On a rainy night

Yesterday it was India’s 61st independence day. For most people, it was a day to focus on television to see what their celebrities say. For some, it was an extra holiday to laze around. For some, it was an extended week end to catch up with family and friends. For the remaining, I guess the day didn’t mean anything for they had to find their meal. For people who can change colors, who have shown their true colors at needed times, tricolor has never been a matter of concern at all.
As a member of the third category above, I felt like going home for the week end. But it was raining cats and dogs on thursday(Aug 14th) night. Also, as I hadn’t reserved a ticket for the journey and as I’m anyway going home next week (to attend the marriage of one of my school friends), I just dropped my plans without a second thought. It was around 10 o clock on that night, when I was waiting at my office, for the rain to stop, to get back home. I had no umbrella or rain coat with me and the downpour never seemed like stopping.  I started reminiscing the cycle rides in rainfall from MIT to home which I enjoyed during my college days. Those are some of the few good memories that I still cherish I was happy having got another chance to chill out in the rain, though this time I was walking and not cycling. I started walking in the rain! It was simply amazing and chilling! All my stress was gone and I felt I’m new. People who think of rain as a nuisance generally have a rule that a mature person would not get himself/herself drenched in rain. If people of this category try it once, they’ll understand that there is no relation between maturity and this excitement. Huh! , I think I’m getting deviated from what ever I thought of writing down here.
When I was near my home, I was completely drenched. I felt hungry and realized I hadn’t taken dinner. I had the urge to eat something hot having enjoyed the rain. I stopped at a small shop in front of my house to buy something to eat. There was a man and a woman in the shop, both of them middle-aged. He was sitting in a chair and was staring at the heavy downpour while she was standing inside the shop. They both know me for I had been to this shop many a times. I asked her for “Maggi”. I don’t know still what they perceived the word as! Both of them started staring at me weirdly, something similar to the stares people gave me when I started happily walking in the rain. I had to ensure myself that I hadn’t asked anything that I shouldn’t have asked for. After some seconds of silence, he came in to the shop while she went out and sat on the chair. He asked “How many? One or A packet?” I was clueless what he meant by “one” and his weird stare had already made me feel uncomfortable. Before I could reply, he gave me a cigarette and said that the packets are out of stock and that was the last one he had. I had a sigh of relief ( for at least the situation became clear to me! ) and explained him that “Maggi noodles” was the one I asked for. We ended up laughing and I felt good finally having got rid of the weirdest stare I’ve ever seen. And I didn’t forget to look at the sky and ask God, “Why me ?” The sky wasn’t clear though!

An Unwilling Eye-Witness

Today I was an eye-witness to an incident which I would have never liked to see or would never like to see again. It was around 20:45 hours when I was returning home after having dinner at Adyar Anandha Bhavan at Indiranagar. My friend was also with me and we were walking down the 100 foot road to reach our house in Kodihalli. When we came near Café Coffee Day, it was buzzing with people happily spending yet another sunday night. But outside the shop, the road was very silent. There was no traffic at that time and the lighting was also very dim. A girl was walking alone on the other road towards Indiranagar. Suddenly we heard a freaking scream from her! For a moment, I didn’t realize that it was a scream for help but thought she was generally making a noise. But when I turned back, I actually saw a robber running towards her from the back. Before even we could cross the road, he just snatched her bag, ran fast and sat on a bike which was a few steps away, with a person on it, ready set to go. Though she was tensed and couldn’t act, she ran and managed to get a grip on his shirt when he sat on the bike . But because of the pull when the bike started, she fell with her face hitting the road. It all happened in a flash of time. I tried to note the bike number but it flew away into darkness before even I could read it. People from cafe day rushed to help her [ although | as ] everything was over.
Inside me, there was more a feel of shock rather than a feel of sympathy for the girl. I was not a hero to fly and catch those robbers. In the end, I was no more than an unwilling eye-witness. I know I’m not going to get a sleep today. Why am I seeing things around me which I never wish to see? Why some people are like this? Why are they inventing their happiness by making others’ life miserable?