FOREWORD
Everyone has had a magical day in their life. But, there are eternal optimists who believe that every single day is a magical one. But, I am a true realist who believes that there is a magical day in everyone’s life and seldom does it happens again. It does not mean that I am not an optimist, but, I just prefer to be a realist here because that day was special and if everyday would be like that, then it will certainly lose its importance.
CHAPTER 1
Time is 0830 hrs. I am the flood-filled MKB Nagar road talking. A girl let us call her Ms. Yin, fair, as beautiful as Katrina Kaif (although I like Preity Zinta more), aged not more than 18, nice sharp eyes with threaded eyebrows and too many ear-piercings. She had an eternal gracious figure (I am not those burly boys remembering her vital stats) and with a flashing attitude opened the rusted gate and came out of her house and started walking carefully by lifting her Alif Laila type pyjamas in order not to get them wet. I am all flooded partly because of the rains and also because of these beautiful girls living on either side of my trunk. I meant that I do ogle at them and nothing else. Evil minds think badly. She reached the main road in the same manner and I lost her over to the Yellow-Yellow dirty fellow auto.
Time is 0845 hrs. I am the Auto talking. This girl wanted to go to Nungambakkam and her Tamil was “Oh!! My!! God!! (Janice style), awwwwful” A 100-watt bulb glowed in the driver’s face as this was his chance for a loot-woot. They finally settled on a bargain which was way above the norms and there we went to Nungambakkam. This girl like the rest of the girls in the city started non-stop messaging. It was none of my business who it was. But, her face was tensed and questions ran in a rapid fire manner that she was unable to comprehend it. We reached at 0925 hrs.
I am the Share-Auto narrating you this part of the story. Time is 0915 hrs. A boy, let us call him Mr. Yang, tall, handsome with a big head, nice build, sharp nose, with little stubble, aged may be 20, stopped me at Anna Arch to board me on my way to the Gemini flyover. He got on and as usual these boys, with a college one-sided bag, do not know what they have in it started to tuk-tuk his mobile phone. Oh, yeah, he was wearing a white-tee with some abstract design on it and a blue torn jean. His shoes looked rich, but, God, why does he need to wear a torn jean when he can afford such costly shoes. “Must be crazy” I thought and boys of these ages are of course crazy, trying to act like the stupid cine-stars. Thank God, No six packs because I am getting sick of it. This is a long forgotten mystery, who was it that he was tuk-tuking to?? The sound irritated me, but, I have no other work than to observe my passengers. We would have neared Choolaimedu when the messaging stopped. She or He (things have changed after Dostana, my dear friend), has not replied. Other possibility is that the network would have been jammed and his messages would not have got delivered. Never mind. He got down at Nungambakkam High Road and ran across the road to the ICICI Bank. It was definitely someone special. Ok, I got to go now since; I am irrelevant to the story from now on.
This is the nearby breeze taking over. Now, you must have definitely guessed what is happening. Yang was searching for Yin as he could not find the place where she was waiting. Searching here and there, finally his eyes fell on one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. In vain, that girl just went past him, not even to look back at him. He checked her out and “Cool”, he thought. There across the road, Yin was standing, finding it difficult to cross the road. Yang, genuinely crossed the road met her and said a simple “Am I late?”
“Hey, no probs. Just that we gotta transfer the cash soon” came the readymade reply.
“Chalo, lets get to the bank soon”
Then they crossed the road and it was very evident from here that they were not a couple for sure because I did turn on the romantic wave around them, but, still they were walking together with a gap that could fill ten cigarettes attached end to end between them. But, I do not seem to understand this concept of friendship between a boy and a girl. Maybe that I am here since Day One and I have seen so many changes that the earth undergoes each day, that it is becoming difficult for me to understand these complex species-humans. And yeah, they went into the ICICI Bank.
I saw them cross the road and approach me. What kind of customers do I have? They ping me at early morning 0930 hrs (early morning, at least for some of them), that too on a Saturday. What happened to all the lazy people on earth? Have they ceased to exist? Oops!! I forgot to tell you who I am. I am the ICICI Bank, Nungambakkam branch. Yin and Yang were searching for the entrance and with great difficulty found one and entered. I think that was the first time each of them had come to bank alone. There was complete mess in both of their body language. Finally, they caught hold of our bespectacled teller and asked him how to deposit cash in any ICICI bank account. They presumed it to be a very complex procedure, so, they both were completely over the place unable to comprehend what our teller was saying. He finally took them to a machine as big as an ATM and asked them to deposit the cash by entering the account no., etc.
