The truck ride

Yesterday evening at around seven, it was drizzling and I was walking on the road looking for an auto so that I could get back to my office. But, there was no auto in sight. I saw a truck starting up and I asked him for a ride. He agreed!

Though the ride lasted only a kilometer and a half, but it took me all the way back to college when we used to take lift from trucks.

Radaur is a small village or atleast it was, in those days. To watch a movie, eat out or buy gifts, Yamuna Nagar was the only place one could think of.

The last bus that left Yamuna Nagar in the direction of Radaur used to be at seven-thirty in the evening which was quite early if you were watching an evening show.

There we stood on the highway, looking for trucks. There was never a hurry to reach Radaur unless it was raining.

The ride used to cost Twenty Rupees per passenger or sometimes it was free, if the driver was magnanimous enough.

Once in the truck, sitting beside the driver or the helper, one could enjoy the luxurious leg space, Punjabi or Haryanvi folk songs being played loud on a country made radio: its speakers fixed right beside your ear, its voice challenging your eardrums.

At night, the drivers and the helpers were usually high on country made liquor making one feel like puking. The most interesting part was to talk to these drivers and see them so confident on the wheel that every time a truck crossed by from the opposite direction, we thought it was going to be our last ride.

Anyhow, when I reached office yesterday, some car drivers coming out office would have certainly been surprised to see me alighting from a truck. The truck – its size insinuating its rudeness- stopped right in front of the cars blocking their way.

Back then, it was no big deal!

Lots of work and play on weekend

Buckets full of work at my desk everyday is forcing me to stay away from sporadic chatting, surfing, blogging, mailing or any such extra-curricular activity.

I spent this weekend switching between soccer ground in HSR Layout and office. We played a tournament and lost in Quarter-finals. It was a draw (2-2). Then 6 minutes extra time, which was also a draw. Finally, lost in penalty shoot-outs. While i was not playing soccer, i was working in office trying to keep my deadline.

Ego trip: I was on National Geographic yesterday on Mission Udaan. I had participated in it. [Conscience: Shut up! you failed to qualify the first round]

Yesterday morning, I went to buy vegetables. A fat hindi-speaking man wearing cheap half-pants and a t-shirt accompanied by two cute sons presented himself at this hopcom store.
Unmindful of what his kids were doing, he picked up a carrot from the basket of carrots and weighed it. It was a little more than hundred grams. He went to that basket again and tried to pick up a carrot lighter in weight. This time the carrot was very close to hundred grams. Seeing all this, the seller (a girl) smiled in mockery. Noticing that, he replied meekly,’ want it for the soup’.

His younger son, standing outside was asking in a very cute way, ‘Papa! Papa! I want a banana’. But, Papa pretended not to hear. His elder brother (must be around 3-4 years) was consoling his young sibling, ‘Papa will bring banana chotu, dont worry!’.

Papa came out of the store with a carrot and perhaps 250 gram beans. The elder son asked his dad,’ Papa, Did you buy a banana for chotu?’

Papa pretended not to notice; didn't even bother to look at his sons; held their hands- one kid on each side; started walking- head straight.

The boys were wearing decent clothes and this portion of the family seemed to be from comfortable middle class.

Pre Diwali, Eid blasts in Delhi- 29th October 2005

The bomb attacks in Delhi in 3 different markets on the same evening left almost 55 dead and many ailing. Anyone who is civilized, follows a faith, believes in humanity would never commit such a ghastly act.

A friend’s Uncle expired in this attack because he was right at that spot where one of the bombs exploded.

A bus driver and conductor noticed a bomb inside a bus and tried to throw it outside of the bus. It saved the lives of rest of the passengers but the duo got badly bruised and the driver seems to have lost his hearing capability in one ear and seeing capacity in one eye.

Hindus died and so did Muslims as victims of this attack.

Moreover, we have a short memory. As time passes, people will forget about these blasts, their victims. How many blasts can people keep track of?

How long will this continue? Why we always come up with statements such as ‘these acts of terror will not derail the bilateral peace process’? Why are we helpless? Why are we at the mercy of perpetrators of such heinous crimes? Why do these attacks keep on happening every now and then in one or the other part of our Country?

Why don’t we make Delhi a fort which is impossible to conquer? One can see increased vigil only after such incidents though only for a short time.

Why don’t we increase the security at our airports and most importantly railway stations and bus stops?

Questions! Questions! Questions!