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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

FIERY LIFE ON TRACKS


 This is my contribution to the indiblogger contest...

Sets You On Fire!




My early days in Mumbai
A Wednesday in the winter of November 2002

I had just joined my first job
All that I knew was basic computer controls , fluent Malayalam and bit of broken English...
It was only the second time that I am traveling in the local trains of Mumbai
The first time being my journey for my job interview...
I had very less train traveling experience
All that I knew was
VA stood for Vashi (my destination)...
and K stood for Kalyan.( my home city)...on the indicators


Every Mumbaikar must have had  fiery train experiences. Me being a beginner , never imagined the very first day of my job would turn out into a nightmare
all was well till the train reached Mankhurd railway station
At Mankhurd the train had an unexpected halt

Time-6.00 pm

passengers waited for the train to regain speed ....
sources said...there's a severe route problem hence trains will move after an hour or so

Time-7.30 pm

We waited...but still stuck at the same place
Commuters started moving away
some preferred to walk through tracks..then use the roadways
whereas some preferred making a queue at the nearest PCO ,unlike these days very few people carried mobile phones with them...and that too...the big ones locked inside the safe mobile cases..the call rated were not that cheap to lend your phone to the fellow passengers....

I prefered waiting.....
Only human existence inside the train was me...and a young school girl at the window...she was engrossed in some thoughts...she also seemed to be worried....but me...my situation was worst..I didnt even know whats happpening



I felt helpless...betrayed.......and more than that....LOST
I looked around....
The only person to be seen was the school girl...
I was worried.....I rested my elbows on my knees....hid my face in my palms....so that the girl wont see me crying...
yes I was crying...!!

Time - 9.00

I spotted a few ladies rushing inside the train
Dressed in bright colored sarees....polka dotted salwar kammez...dark faces with big red bindi adorning their forehead...big gajras around their decorated hair..
one of them approached me...
her lips were dark red which hid her yellow teeth all...sick of chewed tobbaco...
placing a pan into her mouth...
she asked me
" where do you want to go?"

"Kurla"

come with us....we will drop you there

I was already so stressed..and this lady who assured me to each me kurla safely...won my trus...
I got up from my seat
took my hanbag ...and followed them

uuuuff.....
someone had pinched me
the school girl
she indicated me ...not to go with them

I gave her a very weird look...the look meant...what bothers you? they are trying to save me...and you stopping me?? if you want to reach home take their help...or sit here....why stop me?

she must have understood that I am new...in this strange city...I never knew the dark perhaps the red part of the city.... these women were the prostitutes....for them I was just another prey...to their world of sex,,,money and dirt....

she said 
"mat jao...( dont go )"

By this time one of the women had grabbed my  right hand...she started pulling me !!!!

The school girl ,,she pulled my left hand... I was amidst a tug of war...I did not know what to be done...
  
All that I knew was that somethigs wrong.... 

I decided

Only way out
 I  screamed......at the top of my voice..!!!!!
This gathered many a men around us...

They screamed at those prostitutes....drove them away!!!!!!

perhaps I was saved...

but still trapped.... in the empty train again!!!!!


 Time - 10.30

Do you have money??

My savior asked me....now she wants money for saving me??.

I want to call my home...will you please lend me some money? 

I gave her some money...she went to the nearest PCO....I had no one to call for help...as I stayed as a paying guest with an old couple...I didn't expect them to come and rescue me

Time - 11.30

after some time...a man arrived...her father....
she went to him...said something in tamil...and turned to me

" You can come with us... I can leave you at Kalyan..." 

I decided to go with her....Nitya was her name....

Nitya's father took us to a tata sumo parked near the ticket counter...they comforted me in the vehicle...

I said to myself

" you are gone....they are taking you to a deserted island .....they will demand money from your parents...you are kidnapped"

I rejected the snacks offered by nitya... I doubted anesthesia in it ....
I was tired... I slowly drifted of to sleep...when I opened my eyes.. I found I was at kurla....
they helped me board a train to kalyan...and I reached kalyan safe...!!!!

Time - 1.30

I reached kalyan station....i couldn't take a rickshaw home...for I cannot trust anyone at this time of night....I ran....ran...stopped only when i reached the basement of my apartment.....I leaned against aparked maruti 800.... I started crying... perhaps... the tears that I controlled for so long couldn't stay any more,,,  









Ten years later..........

TRING........TRING TRING TRING

"hello??
Nitya??? hws u ?? "

TILL TODAY WE ARE GOOD FRIENDS..... SHE STILL CALLS ME AND  I AM ALWAYS THANKFUL TO HER...ALWAYS....!!!!


Sunday, December 18, 2011

A MOTHER'S GRIEF

The sun set down..the birds are back to their nests...the farmers returned home ..I could hear their tractors pass by...but my wait seems unending....another birthday passed away....
He didn't come
very less did I expect him to come...but an inner voice said,,, 

"after all you are his mother",,,



The nurse came to me...she carried my wheel chair to the lawn ... " madam, shall we go inside?
..you are here from the morning..its getting cold now...."

Till this very moment my eyes had tried their level best to control the tears from dripping down...and
no more could they hold on... I cried...
as I entered the lobby  I looked back one last time at the gate..all that I could see was a rusted black name board

Well Care Old Age Home

Every birth day I wait for him,,,My only son

Perhaps he forgot his lonely mother,,

I remember ,,when he was a small kid,,he used to wake up at twelve am...Wish me happy birthday..with a small birthday candle fixed amidst the smiley that he managed to draw with the sauce on the his self made sandwich..
He used to gift me a self made birth day card ..and promise me to buy me a big birthday gift when he grows up.

When he grew up...he bought me perfumes... from the savings of his pocket money...and insisted his dad to throw a party....

Later during his graduation years it shrinked to a small sweet kiss on my fore head for his pocket money was spent on his girl friend..he could not afford expensive gifts for his mom....

His 'I LOVE YOU ' was as precious to me as any expensive gift....and I never complained.,,,for he was my only son...
He himself is the most priceless gift I am ever gifted...a smile on his face erased all my worries....
but today on my sixty first birth day I am missing you my son...

The last time I saw you was at the office counter of the old age home ,,when you came here to pay the eighth instalment
I have got every pleasure of my life here..
A wheelchair of my own....a bed of my own...three time food...regular yoga classes...all that I miss is a pinch of love...all that I have here is sympathy....

For mothers are angels to their sons in their school years..but when they grow up...I never imagined the same angels turn out to be burdens
Burdens who often needs to be taken to the doctors...who are sometimes additional expenditure,,,,

You were never a burden for me when I carried you nine months in me...you were never a burden for me when you cling by my shoulders before going to school..all that I wish is for you to be at my bedside when I close my eyes forever...I can forgive you always ...for I am your mother,,,

miss u my son,,, this mother is waiting for you....with wet waiting eyes ....