Dec 10, 2009

The Secret Santa

It's an obstacle course. The little stretch from the station building to the bus stop. Just across the road. You first have to negotiate your way out of the station past the TC. It's not that he didn't have a ticket just that showing him his pass and waiting while he checks wheter it's valid would slow him down. So a little detour around the blind lottery ticket seller took care of that. Then past the line of rickshaws. With one person getting out and five struggling to get in. First person in gets the rickshaw. All okay there until someone plays dirty and gets in from the other side. A touchdown at both ends of the field. Together. King Solomon where are you when we need you?

The hijras don't bother him. Because he's alone. It's the couples and women they go after. Or maybe they know his bank balance. Or maybe they know that someone headed for the 221 bus stop is not going to part with too much of his loose change. Into the traffic lane behind the rickshaws. The one the BEST buses heading for the depot mistake for Le Mans. The one which James after dropping his lordship off is going thru to get the memsaab to the parlour in time for her pedicure and James is'nt sparing the horses. On to the divider where before him is a sea of people. Prostrating themselves for their weekly namaaz. Watching out for fingers and toes he makes it thru the first round of auditions for Swan Lake and finds himself at the bus stop. Where a bus draws up and he can actually get in. Not cling to the handle on the doorstep like someone from Gemini Circus. The bus hits Turner road. Which halfway thru becomes Perry road. Why ? And how? How can a road have one name for the first half and another for the second ? His stop is coming up. The loose change gets him the ticket. And the idiot kid in the Maruti crashes into him as he alights.

Flat out. So that's what a car looks like from underneath. The whole world gathers around. The pro active folk pull him out from under the car. The most pro active folk pull the rich brat out of the Maruti. Land him a few slaps.

Can he walk? Seems okay. Shirts torn though. The brat is looking shaken. Sorry. Sorry. He's offering to pay. Are those big red ones he's taking out of his wallet ? He shakes his head at the brat to say no, nothing was required. The kid thinks he's saying no, it's not enough. More big red ones on which the Father of the nation's benign smile is now a full fledged grin.
Ho! Ho! Ho! It's going to be a good Christmas

6 comments:

  1. cynnyDecember 10, 2009 at 12:18 PM

    Where on earth do u get the ideas to write like this????

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  2. UnknownDecember 10, 2009 at 2:02 PM

    having trekked this route many years.....i feel like the character myself...minus the big red ones.....hahahahaha,,,,gr8 one Clem....Edward

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  3. Smiling DolphinDecember 10, 2009 at 2:04 PM

    i think Santa is going to get you a salsa red Beetle for christmas.

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  4. Gia FernandesDecember 10, 2009 at 2:30 PM

    Me too! Same route - out of Bandra Station to the bus stop to catch the same bus to get to my French tuitions in the first year of junior college!

    Wonderfully written Clem, as always! Oh, I think I'm beginning to fall in love with December again :-)

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  5. clemde@gmail.comDecember 17, 2009 at 9:11 AM

    Cynny : in reply, Bandra.
    Edward TY.
    SD . i wish. A red beetle ? Convertible ?
    CC Merci beaucoup's

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  6. babluJanuary 13, 2010 at 3:36 PM

    Belated Xmas and New greetings Clem. Enjoyed going through your Blog. Brought back Memories of the little time I spent in Bandra as a kid.

    ReplyDelete

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