Topic suggested by bull on Mon Apr 12 07:37:21 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
This is my maiden attempt at story writing. The story is not entirely made-up but it is not entirely true either.
- Sundar.
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Paranoia. That's what it is. Paranoia. I dont see what the problem is
at all. Its 10:15 in the morning. He is all ready and packed up. There
is nothing left to prepare for the journey. And what's the big deal
about the journey too? He is just going away for a week and will be back
before he is missed. He has gone through the same journey on the same
train, these 350 km that separates the two cities, so many thousand
times in the past. So how is this journey special? In no way at all.
So why the tension?
"Why have you started drumming on that book again?", I ask irritatedly,
already knowing the answer of course. I am not able to concentrate on
my book. He has been drumming for five minutes straight now.
"Just a little tension. The train in the night." he says, as if that
explains everything.
"The train is at 10:15 in the night. There are twelve hours between now
and the departure time. What do you want to do? Go and pitch a tent at
Majestic railway-station?"
"Yeah, I know. Its just me. You know how I am hahaha". His standard
nervous giggle. Yeah buddy, I know how you are, all I want to know is why!
"Haven't you ever made this journey in your life? C'mon man, can you even
count how many times you have shuttled between the two cities in the
past four and a half years? You've never been like this about it before!
What's wrong now these past couple of times?"
"No daa, these past couple of times is when you have seen me. Before
this we stayed in different rooms and you met me only just before
the journey and that too only a few times that we travelled together.
Now we stay in the same house and you know, that's all. Im always like
this before a journey."
Oh, that's news to me. Ok, that freezes the topic I guess. I turn back to
my book. He is still drumming. With an effort I push the drumming out of
my mind and concentrate on the plot.
Two hours go by in intermittent arguments, all of them about his pre-journey
nerves. Sounds of bikes approaching. Three of them, bearing 6 guys. They
have all woken up late due to the holiday and are here after their usual
Shanti Sagar breakfast. The monotony is atlast broken. There is talk
about yesterday's match, last night's boozing session at one of their
houses to celebrate India's victory (of course, if India hadnt won,
the session would have been on to mourn its defeat all the same)
some dissection of Jadeja's 50, some post-mortem of whether or not
Azhar was forward enough to have got the benifit of doubt, and then
we come to the point. What do we do today?
First opinion pops up. "Let's go to Comm. Street and joLL around. I want
to pick-up a couple of CDs too and ..."
He's cut off rudely...
"Aw! C'mon",
"Cant you ever think of anything else?",
"You just bought two CDs. Finish listening to them first".
The opinion is killed.
"What are the movies on?", the obvious question.
"Oh, Im sure we've all seen the Plaza movie...".
There is nodding of heads in general consensus.
"... and none of us want to see the Symphony movie..."
"What movie is that?"
"Its a Van Damme movie, some fighter or the other"
"Oh no, forget it". Nobody wants to see a Van Damme movie.
"What about the Galaxy movie?"
"Oh that! Ive watched it, and Im not going to watch it again".
The usual reviewer is quick to answer. Nobody would see a movie that
he doesn't approve of.
"Anyone for a Hindi movie in the Majestic area?", I hazard, expecting
immediate opposition and I get it too.
"No, Im not watching a Hindi movie"
"Me Neither"
"Ok, ok, chuck it. It was just a suggestion", I withdraw quickly.
"That leaves us only Lido, I guess"
"What's on in Lido?"
"'Last Man Standing'. Its a Western"
"What's a Western?". The question comes from expected quarters and immediately
the movie is forgotten and ragging starts off.
"Machchaan, the movie was shot in the West daa, so its a Western".
"Arn't all American movies Westerns then?". Oh God! This guy never knows
when he's getting ragged.
"No daa, this was shot in the extreme West. In California", the ragger
goes on. I feel a sudden surge of pity towards the victim.
"Machchaan come with me daa, lets go to the terrace. Guys, please
decide about the movie meanwhile", I take him to the terrace.
"They're just trying to gas you daa. A Western is a cowboy movie. Have you
seen any Clint Eastwood movie"
"Yeah, Ive seen 'Under Siege'"
"No, no, thats not a Western. Hmmm ok, have you seen these cowboy movies with
guys on horses wearing Jeans and broadbrimmed hats and drawing fast from
their hip-hostlers..."
"Drawing? You mean something about painters?", he interrupts. No I shouldnt
loose my patience, I tell myself. He just doesn't know, that's all.
