were done with the worst..." His voice trailed away.
The elderly medic burst out, appearing oblivious to the other man's agony but understanding nonetheless, "No no no, son! I have great news to offer. Your diagnosis, well... it was a big blunder. There was a mix up and you were diagnosed with something your body had no traces of. This is not the end as we had feared! I'm so happy for you! And I sincerely apologize for all the trauma the entire episode must've caused you..."
While the doctor rattled on, the receiver had slipped out of Anfuso's hand.
No, he wasn't ecstatic about not having the terminal disease. Instead, he felt as if a cruel joke was being played on him.
Oh! Why had he given up on himself after hearing the diagnosis? He wondered whether a bullet through the head would've been better... Surely consuming the poison had been a bad idea.
He had little time left, but it was more than sufficient to regret. He did exactly that as the life drained out of him, slowly by slowly...
Finally, a groggy voice answered with a question, "Hello?".
The doctor noticed the faintness, but he was bursting with news that would take care of that. His usually calm voice was shrill, "Anfuso, my boy! It's Doctor Dave speaking!".
Anfuso's voice seemed to grow feebler, "Oh! It's you, doc. What bad news have you got to offer me now? I thought we were done with the worst..." His voice trailed away.
The elderly medic burst out, appearing oblivious to the other man's agony but understanding nonetheless, "No no no, son! I have great news to offer. Your diagnosis, well... it was a big blunder. There was a mix up and you were diagnosed with something your body had no traces of. This is not the end as we had feared! I'm so happy for you! And I sincerely apologize for all the trauma the entire episode must've caused you..."
While the doctor rattled on, the receiver had slipped out of Anfuso's hand.
No, he wasn't ecstatic about not having the terminal disease. Instead, he felt as if a cruel joke was being played on him.
Oh! Why had he given up on himself after hearing the diagnosis? He wondered whether a bullet through the head would've been better... Surely consuming the poison had been a bad idea.
He had little time left, but it was more than sufficient to regret. He did exactly that as the life drained out of him, slowly by slowly...
