Disturbia

“Out the door just in time
Head down the 405
Gotta meet the new boss by 8 a.m.
The phone rings in the car
The wife is workin' hard
She's running late tonight again

Well
I know what I've been told,
You got to work to feed the soul
But I can't do this all on my own
No, I know, I'm no…”

TAP!

Turning off the radio alarm clock, I woke up with a searing pain in my head. Nice start to my 21^st birthday. I stumbled out of my bed. I glanced once again at the clock before I put on my glasses. I strained my eye and noticed that the time was eight past seven.

I entered the bathroom and turned on the light. For a brief moment, I was blinded by the sudden bright light that engulfed the small bathroom. I removed my glasses and splashed my face with the ice cold water from the tap. I washed my eyes and looked up at the mirror. A long, thin face with unruly black hair and dark brown eyes stared back.

My mind went back to the weird dream I had the previous night. I was floating in the sky in a circular motion until I saw a huge spaceship hurtle through above me. Enthralled by the magnificent yellow glow it emitted, I rushed toward the spaceship. I reached for its door and opened it with eager anticipation, my heart beating so fast I could hear it. A small floating piece of yellow-colored stone lighted up a small room and as soon as I touched it, my head started to spin, and I plunged helplessly towards the earth in terminal velocity. Cold air was ramming into my lungs, making me hard to breathe. Just as I was about to hit the ground, I started to glide smoothly and landed on the soft, green earth.

KI-KI-KI-KI…

I was brought back to the present by the distinct sound of an alarm clock going off at my neighbor’s. Strange! I had never before heard any sound coming from next door. I quickly brushed my teeth and took a shower, dressed up and got ready.

Today is going to be special.

I had convinced myself that I would gather courage and finally ask Elaine out on a date. Little did I know my life would change forever by the end of the night.

I felt a tickle in the pit of my stomach and my head lightened as I thought about Elaine. Elaine was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was my classmate and also my lab partner in chemistry class. She had the most beautiful, kind eyes…

I did not feel hungry that morning. Maybe it’s the headache. I gulped down a glass of milk and had a banana. I felt energetic enough. I glanced through the newspaper headlines. Same story, different day. “Two civilians murdered in shootout. Three Cops killed,” screamed the front page, which was replete with pictures of the cops and wanted suspects.

This city will never improve.

I rushed out of my apartment, eager to get my school, eager to talk to Elaine. In my eagerness, I forgot to take my winter coat. It was yet another harsh winter morning in February but I surprisingly I did not feel a bit cold. Rather, I felt warm, wearing only a t-shirt and jeans. Strange!

Thoughts about Elaine made me shiver.

Will she come out with me? Why wouldn’t she?

Am I doing the right thing? Yes, you are!

As I made my way through the noisy crowded streets, the pain in my head intensified. If only people did not talk so loudly in the mornings.

I reached my school and saw Elaine going up the stairs leading to the main lecture hall.

“Elaine!”

She turned around and looked. She looked gorgeous as ever, in her black full sleeve t-shirt and jeans. She had her black hair pulled up in a pony tail and wore minimal makeup. I ran up the stairs to her and became a bit disoriented as I wrapped myself in her sensual fragrance.

“Happy Birthday”, she held out her hand.

“Uh, oh, thanks”, I stammered as I shook her hand. She remembers my birthday!

“You are six years old, aren’t you?”

“What, no”.

“Just kidding. Not often do I come across someone born on the 29^th of February.”

I giggled in amusement. We entered the classroom. Two hours of Economics class.

Should I tell her now? Nah, there’s still time.

Even Professor Shuster’s class seemed tolerable, although his writing on the board was getting illegible. It was then I realized I had forgotten my glasses. But I could still see the words on the board, sitting right at the back of the class. Weird!

Chemistry lab next. Perfect time to ask her out.

“Students, please settle down. Today, we will be analyzing the effects of this new chemical element on…” Professor Siegel’s voice was drowned out by the sound of my heart beat, which was gathering in pace as I waited for the opportune moment to ask Elaine.

“Elaine, do you like to come?”

“What?”

“I am sorry. I meant…I wanted to know whether you like movies. No, I mean would you like to come to a movie with me…at The Bridge…today evening. I have an extra ticket.”

“Sure. See you at 7?” she flashed a smile.

The butterflies in my stomach shifted to my heart as I controlled my jubilation. However, my headache worsened. I was tempted to sink back into my chair and sleep for a while. I suddenly found myself floating in the sky toward the spaceship. Its door was ajar and I could see the glowing yellow-colored stone. My heart beat fast with excitement…I stretched out my hand…if only I could take it…but, as soon as I touched it…

“Mr. Kent!”

