And a story begins
It’s been a while since I last
wrote anything. January 12th
was the last time I could type something and paste somewhere. It is sometimes
mind boggling to know how much you want to type but you just cannot. You have
these ideas doing somersaults in your brain ready to be inked but somehow you
manage to not type anything. After a while you don’t remember what you were
thinking. You pass by some place and then it inspires you to do something, you
want to write down a phrase, a stanza, a verse, but you just can’t. Concentration
takes a vacation when you really want to have it. It is difficult for someone
like me, who prefers to write than talk. I do talk but if you give me a choice,
I rather write than talk. Then again, I can't write all the time. You see.
So, what am I writing about? No idea.
That is the way it has been, I start off idealess and then it goes everywhere
it can. Trying to make some sense while I type has been a way for me. Some people
have known my writing way but they don't read me now rather they can’t read me
now. I don't blog that often and I don’t work in that office anymore. The question
that I have always asked myself is do I write for myself or for the audience? I
don’t know, has been my answer. This particular question was discussed in
detail once and the common agreement seemed to be more people wrote with their
audience in mind. However, the question that went unanswered was that why do
people use difficult words when they write? Oh no, this has been written. I know.
I wrote something about it sometime back. So, no, I am not writing about that
today.
So, what do I write about then? No
idea. Still.
How about a story?
Nice, but I don't have a story.
Well, make up one. You are the
writer.
Dude, I need time to think,
research, layout the plot and stuff, it is not easy as you think.
Oh really?
Yes, it is not easy to just take
a pen and paper and start writing.
I have seen people doing that.
Well, they must be geniuses then,
I can't do it. I need a lot of time to think about a story.
How much time would you need?
I don't know, maybe days, a
week, a month, even a year, I don't know.
You better write one soon.
Dude, I need time, don’t you get
it? And why are you pestering me to write something?
Because you are due for a book in
two months and I can’t handle your publisher’s phone calls anymore. Your manuscript
should have reached them by now, that is what they said.
What? It is due in two months? And
why didn't you tell me all this before?
Because I thought of not
disturbing your state of mind with the divorce thing, you know; so.
Oh man, what do I do now? This is
crap. I step out of one problem and then step into one. What am I going to do
now?
I don't know, figure it out man,
and you can’t stay with me from next week. My parents are coming to stay with
me for 6 months.
Oh great. Now, I got to write a
book, find a place to stay, cook, eat, and fend for myself. Start my life all
over again.
I am sorry man but you better get
in shape. Get a grip.
------
What did he say after that?
I don’t know, that is all I heard
before I left the house. They are my neighbours and there is so much one can eavesdrop
at someone else’s conversation.
So, one is a divorcee and the
other is a bachelor, right?
Yes
Are they good looking?
I don't know, I think the
bachelor is an ok to do guy. I haven't seen the divorcee that much to notice
anything.
Have they spoken to you?
No. I mean, the divorcee said hi
to me one time in the lift. That’s all.
Hmmm Interesting
What is interesting? They are not
your types, I am telling you.
Oh babes, there are no types for
nobody, you just have to make them your types.
What is it that you have in your
brain?
I don't know, let’s see.
I heard Harish asked you out last
weekend.
Yes he did but I declined.
Why?
I am not that easy you see. Let
him try hard and I am going to play that hard to get by girl, you know.
Alright, what are you doing this
evening? I am planning to go shopping after office, you wanna join me?
Sure, anytime for shopping. What are
you buying by the way?
I don't know, just shopping, let’s
see what is nice.
Alright, I will meet you at the
parking lot at 5 then.
Sure, bye
----
Dude, you could have parked at
the mall. Why are you trying to squeeze in this small narrow dingy lane? The place
does not have any parking space dude. What are we doing here?
We are going to meet a real
estate agent my friend.
Dude, I am telling you, let us
park at the mall, and then walk till here. I will pay for the parking.
