the new year gift...

I was drafting my out of office mailbox reply, while office boy came and asked with hesitation 'Sir, are you busy'. 'Not much, just finishing things before leaving' I said. 'Sir, I need to check 1 thing on internet' he said. 'OK, check' I said. 'Sir, I need to search bicycle for kids in OLX, can you help me?' he said. 'OK' I said and started searching his query in OLX. Now monitor was showing some results of kids bicycle with rate, which ranged from Rs 500 to Rs 5000. 'Sir, can you open this link?' he said while pointing to Rs 500 bicycle. 'This seems pretty old, can you open this of 2000?' he said. 'Ohh, this is bigger than what I am looking for...I am looking this for my 4 years kid' he said. 'OK, this one looks good' I said while pointing out 1 cycle. 'How much it costs?' he said. 'It’s showing 1200 and it looks in good condition' I said while showing the different pictures of bicycle. 'Yes, I will note down the owner’s number' he said. I opened another page and it was showing bikes of higher prices. 'What is this sir, can you open this?' he said while pointing out to a bike of price 30K.'It runs through battery, It is too big, not for a kid of 4 year' I said. 'Yes, I am wondering why even kids need these kinds of bikes, which cost 30K' he said. 'Can you open the another site sir, Quikr ?' he said. I opened Quikr and did not find any good match, what he was looking for. 'Sir what is this, is this footwear, some special kind of footwear' he said while pointing out to one picture in Quikr. 'Yes, it’s footwear, it says kids branded footwear' I said. 'Hey, I think we should try for a new one, there are some online sites, where you can get kids bicycle' I said. I opened Snapdeal and it was showing Rs 2500 for a 4 years kid bicycle. 'Leave it sir, my kid is growing very fast...I don’t know how long he will use this bicycle, what is the use of buying this new bicycle' he said. 'Yes, you are right, maybe we should search more in OLX?' I said. 'You are getting late sir...I have noted down 1 phone number, I will check with that, otherwise we will check any other time...there is no hurry, my kid is not growing that much fast, he can wait for bicycle' he said with smile. 'OK, time to leave now...happy New Year' I said. 'Happy New Year sir' he said.

I was passing through office corridor and was laughing at the joke of social inequality, where someone is selling his kid’s used branded footwear and someone can wait for his kid’s New Year gift. 

autowallah, the dreamer...

‘Jam at this traffic light at this time is quite unusual’ autowallah said. ‘PK has released today, shows are running houseful ...I think this jam is due to PK release’ I said. ‘PK...how is the movie brother ?’ autowallah asked. ‘It’s Amir Khan movie, it should be good...reviews are also good’ I said. ‘Hmm...I will download the movie on Sunday, I don’t have this much of time to see the movie in theater’ autowallah said. ‘Download, how...you know download sites ?’ I said. ‘Yes, I have this big phone, I download movies on phone’ autowallah said while showing his big screen phone with smile. ‘Movie files are too big...one file will be around 750 MB’ autowallah continued with smile while changing the gear as traffic light turned to green. 

‘Since how many years you have been driving auto?’ I said. ‘It has been around 5 years’ autowallah said. ‘5 years...how old are you?’ I asked with surprise. ‘19’ he smiled. ‘hmm...but how did you manage to drive auto without licence...are you localite...do you know whole Delhi, NCR routes now ? ’I said. ‘No, I am from Kanpur, I started driving there...after getting license I bought this auto...I know all routes within Noida, I have no idea of Delhi routes’ he said. ‘Good...what about your education?’ I said. ‘I left school after 10^th’ he said. ‘Why...due to any family responsibility? ’ I said. ‘No, just like that...I did not find any interest in books’ he said with a smile. ‘Hmm, that’s not good...like you said there is no family responsibility, at least you should have continued till 12^th’ I said. He smiled in reply. ‘How much you manage to earn?’ I said. ‘It depends, but roughly it’s around 10K’ he said. ‘Any plan for buying more autos in future’ I said. ‘No, I have some different plans’ he said with smile. ‘Ok and what is that?’I said with smile. ‘I will drive heavy vehicle, roadways bus...it’s government service ‘he said.’OK...will you have more comfort in that...what all facilities you will get?’ I said. ‘Yes, first of all it’s government service, it will be 24 hrs service...one has to drive bus in early morning from Kanpur to Delhi and return back to Kanpur till night...next day will be complete rest...during drive bus will stop on fixed restaurants...food will be free for driver’ he said. ‘Hmm...good...so when you are planning for that...will there be any exam for that...will you find time to prepare for exam?’ I said. ‘Not now, it needs five years heavy vehicle experience...the test will be a driving test...they will give me 1 bus with loose breaks and clutches and 1 officer will review my drive’ he said. ‘Ok and what if someone fails the test, will he get other chance?’ I said. ‘If someone fails the test, he can apply again...it’s like exam form...one has to fill the form’ he said. ‘Hmm, good...and what about your marriage ‘I said with smile. ‘Marriage... still there are lots of things to do...’ he said with confident smile. ‘Nice, keep your spirit always high...you will definitely do those lots of things’ I said. ‘Thank you brother’ he said with smile. ‘I think, I should get down here... ’ I said. I paid my bill and thanked him. 