I woke up instantly, my head throbbing with pain.

Professor Siegel was peering over the top of his glasses, “Mr. Sleeping Beauty, care to take a guess what this element is?”

"Uhh…kryptonite?” I muttered.

“Hmm…it is better you go back to sleep.” The class roared with laughter.

I spent the rest of the lab analyzing the chemical element or whatever it was with Elaine. I felt a bit nauseous as I thought about taking Elaine out for the first time. Now I understand why they say love makes one sick.

After the lab, I bid her goodbye with a sad heart but with a comforting feeling that I would see her again in a few hours. I came back to my empty apartment, surprisingly not hungry. And I was in a good mood too, not often associated with my empty stomach.

I love to eat, buy never put on any weight. I remember the time when I once went into a gym to work out. I saw those ridiculously big guys with huge muscles and well proportioned bodies. I looked like Tom Hanks in ‘Cast Away’ standing among Greek gods. That was the last time I entered a gym.

I took a quick shower. Stepping out of the shower, I noticed my glasses near the wash basin. I put them on and my head started to spin. I removed them and placed it back.

I quickly dressed up and left for ‘The Bridge’. My headache was finally gone. I couldn’t wait to meet Elaine again.

There she came, stunning as ever, her long dark flowing down her back. She was a great example of how to look spectacular without much effort.

The movie was exactly the opposite. It looked like the director had put in maximum effort to make the movie pretty unspectacular. The first two Spiderman movies were way better than the third one.

Aunt May was reminding Peter Parker aka Spidey about great power and great responsibilities.

There I was, unaware of what was happening to the Sandman or Spidey, my eyes fixed upon her, lost in her overpowering fragrance, watching her face glow in the reflection of the light from the screen changed in intensity and color as the scenes changed.

The movie was over in a flash.

“I will walk with you until the subway.”

I escorted her out of the movie hall through the dark alley leading up to the subway, with a heavy heart; although happy it turned out to be a great day, spending so much time with her.

Then it happened.

Two burly, sullen-looking guys appeared out of nowhere, one of them holding what seemed to be a Colt automatic. A voice with an inimitable southern accent boomed –

“Ya take the pretty lass, Luthor. I’ll handle this one.”

A powerful hand grabbed me by my coat. The man smelled repugnant.

“Take whatever you want. Leave her alone.”

The man called Luthor said, “Oh, I am gonna leave her, after me is done with her. You sure are real pretty.”

I felt a sudden, swift blow to my head. As I fell down clutching my head in pain, I heard Elaine’s screams ripping through the silent cold night, begging Luthor to leave her. Pain seared through my head and neck as I lay writhing on the ground. From the corner of my eyes, I saw the silhouette of Elaine wriggling and squirming, trying in vain to get out of the man’s powerful arms.

“Quit howlin’dear. Or, I will blow your brains…”

Swishhh. “You little…!”

Somehow, Elaine had got out of Luthor’s hold, and she came running towards me.

BANG.

She fell down with a thud a few feet away from me.

A sudden wave of fury overcame me and my pain. Writhing with anger, I jumped on to the man who had knocked me out, and punched him in the chest with all my might. He gave a squeal of pain, as he was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall. As he fell down, I could see blood squirming all over his nose and mouth.

I did not care the other man held a gun at me. BANG. Just as he pulled the trigger, I jumped over him in a flash, feeling the force of the bullet hitting my chest. I did not feel any pain for I was seething with anger. I punched him a few times on his face and left him only after I saw his face was flattened and I felt the coldness of his blood on my hand.

Neither my hand nor my head pained as much as my heart did as I stumbled through the bodies to the crumbled figure of Elaine, tiny droplets of blood seeping through a small hole made by the bullet that had pierced right through her heart, my heart. But she is still as fragrant as she was in the lab earlier. God, Let this all be a dream!

“Elaine, please. It’s all over,” I cried. She was heavily breathing. Still breathing.

“Are you hurt?” she murmured.

“No, I am not.”

“You were hit.” I looked at my chest. It was not bleeding. I looked at her. Her light green eyes were watery, but her face still looked calm and beautiful as ever.

“I am alright. Please don’t talk. Let me call 911.”

“I will not last long. I feel cold.”

