Chapter 61
Met Rajeev after
a long long time. He had gone to the States for some office work for around 6
months. Lucky guy minted awesome dollars and is now planning to buy a Royal
Enfield. Full down payment. No loan! This is the power of the multiplication
factor of dollars into Rupees!
We had a nice
dinner at Renaissance hotel in Powai. It was his treat of course. We also
discussed what I should do now and which NGO to join and such things. He
suggested that I join the Aangan Hamara old age home in Sion as a teacher who
can come up with creative stuff like plays, dances, events for the old people.
My creativity could be best put to use this way. Till now I felt that I was
good only at poems. But now it’s time to venture into other kinds of writing
and see how far I can go. As an ex-advertisement guy I am expected to be good
at every medium of creativity.
It will be nice
to interact with old people and be like their son and make them laugh and keep
them happy. Rajeev told me that the old age home also has a guest room where I could
stay if I wanted to. He will talk to the trustee there and confirm about my
role and responsibility and their expectations from me and some minimal
compensation too. Of course I am not doing this for money. But still. Even
around 5 K would be ok.
Saahil’s Diary
Last week we
had our school reunion. Initially I didn’t want to go, but then a few friends
from school forced me to go and so I went and met them and their spouses. Some
had 2 kids, some said one was enough, some were recently happily married. The
most beautiful girl from my class – Prajakta More – has 2 super cute kids. I
played with them and so damn wished they had my chromosomes!
Prajakta had
many boyfriends in her teen years. So it was a tough competition. Finally she
married a rich IIM Ahmedabad grad. Now settled in California. She was sharing
all her tales of the dreamland and how fast her husband is getting promotions
in his company. I could see the “how-I-wish-she-had-my-children” feeling in the
eyes of guys listening to her chatter.
We guys hung
around in the school and visited the various classrooms and recollected the
golden days. Then one guy mocked the only girl from our class who wasn’t
married yet and said that there was no way on earth that anyone would marry
such an ugly girl as Sanjana Patil! We all laughed! And then I realised that I
was the Sanjana in the guys’ group. The only bachelor. The one who wasn’t
married because no one saw the inner beauty and hence was never a choice for
anyone.
The guy realised
his mistake and stopped for a second or two and then again laughed out like
hell! Bastard boys! I laughed too! If the world is
laughing at
you, then you too laugh at yourself. Just chill. Let the moment pass by and a
golden moment will come soon.
There was this
one guy – Rohit Gurav – who shared his story about how he had impressed and
married a German girl! Yes! A fucking German hot babe! He was good at guitar
and then one day he had been on a trip to Goa and there he met this hot babe –
Katja – at the same hotel and they danced around the bonfire for hours and then
made out in her room and they felt a connection. At first, Rohit’s parents
didn’t approve of a firang bahu, but then love triumphed. He now has a sweet
cute blob of love called Isabella. He showed Isabella’s pictures. How I wish I
have an Isabella too someday.
“It’s all about
guts, bro. Don’t stop till the goal is reached,” said Vivekananda.
“Learn
something from Hindi movies, dude. If you love someone, then don’t give up!”
said Rohit. Point noted.
A lot has happened in just one week, dear Georgie.
While going
back to US, Vandu and her -in-laws stayed at our house on 8th and 9th. They came by
Indrayni express which leaves Pune at
6.40 PM and
comes to Kalyan by 9.15 PM. I had gone to receive them at Kalyan station. I
hugged my dear Vandu and we both were in tears because we were meeting each
other after 6 months or so. And I hugged Jiju too. Aryan was about to hug me,
but I exercised restraint and just shook hands with him. It looks odd in front
of Vandu’s in-laws. He looks good. Better than Jiju. But not like Rahul. I
don’t know why but Rahul has kind of become a benchmark for the guys I am
meeting. That soberness, that charm, those dimples and rosy lips! I am trying
to find that in everyone I meet.
So, we reached our home at around 10.00 and then we youngsters got to
talking in my room and Vandu shared the details of their recent trip to various
places and stuff. Aryan kept looking at me. Analysing me.
Maybe
appreciating my beauty. After chatting for some time, we had our dinner and
then we went out for a stroll. Vandu and Jiju excused themselves after 10-15
minutes. Ours is a big society with enough place to sit quietly and relax.
Aryan was
sharing his journey from Pune to California and how he got into Yahoo. I then
shared how I was frustrated because of office
politics,
pathetic appraisals and dissatisfaction with job overall. Then we began discussing
our expectations from our life partners. Everything was fine till then.
The problem
started when he asked if there was an ice-cream outlet nearby. A very famous outlet
is nearby and hence we went there. “I will have Butterscotch. What will you
have?” asked Aryan and I stood there waiting. Just as he got me my favourite
Chocolate Walnut, it reminded me of Saahil – that innocent
I-will-do-anything-for-you guy who knew my favourite flavour right on the
second day of his project.
