Cab-Ride Chronicles.

Hello to all.....if anyone is out there still.

I'm back home for my vacations and I do not miss delhi a bit. It is not that surprising considering the content....the pollution;the noise;the huge aunties with enormous behinds;the disgusting,omni-present,ever-commenting bunch of ugly men and most of all,the mind numbing,body drenching heat. what a package...sensational.

I do miss my friends,teachers and classes.But...ah that has pretty much nothing to do with it.

I do a lot of random things these days...butIi love this randomness.like waking up with nothing to do...its not a bad thing all the time. Then there is reading. After a long time its not because I have to and not with deadlines buzzing around me. Evenings in coffee-shops with good coffee that does not burn my pocket, without the vat monster looming near. Staring at the hills at night and taking cab-rides just for the fun of it.

Cab-rides can be very entertaining. There can be a lot to learn as well. For instance, the other day, I was on my way back home in this cab with a bengali family of the Ma,the Pa and the kid. The kid is probably in class 3. From now let I will refer to him as AK. I will explain the meaning eventually. Note:all my lines take place in my head...where else?

AK:Ma, are we stopping in the bazar today? Will you buy fish?

MA:silence.

ME:blank.

AK:Dad, I have school this saturday. Oh and i have to meet the principle reagarding some errand he was mentioning...

PA:ok,ok. sshhhh. Keep quiet.

AK:...So I think i will have to go early...

PA:Why can you not keep quiet for a bit? I do not like talking in taxis.

ME:?!what in the world does that mean?

Then PA starts talking to his wife. More precisely, bitching about someone to her.

ME: Idiotic wart! Has time to gossip loudly, but will not listen to his son.

After a while however, the resilient kid talks again.

AK: You know we had that test today and we got back our papers in the afternoon itself. You know my classmate...so and so (I do not remember the name)? He gave a blank paper! He had not written a single answer.

PA:(disinterested)...so?

AK: But how could he give a blank paper? He did not know a thing!

PA: Was he not away for the past couple of weeks? So maybe he did not know.

AK: So what? We got 10 days to study for it.

PA: Yes. So may be he could not or did not study.

ME: oh both of you shut it!

AK: I studied for it everyday for 10 days. (with sick pleasure) And finally today it happened! he could not study for a single night? and he has no shame handing in a blank paper!

ME: Stupid kid! So bloody typical of those irritating ones who would ask everyone else at school what marks they got so that they could compare and gloat. Idiot.

PA: Ok. fine.good.

silence.

ME: Oh God! please do not let him open his mouth till I am out!

GOD: (smirking)...Yeah ...sure.

AK: We have been told to take Rs.16 each to school tomorrow.

PA: (suddenly now, with renewed interest). Why?

AK: They are making something with an NGO group and they require materials, I think.

PA: I will call and find out.

AK: call whom?

PA: (with all the air of a CIS agent). I will call someone.

AK: You can call the monitor...he has to collect it.

PA: Why should I call the monitor? As though he will tell me, andIi will give my money away.

ME:Which hot spot do you think your dork of a son will go to with 16 bucks fool? There is a lot he could do but he aint the type to be invited.

AK:I told them that you all do whatever you want to. But I will not ask for any money. I do not want to have to do anything with all this.

ME: Wait. did you not just do that?And that brave speech? Yeah! sure as hell you did that. You probably get thrashed by the geeks of your class.

MA (finally): He never talks this much with me.

ME: Oh. Sad. but atleast someone is sane!

MA: He is always quiet. God knows why he keeps rambling when you are there.

ME: what? She is proud? God help this wierd herd. But then with a kid like that, I do not blame her.

AK: Ma, you will not buy the fish?

MA: No.

We reach. I get the hell out.

Yes I know the poor kid was probably running for some attention. But can we not just indulge in some plain old gossiping for once without thinking about "the beyond".

This past year has been anything but a blur. But I have learnt to appreciate somethings...like randomness and cab-rides.

Oh and AK stands for "Annoying Kid". Big Surprise,no?

P.S.: I was not trying to listen to their enriching,deep conversation. They were just too damn loud!