I was crossing the road and the dreamer autowallah was smiling while taking the U turn to avoid the jam at next light.

the hope...

Monsoon was giving it's firm presence on the car windows, in the month of July. A long queue of cars was waiting for red light to turn into green. A lady, wearing torn red sari, was waving her one hand slowly outside the car window. The person, sitting inside the boundary of windows, was not showing any emotion. The driver peeped into the front mirror and found the person adjusting his goggles. Hope was pouring from four eyes towards that window. The lady was holding her baby with one hand and was waving the other hand continuously. The light turned on green and it took away the hope from the eyes, which had seen only 20 years. One pair of eyes was looking up into sky and cursing the monsoon and the other pair of eyes, which had not seen even 600 days, was looking towards the other direction where cars were waiting for light to turn green.

The younger pair of eyes, which did not know the meaning of hope, was still having the hope...

the balloon guy...

I was having noodles with my friend, at a fast food stall, on my way back from college. 'Hey brother, would you like to buy balloons?' a boy, aged around 12 or 13, asked me.  I smiled back in reply 'Would you like to have noodles?'. 'No, I don’t want noodles...do you want balloons' the boy said. I smiled and said 'Are you new into this balloon business?'. 'Yes, it's my first week...but how do you know?' the boy said. 'You are having these heart shaped red balloons and asking 2 college guys, who are coming back from college, for buying these...you still have to learn to identify your potential customers' I said. The boy smiled back 'So... will you teach me that'.'I cannot teach you, as I am not into balloon selling, but I think you should try there' I said while pointing out to the couples sitting outside the CCD on the other side of the road. 'I am sure you will learn gradually' I said. 'Chotu, why don’t you go to school ?' my friend, who was enjoying the noodles till now, asked the guy. 'I go to school... we are 3 siblings, I am the eldest one...I have started this balloon selling in evening after my school... I need to earn some money for my family' the boy said. 'Good... have some noodles...taste is really good' my friend said. 'No, I don't eat noodles... I need to sell balloons...I will go now' the boy said. The boy was heading towards his potential customers and my curiosity was prompting whether the boy would manage to convert those potential customers into buyers to fulfill the goals created by himself...   

  

P.S. Around 7 years back at Rajpur Road, Dehradun   

 

someone knows everything...

My sister got a chance to visit the holy Shri Badrinath temple. After her return I pampered her and said,”So what did you ask from God for your brother?”

Her simple reply came as a surprise for me.

She said,”God knows everything, even the thing what you want from him”.

“Oh my God, reply of the day or week...ok month”, I said.   

I was smiling and thinking...really, someone knows everything...

I am sure...just lock it...

X, a Mechanical Engineering third year guy, was standing in gallery with his friends. Y, a Computer Science & Engineering third year girl, was approaching towards gallery. X was fully charged with the motivational forces from his friends. 

'Hi', X said.

 Y with surprise eyes from her frameless specs,' Yes'.

X with unlimited hopes in his eyes ‘Hi, this is X’.

'Ok', Y said.

'Will you be my friend?' X said.

Y with the intense curiosity 'why?'

X inside his mind 'Ohh my Y... you don’t know me...every morning I see you standing there, waiting for the college bus... generally I don't wear helmet while driving, but I wear when I cross you in the morning... there is something special in you...you are my heroin'.

X uttered some words 'Are you sure?'

'Yes, is there any kind of KBC going on...I am sure...just lock it' Y said and left the gallery.

There was a silence for 10 seconds which broke by heavy burst of laughs...  

definitions...

X, a French guy living in London, is in India for official visit. Y, an Indian guy, who returned back to India last year after more than 10 years, is living with his family happily. Z, an Indian dreamer, who thinks he can change the world, maybe little bit.

X,Y and Z are heading for drinks after office hours. 'I did not get a chance to interact with you much in past, are you single?' Y asked to X. 'Yes, you can say...I have a girlfriend, she often comes to my place, and mostly we spend weekends together' X said. 'Nice, so any future plans...sooner or later' Y asked again. 'Yes, let see...I am trying to be more responsible...may be in next 3 years...we will go for PACS...marriage, you know it's quite complex' X said. 'And you?' X asked to Y. 'I am married, I have a kid...I have to go through court if I want separation from my partner...it's really complex here' Y said with a smile.
'hmm and what about you Z' X said.
'mmm' Z was about to answer but before that Y said 'Z is very much single...hahaha...he is not into these complexities'.