Aryan licked
his Butterscotch ice-cream and was eyeing mine too. He tried to have a bite off
my scoop and then in that playful moment, his lips touched mine. At first I
couldn’t believe that we just happened to kiss each other! He looked very
forward types. Total American culture types. I tried to resist a little bit by
bringing my right hand near my mouth. But he knew that the moment was perfect.
He brushed my hand aside and there we were kissing each passionately outside
the ice-cream parlour. A few curious eyes stared at us. That is when I pushed
Aryan aside and ran towards our society. Aryan followed me and said sorry. I
didn’t say anything. I felt like blushing, but I didn’t. Otherwise he would
have gotten the wrong signal. I had never thought that the first kiss of my
life would be outside an ice-cream parlour! I had imagined it to happen in a
cinema hall or at Bandra Band Stand or at Marine Drive. What if some uncle from
our society had come to get ice-cream and had seen us in that situation!
Neither of us
talked for a while. We went home and retired to our rooms. I was with Vandana
in my room and he was with his brother in
the guest room.
It had been ages since we had discussed girly stuff! We felt like school girls
again. But she warned me that her perception about Aryan had changed after she
had found him kissing a girl at an Indian function in the US. She had caught
him red handed kissing a firang whom he had brought to the Diwali function in
their locality as she wanted to attend an Indian festival. American girls are
easily attracted to Indian boys, Vandu said. She warned me to stay alert when I
am with him. Earlier she was only trying to get me closer to him and now this
stance. Elder sister hai, soch samaj ke hi bola hoga.
Since I had
anyway left my job and had nothing to do, my mom asked me to show Vandu, Jiju
and Aryan around Mumbai. Marine drive, Gateway of India and all those places. I
obliged. What other choice did I have? I also wanted to see Aryan’s next move.
Aryan and I
could actually feel some sexual tension between us. After clicking photos at
the Gateway of India, I wanted to take them to Marine Drive. But didi wanted to
go for a boat ride. Aryan wasn’t very keen on to go for a boat ride. Neither
was I. So we decided to let them have fun on the boat and then meet us directly
at Marine Drive. Aryan and I took a cab to our destination. That is when the
raw animal inside Aryan came out. He bloody groped me! Just a little bit of
flirting was ok. But groping was beyond limits. I shouted at him and then pushed
him and asked the cab driver to stop the car. As I came out of the cab fuming,
bystanders came near the cab asking if there was anything wrong. I could have
told the truth and the responsible Mumbaikars would have beaten the shit out of
him. But I didn’t. Seeing the crowd gather near the cab, Aryan got petrified.
He followed me
and said sorry and all. But I had already lost respect for him. If he can do
such things to a girl who he had met one day ago, then what all things would he
be doing to girls in US whom he knows for a long long time. Aryan option –
CROSSED out!
Vandu and Jiju
came at the decided place, then we had lunch. After sitting on Marine Drive for
around an hour we left for home. They had a flight at 1.30 in the night. After
dinner, my dad arranged a cab for them and then they left for US. That groping
incident had made me so numb that I didn’t even cry much when Vandu left.
Needless to say, Aryan will never ping me again. Cheapo American bastard!
I will have to
drown myself in something more meaningful and useful. I will try and contact
that teacher at the old age home and see if I can contribute there. I wonder
what she teaches there. Let’s see.
Rahul’s Diary
Rajeev
introduced me to the manager of that old age home – Mr Sanjay Patil. Everyone
calls him Bhau. He is a tall guy with a Charlie Chaplin like moustache. It is
an odd combination. There are some 200 old people there. As I entered the old
age home, it kind of cast a pall over me. The atmosphere was very serene but
awfully quiet as if there was no movement. Bhau clarified my doubt. I had
entered the campus at 11.00 AM and from 11 to 12 it was some Kavitha Amma’s
story telling session. So majority of the people were assembled in her room.
Bhau took me to
her room. Room no. 101. The very first room in the oldest building in the old
age home. As we went near the room, I could hear a loud voice narrating a story
about a boy pouncing on a lion. She was actually making noises of the lion
roaring and the boy in a rage ready to face the lion. I guess that animated
narration is what they all must love. The room was so packed that there were
some 3-4 old people sitting outside the room and listening to her story with
rapt attention.
As soon as Bhau
and I approached the room, those grannies and grandpas joined their hands to
welcome us. I found it kind of odd to meet such old people greeting me with a
Namaste. Their Namaste was not the casual Pranam that we say in everyday life.