“Is the process sooooo simple?” thought both Yin and Yang.
Yes, indeed my dear people, was my telepathic answer. One more thing that I observed was that Yin and Yang were switching languages between Hindi and English. Who on Chennai would be conversing with each other in Hindi of all the languages? These people are crazy. No doubt about that. They found the process of money transfer pretty simple and that left them contended and I honestly do not know for what reason they were transferring the money. Yang did look like one of those handsome terrorist associated with all these blasts going around and Yin was wearing a dupatta around her head. One can never trust by the looks and to top it all, they were talking in Hindi too. But, not every Muslim is a terrorist. It is just the extremists, no matter which faith they follow, who plant the evil ideas in young minds and try dividing the country which was speculated to be a failure, while the other a success after the partition, but, alas, things happened the other way around. Anyways, they went to the ATM and cross-checked if the cash has been deposited and I must admit the speeds with which our transactions take place are mind-blowing. Hope you join us in providing you a hassle-free banking. Now, coming back to the story, they left the bank soon and now I introduce you to Nungambakkam High Road who will narrate the story.
The sun has come out spreading its vibgyor through the sparsely filled clouds in the sky. It is been three long days that people of Chennai felt the soothing sun on their backs. It is not those scorching heat that the Chennaiites missed, but, just that they loved when the weather is like this. Yin and Yang joined me discussing what their next plan is. From the point they joined me; the Gemini flyover is at least two km far. So, they finally settled on the issue to search for an internet café. This whole episode was all about making some online transactions to either of their studies. So, they first barged into Yin’s favorite internet café at the Eldorado’s. It was 1000 hrs and the place was still closed. So, they have to search for another one in this part of the city. Myself, considered a very important landmark, they were confident that they would find one on me. They started walking and in the meanwhile were having a normal conversation when Yang asked, “Did you have breakfast?”
“Hmmm. Yeah!!”
“Corflakes is it?”
“Any doubt in that? How about you?”
“Ya, I had.” lied Yang.
They were busily walking when they came across the ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) when Yin actually explained him the importance that the CAs receive over the CWAs (Cost and Works Accountant). Yang was very interested in the discussion and forgot about searching for an internet cafe, as all he knew was Engineering and Mathematics. And Yin forgets the world around her when she starts talking and Yang when he starts listening. Dostana for you. They were on and on and on when the topic changed from “Why India is better than any other country?” to “How people hang out in malls?” to the final “Where is the stupid internet café?” They reached Gemini flyover and still they didn’t find one. Now, I am handing it over to Mount Road to continue.
Hey buds, I am Mount Road a.k.a Anna Salai in some parts and the demarcation confuses me as much as George.W.Bush holding diplomatic ties. Yin and Yang walked opposite the American Consulate along the reclining end of the flyover when suddenly the traffic was stopped and some 20-25 cars comprising Innova, Ambassador, Ikon with their loud sirens were passing through. Every police officer in the road stood like a statue saluting the array of cars. The traffic came to a standstill for some 10 long minutes.
“See, this is what your India is all about. When any politician has to pass-by, the whole traffic or maybe the whole city comes to a standstill.” exclaimed Yin.
“Excuse me! This is not only my India; it is your India too. Moreover, if the Chief Minister who has his house nearby has to pass through this road to his office, the traffic has to be stopped for safety reasons although Chennai is the safest place in India” replied Yang.
“Achcha! Then what about this?” showing her watch to him, where the two needles were denoting that it is 1015 hrs indeed.
“What about that?”
“According to office timings, he is already late by 15 minutes and he will get there by 10:30, relax and start working by 11:00 and how do you expect him to solve the issues all around him? By that time, more new issues would have cropped up”.
He straight away knew that she had caught him on a wrong footing.
“Ehhhh, may be that is not the CM, some other politician”.
“Whatever” and she use the phrase as often as Yuvraj hits a six.
They were still searching for the Internet café and had to cross lots of pools of water clogged due to the incessant rains in the previous days and finally found one and entered.