"No I mean drawing out pistols from the hostler".
"What's a hostler?". I'm surprised at myself. Instead of getting impatient
I get infinitely patient with him and go on to explain everything I know.
Horses, lassos, hats, pistols, sharp-shooting, quick drawing, Clint Eastwood,
Dennis Hopper, Texas, what O Henry said about it what Conan Doyle wrote about
it, whatever I know.
He seems to have understood. That's normally a dangerous sign because
when he looks as if he has understood is when he puts a very innocent
fundamental question which shows that he didn't get a word of what you
said, but not this time. This time he seems to have really understood
what I told him. "Ok lets get back downstairs and see what those
guys are upto"
It turns out that they have decided to go and watch the Western
after all. He had forgotten about it in other conversation, but now
Mr.Nerves starts drumming on the kitchen slab and drops a bomb,
"You guys go ahead daa, Im not coming for the movie"
"Why not?"
"I have a train to catch tonight". So obvious, isnt it?
"C'mon machchi, the show is at 3:45, it will end maximum by 5:30 and
your train is at 10:15, what's the problem?"
Im tired of these arguements, I've already through with all these things
since morning, so I shut up and see them going through the process again.
They convince him to come to the movie though! We have to first lunch
somewhere and then go to the movie. After another 1/2 hour of discussions
and arguments we decide to go to one of the restaurants near Lido itself
have lunch there and reach Lido.
He was drumming on the lunch-table through-out the meal, now as we wait
to get into the theatre, he is drumming on his knee.
"Stop drumming daa", I am losing my patience.
"hmm... maybe I shouldn't have come daa. I have to catch a train in the
night and I am watching a movie!"
"Oh don't start that stuff all over again, ok? C'mon they've opened the door".
It's a standard Western. Hero goes into strange village and kicks up a row,
shoots the leader and takes his place, starts ruling the gang, etc.. There
are very few dialogues and those which are there, are whispered.
The cribbing starts soon. "What's going on here? Im not understanding a word"
Its the guy who didnt know what a Western was, from the end of the row. I
didnt expect anything else from you buddy. He is hushed by another, but that
comment sets off in our friend, the train of thoughts about the train again!
He is sitting next to me and starts drumming on the chair-handle now.
I ignore the drumming but he starts talking.
"Are you really liking this movie? Its nothing like the old Clint Westerns."
he says.
"What are you saying? This is much better than 'The Quick and the Dead' and
you liked that one", of course I know why he isn't liking this.
"That was because there was Sharon Stone in that one. he he he". That
nervous giggle again and more drumming.
My torture is shortened by the intermission. We all go out to get a Pepsi or
something and he starts off again.
"Machchan, this movie is really stupid daa. I think I'll leave now. You all can
watch the movie and come home later."
Two of us jump to the defence of the moive. "What's wrong with the movie?
I think its going fine. Besides, I would like to know how it ends, althought
Im sure its not going to be a big surprise or anything. Its going pretty good
maan!"
He has got company too. "machchi, I dont see what you guys are understanding
in the movie daa, I cant really make head or tail out of it. I too will go
to his place with him. You guys watch the movie and come there"
We give up. One guy thinks of all of us ditching the movie right here but
I am very adamant. "I am liking this movie and I have to see it to the end.
Anyone who wants to go home can go with him, the rest of us will stay back
and watch the movie. I dont care about team-spirit or anything because Im
not the one who's breaking it, ok?".
The two of them return and we watch the movie till the end although with
a bad feeling at the back of our minds because of the intermission incident.
Back at home, dinner is done and all the guys have gone. Only the two of
us left again. The drumming is still persistently on. On his luggage, on the
wall, on the door, on the cupboard, on the wash-stand, on his knee, he's
drumming everywhere. His bags are all in the corridor next to the front-door
already. He has put on his shoes and has checked up his train tickets a few
million times already and it's only 7:30. I somehow manage to concentrate and
finish my book.
"So how did the movie end?". Oh sometimes you do think about other things too,
do you? Well, Im surprised!
"Oh, he managed to send McDowell across the border to tell his friends,
then there is this climax scene full of action where he finally has a
one-to-one duel with the villan and kills him. Nothing out of the
ordinary anyway", I give him some details.
"Oh, standard movie. Glad I didn't watch it to the end". He has the front-door
open and is drumming it now.