Their Namaste had a feeling of expectation of love from me, a feeling of
has-he-come-to-
help-us-or-spend-time-with-us,
a feeling of seeing their loved one who had himself dumped them at this old
age. A tear or two started finding their way at the corner of my right eye. I
wiped it and smiled at them and enquired, “Namaste, kaise ho aap?” They just shook
their heads in agreement and smiled at me and made way for me to go and meet
Kavitha Amma.
As I stepped
into the room, a healthy lady in her 70s greeted us and then Bhau introduced me
to her and to everyone in the room. “From today Rahul sir will stay here only.
Guest room mein,” Bhau introduced me to everyone and I smiled with folded
hands. I found it odd with everyone looking at me. I could feel some 100 odd
eyes analysing me – whether I would be one of those
hey-I-went-to-an-old-age-home-yesterday-I-will-now-brag type of people who
flaunt their social work or whether I would be one of those boys who come to
the old age home to see how their old parents would feel once dumped there!
I didn’t know
what to say. I smiled and went to the guest room. As I left the room, I could
hear Kavitha Amma resume her boy and lion story. She had a thick South Indian
accent.
The guest room
is on the 1st floor. Quite
big a room for a bachelor like me. There is a TV with cable. A huge cabinet for
my clothes. Good. I am happy with the accommodation at least.
From this
afternoon a totally new experience will begin for me. Gotta go now for lunch.
Will share with you more soon.
Cya!
Rahul’s Diary
I guess this is
the first time that I am writing a diary entry for the second time the same
day. So, after freshening up at 11.30 in the morning, Bhau took me to the lunch
room. They call it Anna Dhaam. The lunch room filled up within minutes and I
stood there by the door watching them and not knowing what to do.
Bhau called me
and asked me if I wanted to serve them food. Of course I was waiting for that
opportunity. I was kind of finding it odd to go ask Bhau about it by myself. I
agreed to serve chapattis and then rice. So, this was the order in which we had
to serve. Chapatti, vegetables, salads, sweet. There was a section of grannies
and grandpas that was not allowed sweets as they had diabetes. Then the person
with papad and lemon and salt would go. That was followed by the person with
daal. After some 10 minutes, one with the rice would go to serve.
For the first
time in my life I was having the satisfaction of doing something good. Serving
old needy people gave me a sense of inner peace. In Hindi we call it
Manahshanti. Even while writing this, I have goosebumps, imagining the feeling
that I had then. I knew that leaving my job, going to Delhi and coming back to
Mumbai to serve the old was the right decision.
Kavitha Amma
looked at me and asked me to get an extra sweet for her. I looked at Bhau to
seek his permission. He looked at Amma and
smiled. Amma
smiled at me. I had no other option but to get an extra sweet for that sweet
old lady with a nice smile. Very discreetly I gave her a small cup of porridge.
She pulled my cheeks and gestured that my dimples looked very sweet. I couldn’t
stop blushing. She has some magnetism. Some sort of quality that I am sure
everyone in the old age home must love about her.
After everyone
was done with their lunch, Bhau, I and a few others sat down to have our lunch.
There is one cook from Varanasi and he has 3 helpers to help him in the whole cooking
process. The other staff includes the dish washer, the help required for
arranging plates, picking up the plates, serving food, etc.
I know that this might sound as if I am cribbing, but I didn’t like
the taste of the food. It was very bland. Almost no oil and spices. But I guess
at that age and with the funds that the old age home gets, the bland food was
good enough. I had to go out to relish a Vada-Pav to satiate my hunger. After
having a smoke or two I returned to my room, slept for a while and then at
around 4, it was tea and snacks time. After the snacks, Bhau told me what was
expected of me. He also shared his story about how he had landed in this
ashram. As a child, he used to be pampered a lot by his grandfather. So
naturally he had a lot of affection for him. Once, because of some property
dispute, his father threw Bhau’s grandfather out of his own home. Because of
lack of education, his grandfather couldn’t resort to any legal action. His
grandfather was then enrolled in Aangan Hamara. As an immature 15 year old and
because of his affection for his grandfather, he ran away from his own home and
joined this old age home as a helper in the
canteen. That was the only way he could
have been with his grandfather. And slowly with hard work he climbed up the
ladder and is now the manager of the whole institution.
Dinner was served at 7.00 and then a movie was played in the
recreation room. “Munnabhai MBBS”. A laugh riot for all ages. Indeed everyone
enjoyed it. By the time the movie was over, half of the people had dispersed
and gone back to their own room to relax. At this age even sitting for the
entire length of a movie can be very tiring. By the way, it was after a long
long time that I had enjoyed a movie so much with such a lovely crowd. After
switching off the lights, I came back to my room and am sharing this with you
dear diary.
Time to sleep now. Gn.
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