'Yes, I am a free soul' Z said...

Allah Hafiz...

After spending some time in central mall, I went towards the nearest metro station. I inquired about my destination station and boarded into metro. After having a 20 minutes metro ride, I started walking towards my next destination. My next destination was on walking distance from metro station as per GPS. Luckily I found a local guy who knew English. He helped me and directed towards the most probable direction.

After walking for more than 5 minutes, I thought of asking someone, but did not get much help as most of the people were either tourists or non-English speaking. Suddenly I found a shop with the name written Bollywood on it’s board. I entered into shop in hope of getting some help and asked the guy at the counter, 'Can you please help me...'. And the reply what I got was,'hanji, boliye kya madad ker sakta hun main aapki'. I think the guy had been controlling his thrust of speaking in Hindi, so he replied in Hindi even I asked him in English. He introduced himself as Kishan from Banaras and gave a 30 seconds little introduction,' Panch bhai aaye they hum yahan, bade bhai wapis chale gaye Banaras, baki hum yahan Barcelona me, upper wale ki dua se sab badiya chal reha hai'. That introduction was enough to tell me that he was not from Banaras, but just to make me feel comfortable, he said Kishan and Banaras. But for a guy who was not sure of where the way was heading towards and who entered into a shop just by looking at the Bollywood sign board, that Banaras connection was not an important thing until he would get some help. Kishan bhai was really helpful; he dialed the hostel number and came out of his shop just to show me the direction, 'Bus seedhe chalte jao, wo aage jake gali hai, hostels hain wahan pe 1-2'. I thanked Kishan bhai many times and he was just smiling,'koi baat ni ji'.

I headed towards the way which Kishan bhai showed me, but for my surprise soon found traffic lights exploring 4 different directions. I was looking for someone who can guide me and then thought of asking a young couple, who was just passing by me. The guy didn't help much, but girl understood English in bits and pieces. The girl pointed me towards another direction which was completely different than what Kishan bhai mentioned. I started walking towards the direction and stopped in front of a store.

I entered into store to get a water bottle and asked the lady sitting at the counter,'can I get 1 water bottle, please?'. My attempt of sophistication went into vein, when I get reply,'Aap, Pakistan se?' For a fraction of second, I thought whether water bottle is a code for something else which I used by mistake. 'Nahin Hindustan se', I was trying to control my laugh somewhere after using that heavyweight reference  'Hindustan se'. The very next moment  she offered a coke can and said,'thak gaye honge, pi lijiye' and my reply was too much pragmatic,'thanks, bus paani kafi hai'. In reply she opened the coke can and offered me and I again thanked her for the hospitality. 'Hindustan me kahan se?' lady said. 'Dilli se'...achha...'main ye address dhund reha hun,aapko pata hai'. The lady asked the helper in the store, who knew the address in bits and pieces and was very confident that he would find out the hostel. I asked for the bill and the lady started smiling,'koi ni, ho gaya', but after my so much insist she accepted bill from me.

Finally the helper guy’s Spanish, which he learned in that shop only, worked and I was at the reception of hostel. Kishan bhai was right, it was straight from his shop but the road, which was slanting at more than 30 degree angle, was creating confusion.  'koi sa bhi saman chahiye hoga, khana kuch bhi bus phone ker dena ', Fakhruddin said. Hola...hello...'so you are here to attend the marriage', the receptionist girl said. 'You are the third person, who asked me this marriage thing today, what is that?'. 'Ohh, you don't know, see here...it's a millionaire family from India', she said while pointing out to the monitor screen.  'Ok', I said with smile. Finally I took my room keys, had a shower and was ready to go out again. After wandering for another 3 hrs, I had a sleep. 

Next day after visiting Park Guell, I packed my bag and came to the store again. The lady was sitting at the counter, 'hello', I said. 'Aadaab', she said. 'Achha biscuits, cookies honge', I said. 'cookies jyada ache nahin hain, aap biscuits dekh lo, whan hain', she said. I picked up biscuits, water bottle and fruit juice. 'Kitna hua?' I said. She tagged discounted price for me,'aapke liye bus itna'. I paid my bill.

'Achha to fir chalta hun', I said. 'Ok, aate rehna fir, koi aur madad chahiye hogi batana', she said. 'Main ghoomne aaya tha, wapis jaa reha hun', I said. 'Kahan Dilli...mujhe laga aap padte ho yahan, kafi students aate hain yahan padhne', she said. 'Nahin...main France aaya tha, office ke kaam se... to do din ke liye yahan ghoomne aa gaya, wapis France jana hai', I said. 

'Ohho...achha, chalo fir, Allah Hafiz...'she said.

'Allah Hafiz...' I smiled...tightened  my grip on bag and started moving towards another destination...