I, Anoop, Vishakh and Shyam could manage to cover more than 3 km’s of jogging in the breezy dawn at the greenish park near to our rental house. Energizing run in the fair time of the day was like an act of the ‘nurture with nature’. The park in the middle of ‘the garden city’ was lively with natural noise of birds from curvaceous trees and varieties of horns originate on the road aside. Most of the joggers looked as if they are in critical need of health. Gentlemen and ladies at a wide spectrum of age walk and run as if a group of impish street-dogs are chasing them to molest. Some were rich in the mass of tummy, buttocks, waist and breasts. Pulsating flesh-blocks were flowing out of the bodies of the most those who walk and run around. We were in track suits. Some abnormally fat college girls were in loose jackets and shorts. After our rounds of run, we moved to the meadows in the park to perform the Yoga and breathing exercises. While we strongly breathe in and out, a course of din will be produced. It would magnetize everyone’s notice and thereby keeps us in limelight.
We returned back at sharp 6.30am. Because, one among our neighbor-girls will be in their bedroom costume at the nearest-petty shop to buy milk packs at sharp 6.30am. Getting ‘a girl next door’ is not a silly result!
Everyone contributed their hands in breakfast-preparation interchangeably and took ice-cold shower in another half an hour. Quaker Oats-porridge, steamed bananas, peeled carrots and scrambled-egg. Bread-box was already empty to toast it. After a tasty, healthy course of breakfast Anoop, Shyam and Vishakh left the house for their work.
I had to escort one of my friend to attend an interview for the post of HR payroll executive. But, I too decided to attend the interview just to observe and study the goddamn interviewer and to be an over-smarted interviewee. So, this time my grooming was at my own private liberty; jeans and casual shirt instead of executive suit.
I went to the bus station and while I wait for bus, an interesting scene captured my attention. There was a stylish modern lady standing aside. She was in a short skirt and top. In the crowd, markedly one middle-aged man was there with an intense and unstoppable gaze at the lady from her top to bottom. He looked like haven’t been bathed for weeks. The pretty lady was not noticing the wicked person; instead, she was busy talking on her cell. Being curious, I changed my position to have a much better view. I couldn’t believe my eyes; the man was slowly stimulating his goddamn ‘male-badge’ with his fingers through his basic-garment in the middle of public! Everyone eyed at this scene with a shameful smile. The process continued for a while and there were none to react to this nastiest face of culture! ‘Shall I react or not?’
After a little while, my bus came and headed toward my destination to meet my batch-mate who is awaiting me.
I went kilometers ahead with my friend named Sunanditha, from Orissa. Sunanditha was indented to obtain this job by any hook or crook. She is a Non-vegetarian Brahmin by cast and looked extremely fair-complexioned. She behaves as she is younger to me by 10 years. Intact, she is elder to me by 2 years. Whenever Sunanditha speak English, there will be a sarcastic smile in my face due to her funny accent, the Mother Tongue Interference. Her kid is ‘the most important person’ in her life in her words! Her husband is working in Orissa and they live on 3G phone. Temporarily she has been staying in Bangalore with her parents, due to her sister’s inevitable dream-job in Bangalore. Sundanditha’s gentleman will be transferred soon to Bangalore.
I use monthly-bus-pass to travel around in the city. It cannot be applicable in Volvo a/c buses. But, Sunanditha was afraid of vomiting and that made me to be aside her in Volvo for Kilometers and kilometers. My wallet was in progress of shrinking due to the bus fares, juice fares and auto fares. Being a male, I had to be the one who is in front of every expense we face!
After getting off the bus, we walked for more than half an hour in roguish sun-beam and found the proper interview-venue after so many phone calls to the respective arrogant company personnel and inquiry with ample of unknown faces we faced frequently.
We were tired from long walk in midday and frustrated of the location in the out-skirts of the city. Finally we entered the specified building and the sign board signaled that, ‘Synergy Business Solutions’ is on 2nd floor. It was an antiquated building block with zero interiors and aesthetics. There were only a few offices. The silent-surround gave a feeling that all the employees are on sleep. I hastily searched for the urinary area though the need was unstoppable and uncontrollable. But, Sunanditha consoled that, ‘don’t be crazy… Just wait for a while, there will be toilets inside the office!' I obeyed her and searched for the stair case or elevator. The elevator was waiting for us with the jaws opened wide.
Aside to the elevator, ‘Do not spit here’ was written on the wall and some god’s pictures found nearby to 'really avoid spitting'. But, there were different colors of spit-spots and sandal’s bottom prints lavishly on the filthy wall and even over the caution-title!
We entered the elevator; there was only a narrow space within. The elevator moved up to the 2nd floor and before we could open the door and get off, the power failed! The light dried up and the darkness spread around. Ceiling fan inside the cabin too halted. There was a small gap on the stern door to get fair-enough air to carry on life inside. I pressed the alarm button on the panel. It alarmed aloud to invite security person’s attention. But, none came! I remembered a saying, ‘a person’s 'actual culture' appears when he is in dark!’
We couldn’t see each other. It was tough for me to recognize Sunanditha’s position inside. I listened to her voice to detect her distance from me. As time passes we could at least have a vague vision inside. Sunanditha was not frightened because she might be confident that the man near to her is 'not an animal'. I was very alert with regard even to my minute movements inside.
It was our first experience in life. We enjoyed the surprising fate we are facing with. There was no proper network to telephone any god or goddess. So, we remained idle inside in expectation of the electricity’s arrival in simple light of cell phones. I pressed the alarm button over and over and we both called off for ‘help’ loudly.
In a couple of minutes we could hear some foot steps and they reached in the front of the elevator door with incredible curiosity on face. They looked at us as if I used to stare at the animal couples behind the bar in zoos! They understood that the lady is safe from Sundanditha’s smile. We pleaded them to open or smash the door. But, they were helpless. We had to wait for the power to come back.
Suddenly the interesting news could have spread across the entire mass and many visitors came down to have a look at both of us. Ladies smirked at me and the gents at Sunanditha. One person came closer the lift-window-hole and with a laugh and told us to wait for a while. Sunanditha lost her temper and blasted at him, ‘Why the hell are you laughing? Please help to open the door if possible…’ Later on Sunanditha came to know that, this person is the honorable interviewer!
Time in dark crept up to 1 hour. Sunanditha took out her red apples, yellow bananas , brown cookies and water bottle from her bag and gave me. It was a great relaxation to the drop-less throat. But, my urinary bladder was badgering me to open the valve soon! Many faces passed by out side the lift-door and it took another 1 hour to get the hell out of this jail.
I wrote on the wooden wall of the elevator with a pencil, "Ambi and Suni lived here for 2 hours!", inspired from the film 'cast away'!
I understood the value of freedom. We could empathize the 'state of minds' of animals, birds and criminals who are entitled to be inside the cage for a life time!
After we come out of the elevator, Sunanditha told me to standstill and gave a gentle pinch at my cheek and whispered, ‘I will never forget this in my life. I will never forget you dear brother…!’ Simultaneously I thought, ‘what if you were an unmarried girl!?’But, I didn’t explore my thought.
We cheered up, refreshed and went to the interview. The interviewer was ‘extremely sorry for the unexpected inconvenience occurred in his office-building’. After the interview, Sunanditha treated me well with pastries, ice cream, tender coconuts and bus tickets!
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