It was the first day of the week – Monday. After office I went to attend the 1st birthday party of Sidhu – That’s Kartik’s son. And to introduce Kartik, all I can say is he was my first colleague, here at Chennai. This incident I am going to narrate has got nothing to with this birthday party. The reason behind telling you about the party is to make you realize why I left for home so late, rather very late that day.
It was almost 10.30 pm when I was done with the party. I had been to the party with another office colleague who dropped me a little ahead of our office after the party (he stays in another direction, and that is the farthest we could go together). Since I was familiar with that area, I preferred getting down there and manage on my own to get back home. Auto would have been the most preferred mode of commuting, but some how I do not prefer autos a little late at nights, especially when I am alone, and that’s another story why, will tell you at length, sometime later. I would prefer a bigger vehicle at this hour of the day and the only other feasible option I could think of was a public bus. I had planned that I would wait for the bus for 10-15 minutes and then probably take an auto in case the bus did not turn up (that’s a common scenario at times, when the buses make you wait like you have all the time in the world). From that bus stop I can take two busses, with the same number i.e. 29C, one will go directly to my place and one will take a detour at some distance before my place – from where its quite walkable for those who can ‘walk’ or the options are - an auto, another bus etc. Standing all alone I look towards the direction waiting when the bus will come, that’s when I see a bus zooming in, my 29C, its empty (it’s a happy statement, because I will get a seat to sit), but to my horror it just passes by me, without stopping, even though I wave at the stupid driver frantically. I can’t accept he would not have seen me. Felt like cursing him, but then I let it be. In that frustration and anticipation that the next bus will take some time to come, I stop an empty auto asking him if he was willing to go and asked him how much.
Can you believe how much he said?
Bloody rickshawala!!!
grrrrrrrrrrrrrr %$#^&*@!
Thinks he is driving an open air, air-conditioned Mercedes!!
I won’t say the amount, as I know of some people who would have maybe happily agreed on that price and left with him. But the point is not that I cannot spend that much, but what’s not worth, is not worth spending.
So there goes the auto, sans me.
A drunkard passed by me swaying with the air and his walk, looks, everything make me realize that time is not the right one to be standing on the road. Thankfully another bus comes and this is that ‘detour’ one, but yes it would have landed me the closest to home at this point. So without thoughts I get into this one.
(Nothing’s going right)
I will justify what I say because while entering the bus my dupatta (stole – for those who don’t what it is) got caught in one of the nails in the bus door, and in the rush to get into the bus I pulled it hard when it tore with a small but noticeable hole in it. And what could be worse, this is what ‘he’ had gifted me, a few days back!!!
(I am keeping ‘the follow-on fight’ on this, out of the story, but be assured there would be one..)
What more, the bus had a handful of male passengers from all age groups, all gaping as if I was the lone survivor on planet earth (not that I was not decently dressed – I was in salwar kamiz dupatta, typical Indian wear).
I reach the point where the bus would take a turn to go right and I need to go straight further. Past 11 pm it is, and there are quite a few people on the roads. The only satisfying aspect of the time is that this place where I got down the bus is one of the main areas of the town, where you can feel safe at this hour of the day as well.
Autos were none (arrey!!! I told you that I would need one to take me home, unlike other times, now - a few minutes before midnight, I wasn’t feeling quite ‘walkable’ myself). But there were plenty of what we call ‘share – autos’ which are like tiny (not even mini) buses – generally 7 or 10 seater by law. I say ‘by law’ because during peak hours a 7 seater would be running down the roads with as many 15 people, including the driver. Now since it was too late many were quite empty and were calling for passengers, shouting the destination name like injambakkam, thoraipakkam etc. (hey now don’t try pronouncing those names…we will lose track of the story because it would be ages before you get that right). I went into one, in which there was only another man, seated next next to me. These vehicles would be typically stopping at every next instance where the driver would feel he can pick up a potential passenger, so at times it would be like a snail’s crawl, but yes it was much better than walking and yes how can you forget I was losing on time!! Just to tell you that my share-auto (the one I was seated in) was some what extra lighted, with a blue and a greenish light making it glow like a buzzing night worm on the streets in the dark night.