“No, don’t say that,” I cried as I held her in my arms, trying to keep her warm. A sudden wave of nausea and excruciating pain ripped through my whole body as embraced her out of fear that I will lose her the moment I let go. Tears were pouring out of my eyes as we clung together in the silent, cold night.

“I love you Elaine.”

She took her last breath and whispered “I love you too Clark.”

And There She Stood!

(from the archives...posted July 2005)

A few weeks back, I had an absolutely amazing experience...I had never experienced that sort of feeling before...I have often heard people talk about that feeling but I guess a person does not comprehend unless he goes through it.

It was during one of those summer evening that I met her for the first time. A sudden shower forced me and my cousin to take refuge near the doorway of a shop. It was then my eyes fell upon her for the first time. She was standing inside the shop and her voluptuous magnificence caused a flutter in my heart. I nudged my cousin in her direction.

"I wish I could get someone like her!"

"Haha...good one da! How come you say that an awful lot these days? Anyway, you know your mom would never approve of it."

"Ughh...why did you have to remind me of my mom at this moment?" I just could not take my eyes off her. "Dei, isn't she the popular model that appears in the television ads?"

"I think so. You know, she looks so red-hot in person. Her looks, her body, her back..."

"Dei! will you just lay off her!", I remarked threateningly, as he stopped short of entering the shop.

A pang of jealously seared through my heart as I noticed a few others too were throwing curious glances at her.

"Maybe, the Gods wanted me to meet her. Otherwise, why would it rain in summer and that too in Chennai?"

"Maybe, God decided it is time you took a bath!", he smirked.

I ignored his wise-crack remark and entered the shop.

She had her head turned away from me as I neared her. Yet, I felt deeply attracted to her quiet effervescence. I could not help notice her well-shaped and silky body. I was eager to touch her, feel her and love her and take care of her as no other man can. Whatever it takes, how much ever opposition I would face, she would be my lifetime companion, I decided. I trembled slightly at the thought of introducing her to my parents and relatives and their eventual reaction to it.

But then, she was worth risking my parents' wrath. I had made up my mind. I turned her head so that she would come face to face with me. A smile came across my face as I felt my hand over her sleek, warm body. I was going to get her. From the bottom of my heart, I thanked Bajaj for launching the new Discover bike with DTS-i technology.

Six Feet Under

I look around and wonder why
Great changes in earth and sky
Sound of bombs and hot napalm
Killing all with deadly calm.

Greed is good, the rich often say
They don't mind the poor will pay
Droughts and floods, and more disease
Will there be a day when these will cease?

No food, no trees, no more green
Futile wishing for some magic bean
A world awash hunger and in pain
Thirst for dignity continue in vain.

Impure water and unclean air
Why is it that we no more care
All these wars, my heart just twirled
Make me yearn for a peaceful world.

Signs of tranquil, no more than a speck of dust
Lost to a barrage of avarice and lust
All this greed, all this malice, makes me wonder
Why bother, all anyway ends up six feet under.

My Love

(Written about 10 years back)

She was waiting at the door
As I came home tired
She glanced at me with eager eyes
Her loving looks felt so nice.

Gathering her in my arms
And giving her a loving kiss
I entered my humble house
She followed me, the one whom she loves.

Sitting together, we ate our food
With her on my lap, it felt so good
Sharing my bed, we slept at night
Drawing my blanket, I put off the light.

She woke me at dawn by nuzzling my nose
She was to me like fragrance to a rose
Caressing her as we walked in the lawn
She felt warmer and softer than a fawn.

I left for work, kissing her without fail
Her reply was as usual, a little wag of her tail.

Cricket, Our Religion?

India has finally reached the pinnacle of glory this week and I am not talking about the Sensex crossing the 17,000 mark for the first time. I am of course talking about India’s greatest-ever achievement in the sports arena - beating Pakistan in the Final to become World Champions in Twenty20 Cricket.

For all their toil and subsequent humiliation in this year’s ODI World Cup, the Indian players have redeemed themselves by their triumph in the Twenty20 format, a moment of crowing glory for a sport par excellence. We cursed the players, hit their homes with stones, promised we would never watch cricket again, after the ODI World Cup debacle but we will forever sing this team’s praises, at least until we win our next World Cup. I am sure a Ten10 World Cup is just around the corner.

In the midst of all the celebrations comes the dampener that Indian hockey players (it seems they won the Asia Cup a few weeks back) are protesting against the ’step-motherly’ treatment’ meted out by the various state governments who decided to award lakhs of money to the victorious cricketers from their respective states, but ignored the hockey players.