"Hey come on now. Im sure you would have watched it to the end
any other day and liked it too. I really can't understand what gets
you when you have a train to catch. Why did you have to leave in the middle
like that? Everyone was feeling bad", I didn't start the topic, you know.
"No its not the train at all. I didn't like the movie, so I left. You
yourself said that there is no team-spirit involved, didn't you?"
"Yes I did, but do you really think it didn't matter at all? Tell me,
what did you achieve in that one hour at home? You must have been sitting and
drumming on the chair Im sure", I stopped to lower the anger in my tone but
failed to do so when I started again. "What would have happened if you had
stayed back? Absolutely nothing. Only we all would have watched the rest of
the movie in a better mood".
"In fact it is the opposite thing. Im sure you guys didn't like the movie
too but you stayed back only because I wanted to leave. Face it, the movie
was bad, that's all. That is why I came back half-way and you people have a
big ego each which made you refuse to come with me and then you accuse me
of spoiling your mood"
"Hey, hey look here. The movie was good. Im still telling you and I'll tell
you as many times as is necessary, the movie was indeed good. Ok forget it,
why spoil your holiday?".
Silence for sometime. The wall-clock strikes eight.
"Shall I go and fetch the auto-rickshaw?"
"What? Now? Its only 8!", I am genuinely taken aback.
"Yes, its 8. It will be ok if we leave now", I am going to drop him
at the station because he has some luggage. Only two bags actually,
but he needs his left-hand to drum, doesn't he?
"Your train is at 10:15 maan, do you remember that? How long will it take
to reach Majestic from here, 40 minutes? 45 minutes? Why cant we leave at
9? Or maybe 8:45 if you want a buffer?"
"No no, what if there is a traffic jam? Accidents in Bangalore are increasing
everyday. As it is, it takes about twenty minutes to negotiate KG road alone, if
there is some blockade then I'll be in trouble." His drumming intensifies.
"Can't you curb your overactive imagination for a while? Whatever the blockade
is, it wont take more than an hour. You have your reserved tickets...", he checks
his tickets again, "and all you need to find is your compartment, the train will
be on platform one and it wont take 2 minutes to reach"
"Anything can happen. What is wrong in taking precautions? See, I am like this.
If you cant deal with me, you need not come to the station ok? I'll manage on
my own quite well"
"Oh, ok lets go", I give up.
We find the rickshaw and even KG road is not blocked because it is a holiday.
We are at the railway station, and it is only 8:45. Hour and a half to the train
and he is still drumming. It takes us 5 mintues of drumming to get the
platform-ticket for me. We go in and there is no train on the platform.
Panic.
"Did you see what platform it was on?", thump-thump-thump he drums on his
Jeans.
"It was on platform one. I saw it on the electronic display. Besides, it is
always on platform one."
"Maybe the electronic display was wrong"
"Hey give up man! There is about an hour and a half for the train to depart,
obviously it hasn't come in yet."
"I'd better check up. You stay here, I'll be back".
He goes to the enquiry counter and comes back with the great news that
the train is yet to arrive and will come on platform one.
It arrives at 9 but then there are no reservation-charts put up. We have to
wait 5 minutes until that happens and then we find his compartment.
He finds his seat, stows his luggage away, sits down on his assigned seat
and stops drumming.
His face muscles relax, the wrinkles leave his forehead, his expression changes
to normal and he is back as the person he was yesterday.
"Oh, you're ok now", I sigh with releif.
"Ok now? I was ok all the time, what was wrong with me?"
"You were bloody drumming all day, that was what was wrong. Now you are sitting
on your reserved seat and there is one hour for the train to start. Do you
agree atleast now that you left the movie mid-way only because you were
tense?", I smile as I speak but I am really asking him.
He doesnt give up, "No way. It was a stupid movie and I would have walked out
of it any day. You seem to have conveniently forgotten that there was one
more person who shared my opinion".
"That was because he didn't understand anything. He didn't even know what
a Western was before today or what a cowboy was for that matter! There is
no basis for you to pull him into the conversation. Now that you have
successfully boarded the train you can give up the stance that the movie
wasn't good", I get up to leave.
"I won't give up that stance because I really think it was a pretty dumb
movie. Come on, it is you who are trying to satisfy your ego by asking
me to admit something I dont want to. Leaving? Ok, see you next week then"
"Have a nice time", I wave to him through the window and start back home.
I still think it was a good movie.
- Sundar G.