Night time, road construction and repair work was going on, so the journey till my destination was a painful and bumpy one and all the dust made me asthmatic with continuous coughs. Finally I reached where I should have got down to walk down a couple of yards to reach my apartment gates. The shortcoming with these share-autos is that they would go through a specified route (like busses) and at times might not satisfy you by dropping you off short of your planned target.
This particular driver was smoking away to glory and humming some local song, not paying attention to what I was saying. So I literally screamed at his ear to ‘S.T.O.P’ as he just crossed my lane. My co-passenger also helped by taping on his shoulder and thankfully he stopped. I got down, and while doing so I bruised by left hand just above my elbow. WHY?? (stop asking that too loudly yaaar..)
(Now I need to get defensive as I can feel your minds running). NO, I was not drunk, it just happened in my haste to get down. That is all I can say and that it the ultimate truth.
This lane is never much crowded, even in the peak hours. And the recent incessant rains had done their beauty on the road, leaving major portion of it unusable, for pedestrians, cyclists, cars etc. Street lights were on. Road was all empty till the farthest I could see with my lens-ed eyes. And it was 11.30pm. I am walking down the road, on the right side, slowly yet steadily, towards my den.
Now here comes the best part of the story (I should rather be saying the worst part of it!!).
There I see a cyclist coming from the opposite side, on the left side of the road, riding slowly and as the distance was lessening I could realize he was staring hard at me, in my direction. If I could read his eyes from that distance I am sure I would have said that his eyes were literally poking deep into my skin. Generally in such circumstances (like walking alone on the roads, empty ones etc.) I am quite watchful, thanks to the Indian as well as Global male fraternity (men are the same all over – all gals and even they would agree).
Since the moment I saw this man, I could smell rats – instinct you could say coupled with his actions.
As I was walking, I suddenly saw that he is crossing the breadth of the road and coming in my direction, but slowly. And there was not much scope for me to do anything. In that rage I took off one of my shoes and showed it to him and he took a slight deviation, seeing me alert and pedaled his cycles as fast as he could and vanished. While he was nearing me he was murmuring some crap shit (of course I can’t expect them to be nice compliments!!!).
I can’t jot down here as to what he was planning to, but all of us can think of the unimaginable. Whatever it would have been it was rotten and unwanted (I can’t use the words I said in my heart that point of time yesterday night…).
Now I was even more cautious and kept looking back while I was still walking, just in case that bugger re-appeared. Suddenly some cars I could see on that road, all those ones which pick up late-night call centre executives. Now my apartment stood just a couple of blocks away. But yet again, ‘yesterday night’ is not over and to my utter dismay that man appears on his cycle, from the next by lane just meters away from me, this time with more rigor and he was in a bad mood (I could see him growling) and his pace was faster. I again take off my shoe, that’s the only device I would think of. I was as such walking on the extreme end of the right side of the road and as I moved little back to create more distance between us I realize there was a small puddle of mud, into which my left bare foot sank. The vacuum between us was big enough that he left his pursuit for his ‘momentary happiness’ and speeded off. The moment I regained my control in the muddy patch I was standing, I screamed at him. I also had a proper look at his face but then how does that help?? I regret of not having hit him, thrown a stone or anything at him.
I put my slipper on and limped my way back home, as I had maybe hurt myself with some pointed thing from that mud. Thankfully he did not come back, but yes I still kept turning and looking back for his sudden appearance.
In all this while I forgot to tell you that my cell phone battery had conked off, long back when I was in the bus.. Isn’t it icing on the cake? I mean I can’t even reach anyone in case I was stranded.
I reached home; first thing I switched my cell phone, called him and told him that I reached safely and narrated the incidents. As expected I had a shower of why(ies), don’ts, never(s), should not(s), better not etc etc. And I hung up abruptly, the usual thing I do when I don’t have the answer to his ‘tell me why’ series of Qs.
I found a small puncture on my left foot, maybe pricked by a small thorn or pointed object, little blood oozing out and more than that the pain. I cleaned it and put some ointment and pain killing balm on it and went to bed. Now I guess ‘yesterday night’ is over, but not the after effects..
My mind kept battling over few things –
* Why do I travel so late in the night…all alone?
* Should I have hit that person….and hit more?
* Why such people…….exist?
* What if….