There are similar accusations against the Punjab, Jharkhand and Haryana governments, and Air India, and the Sahara Group, a sponsor for both the cricket and hockey teams.

Some of us might wrongly mistake Vikram Kanth, Raghunath, Sunil and Tirkey for Kollywood heroes but it seems they are some of our national hockey players who feel irked that the Karnataka government has announced a cash reward of Rs.5 lakh each to the members of the victorious Indian cricket team. If the government succumb to these players’ demands, before long all other sportspersons in India would go on a hunger-strike.

I don’t understand this entire hullabaloo about cash rewards. Agreed that some cricketers make millions from endorsements but what about a couple of lesser players earning much less compared to the crores earned by some senior players. After all, they cheered their team on from the dug-out and helped tie the shoe-laces of the players going out to bat. Tell me, who has enough money? After all, money is worthless unless some people have it and others do not.

Cricket is more than a religion (as any fan would reiterate!) in India and that is because we won the World Cup about 25 years ago and in spite of years of under-achievement, countless humiliations, and match-fixing scandals, Indians love their sports, which is not just restricted to cricket. We do cheer for Sania sometimes.

Just 11 countries from all over Asia took part in the Asia Cup. On the other hand, 12 countries (not including Namibia, Bermuda, Canada, Ethiopia) from all over the world participated in the World Twenty20 Championships. The Indians scored 57 goals and conceded just 5 in the Asia Cup but then Yuvraj scored 6 sixers in an over! We all know which is front-page news. And, Yuvraj will kick Tirkey’s ass right out of the ground.

Also, Shahrukh might have portrayed the role of a hockey coach in Chak De India…but we all noticed that the star of Indian Cinema preferred to cheer the Indian Cricket team in the Twenty20 final in South Africa than cheer the Indian hockey team at home.

The hockey players are envious of the cricketers just because the Sahara Group has decided to award a house each for the cricketers but gave the finger to the victorious hockey team. These hockey players should be satisfied with the commendation letters they received from the President of India. They can sell the letters on e-bay and if they are lucky, they might even manage to get the same amount of money that our cricketers spend on their hair-cuts. Those losers.

We have not won any medal in our national sport hockey (after 1980) be it in the Olympics or the World Cup. But in cricket, after years of ignominy, we have won the greatest of them all…the World Twenty20 Championships. With a feeling of smugness, we showered the victorious cricket team with flowers during their victory parade. Perhaps, it is time to make Cricket the national game. We do not care even if India wins medals in the Olympics and the World Cup. We will watch only Cricket. Who gives a damn about medals in other sports? We have won the Twenty20 World Cup and that’s all matters, this is enough to keep us happy…at least for another 25 years.

Reveling In Our Mediocrity

Ask any child what India's national game is and the immediate reply will be cricket. I am sure that the same response would come from many older persons too. For starters, I would like to remind everyone that India's national game is hockey, and yes, that's the sport where 11 players are in each of the 2 teams just as in cricket but the similarity ends there. While Indians claim that cricket is a passion irrespective of the national team's underachievements for more than 2 decades, hockey has become a neglected sport and one wouldn't even realize that India did not make it to the last 4 of the recent Asian Games for the first time.

It was hilarious to see politicians in the Lok Sabha fighting it out and debating about India's poor performances in cricket and venting their anger at coach Greg Chappell for his constant experimentations with the team. On the other hand, Suresh Kalmadi and KPS Gill have been at the helm of the Indian Olympic Committee and the Indian Hockey Federation respectively for more than a decade now but there has never been even a whisper about them following the poor showing of Indian athletes in the Olympics and various other competitions over the years. These shameless people continue to head their federations to this day without opposition.

Just after the Indian team returned home after the series defeat at South Africa, the Indian team and Coach Greg Chappell in particular were mobbed by various news channels at the airport, trying to get their viewpoints about yet another failed performance. If that was disgusting, one news channel flayed Chappell for being too aggressive and smacking their video camera that got too close for his comfort. Well, how about doing the same to either Kalmadi or Gill?

I like cricket just as I like any other sport but what I have begun to loathe is the preferential treatment that politicians and the media give to cricket, a sport that is played by less than 10 major nations and where India haven't won a test series abroad in decades. And I am almost sure India will never win the World Cup until Australia has some serious problems. Until then, we will continue to rejoice in our mediocrity and cringe at our regular failings in the international arena with equal measure.

I'm Back!

I had taken a long sabbatical....Expect more regular posts from now on.