Alright, you and your rules and consideration
for others
Dude, seriously, I mean, it makes
no sense to park at a narrow lane where two cars can’t even cross each other. This
country is ruined by people like you who don’t think about others. Selfish
Alright alright, here we are, at
the mall. Happy?
Thank you. Do you know this real
estate agent? I prefer finding a place on my own dude, this guy will charge a
bomb, plus the ten months deposit shit of Bangalore.
He is my friend. He won’t charge.
Yeah maybe a dinner.
Hmmm fine. Let’s see.
------
This is boring, it is all
conversation. Talk talk talk. Where is the story?
It is brewing somewhere. We have
reached the mall. We have four characters so far, the two dudes and the two
women. Let’s throw in some bollywood masala and make this a masala tadka, what
say?
What rubbish, I don’t like
masala. I like a story to be a proper story, a cast, a plot, a storyline,
characters and a good ending. Now, the ending can be good or bad but then again
it must have an ending. Without a proper the end, a story is never a story.
So, it is like, you plan out the
beginning and the end first and then you plug in whatever in between. That seems
to be alright by me. Now, what am I going to put in? I got only two months to
write something that people will like. My last book was ok, got to sell about
5000 copies, which is a big number for me. I actually doubt what those 5000
people were thinking when they read my book. There seems to be lot going on in
my life right now. I got this friend, my best friend in fact; I have been
living with him ever since I got divorced. Now that he says that I can’t live
with him anymore, I got to find a place for myself.
As you could have figured out
from the conversation that you just read, we are at a narrow lane to meet a
real estate agent, my friend Suhas’s friend. There you go, my friend’s name. See,
how bad I am, I did not even mention his name all these while. Anyway, the
staircase looks like a snake trying to digest his food in a tree. You know, how
anacondas wrap itself in a tree to digest the good. It is just like that. Round
and round the stairs go. Oh right, leaving you foot wear outside a shop seems
to be a culture in Bangalore, no, Bengaluru. Why do you want your customers to
take off their footwear so that they could enter your shop? Why? I left behind
my black sandal at the doorstep and walked in to a neat office where I could
smell fresh jasmine smell coming from the room freshener. As soon as I entered
I could see a big ass table greeting me, the freaking room is smaller than the
table. A water dispenser at the right hand side and there he sat, Suhas’s
friend Chandu. At first, I thought his face was a poster on the chair. The damn
chair was too big for him and his face was right in the middle of the back
rest. Damn, why do people show off?
So, you are looking for a house
eh? He asked.
No, I am here to play football,
you dumbass. These lines played out instantly in my brain. With a smile on my
face I replied “yes I am”
Alright, leave your phone number;
I will call you once I have something. What kind of house are you looking at? A
flat or an independent house? He asked me.
A place where the landlord will
not ask me anything, that is all I want.
“Find him a quite place” Suhas
added.
Ok, I will try. Tea? He offered.
“No, we are in a hurry” Suhas
said.
I ran down the flight of stairs
and lit a cigarette, waiting for Suhas to come down.
“Alright, let’s go” Suhas said as
he came down.
“What’s the plan?” I asked as I
stubbed the cigarette on the ground and bend to pick up the butt.
“I am going to meet my girlfriend”
he seemed to say this as I was looking for a dust bin to drop the cigarette
butt.
“What did you say?”
“I said I am going to meet Sushma”
he said.
“Alright then, can you drop me at
the house, I will start packing. I better be ready to move when this guy finds
me a house.” I said as we started walking towards the mall.
“So, you guys are serious?” I
asked as he got into the car.
“Yeah man, she is the one” Suhas
replied as he started the ignition.
“So, you want to marry her?” I
quipped.
“Definitely” he replied with that
definitely sounding like a war cry.
“Oh shit, watch where you are
going lady?” Suhas screamed as a scooter almost rammed into his car bonnet.
The lady said sorry and looked at
us. I got a glance of the woman at the back when I was lighting a cigarette. She
seemed to have that ‘I-know-you’ looks. She did not smile just that look.
“Dude, isn’t she your neighbour?”
I asked.
“Really? I don’t know” Suhas
replied.
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