Sands of Time

It had been a long week. Saturday office sucks the life of a software professional. The longing for an off day was looming large but the pile of dirty laundry also needed attention. But thank God for washing machine man's life had become easier.

I took the torn jeans from the laundry and emptied the pockets. I must thank Mom here for making me follow this ritual since childhood. I realized grains of sand had slipped from the pockets. The sands from the beach I had been for a vacation. Almost immediately I went back in time.

It was one of those long weekends where most of the time is spent pondering what to do. But it wasn't. What initially began as a drive for coffee turned into an adventure trip. Fortunately for me I didn't know driving a four wheeler then. The duty hence was shared by two self-proclaimed-racing-drivers. The flip side of being in such company is one faces extremes of craziness.
They made me the navigator.

We reached the spot. Vast expanse of blue greeted us peppered with white stretches in between. Some of us soaked in the occasion while others attended nature's call. After a bit of surfing we settled down to gulp water of the darker kind. It is often said that a way to a man's heart is through the stomach. I am of the opinion that the closest rival to stomach would be liver.

The entire day was spent amidst laughter and banter.As night began to creep in sense prevailed. We slowly made foray back to our dwelling. The journey was hectic but the events were memorable.

Back in the present I lifted the grains of sand that had slipped. There was a momentary pause as I held them in my hand. I lifted the opening of the hourglass and poured the sand in. The timing was perfect as the hourglass had been giving me less time.

Fragile - Handle with care

She looked into the mirror and immediately changed her expression. One can lie to the lens but not the mirror. It simply reflects what is put in-front of it. She was this strong willed and determined lady past her teens. She was an achiever of sorts. A brilliant student, a dutiful daughter, a caring friend and now a responsible employee. But to her, this didn’t fit her description.

She often felt caught like a deer in the headlights. Her every move, every decision in fact her whole life had been scrutinized and dissected. She wanted to spend time on herself and with others of her choice without any social pang or guilt. Whenever she spoke her mind, her close ones just acted indifferently. Her feelings were the same of an athlete who had lost legs in an accident.

With time she devised a plan. She donned the garb of a cheerful and happy person. She learnt to smile artificially. She became a master at it. So much that it was difficult for ever her to differentiate between the fake and real smile. The underlying vent in her erupted sometimes unprecedented. Some couldn’t take it and those who did stood close to her. Nobody knew what she felt like or what her thought was. Then one fine day it surfaced. She had been carrying it with her for ages until someone noticed it. It read “Fragile – Handle with care”.

Walk of life

I stood there watching the waves strike the rocks. It was almost rhythmical. I had lost track of time and could see only the setting sun giving me company. I had a cursory glance and then perched myself on of the pedastal.


Twenty years ago I had come to the same place. Dad had me in his arms while my siblings ran along his sides. I did not know what happiness was or what it felt. The philosophical side in me had not sunk in. I took a pebble and started scribbling my name on as many rocks as possible. I had learnt to write. I was oblivious of anybody watching me , dad , brother ,sister or even the setting sun. I was so engrossed in carving my name on rocks that I lost track of time. The sun had set. As I lifted my head I could not find anyone just the vagueness of the shores staring back at me. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. There was not a soul in near vicinity. Then I took the tried and tested formula. I cried. I cried in a recursive loop but to no avail. I had no one to blame except the moon. After finishing the stocks of my tears I sat down. There stood a stone with my name engraved on it. I took a walk along the stones that had my name like it was a milestone. After a hundred odd steps I stopped. There they were. Dad, brother and sister all still having a laugh and having fun. I went upto them and held them tightly till I was assured. I realized they were still there , it was me who went away from them.

A big wave of water splashed. It made me wet. I got up and shrugged the sand of my clothes. It was time for me to take the walk back.
 

Mother of all acts

These guys were the talk of the town. They were my classmates.Sometimes it is evident from one's mannerism that a person will go on and become famous one day.That saying could be applied to these guys.

I was about eight years of age when  I first met them. It did not take me long to fall prey to their charms.As I came to know more about them I was intrigued even further.

However my joy was short lived. They had to leave the school as they couldn’t continue any more.

Then one fine day I met their mother. Ajay and Vijay were conjoined twins. Their medical condition was such that they could not survive long. They were aware of their short lifespan and hence devoted their short life in service and kindness.

But their mother’s single act of kindness outdid everything that these guys did.She donated all of their organs to help many others who were born without them.

Metamorphosis of relations

Many times in life we need an accomplice, a friend or an acquaintance in a new place. Starting from school, college to work we are usually on the lookout for a person with a warm smile. That person calms our nerves and helps us to mingle with the other people around.

Having an elder sibling in the same school comes with a mixed bag of opportunities and benefits. It’s like having a friend in Final year of engineering when you are a fresher (in short you are friends with the baap of the bullies). You can loiter around senior classes and if caught give them the excuse that you have come to meet your elder sibling. You can easily get the parent’s signature on that ‘not-so-good-looking’ report card and someone who can give an alibi in case of any mischief.

The sad part is whenever you are caught (and most probably punished) the horror and embarrassment is shown like a cricket match highlights show at home. Then the most logical thing that comes to mind is fight with your sibling. But again it’s a lose-lose case (even Shiv Khera of ‘You can Win’ can’t bail you out here).After approximately 2 hours you slowly accept the reality and save your energy plotting for a revenge next time .

The bitterness however slowly fades away with time as one discovers that you are no more siblings but best friends with a slight age difference.

Feasible Physics

Finally it was Physics which rescued him.

Raj is a techie in a reputed firm. He is used to spend most of the working hours in an A.C. (air conditioner). Even when he is not working, he has the air ‘conditioned’ working in the backdrop. The sports room, Food courts, Gymnasium, Movie halls or the shopping malls, everywhere he makes sure that he gets the conditioned air. That is not all he even gets his travel tickets in the A.C class through I.R.C.T.C (provided the site doesn’t get hung).

But things of late have changed its course. There is power crisis all over and the temperature has raised several notches. As a result the A.C.’s have to be used very rarely and most times never used at all. He is in panic now. How would he survive the heat? His body by now had developed into something which was only conducive to conditioned air.
He went to the blast furnace ..err food court and got grilled like tandoor. He ran away from there. He went to the Gymnasium only to find the pumping rods emitting sinusoidal heat waves. He went to the Sports room but still the heat was palpable. It seemed to him that the whole Universe has connived to teach him a lesson (remember the Kayanat dialogue by SRK in Om Shanti Om?). Heat-stricken and A.C-deprived he rushed home.

A quick shower helped to lower the temperature. But then power cut and low voltage followed. So he was again feeling the heat and sweating profusely. He did a silent prayer (amidst a loud curse to the Electricity Department) and thought of forgetting the whole turn of events. He took out the book from the shelf and started fanning himself before retiring to sleep. But what he saw in the dim light of his cellphone made him smile. It was like his prayers were answered. It was the physics book which said “Evaporation causes cooling”.

A couple of nights at a friend's house

Time:2400 Hrs
Venue: Friends house

We were very sleepy after the party.There were two bedrooms and a Hall to rest our aching bodies.One bedroom was already occupied.That left one bedroom and a Hall for 4 of us.I decided to sleep in the bedroom.I took the laptop and went to the bed room.Next day I was leaving Mysore ,I placed an alarm of 4:10 am and another of 4:15.I transferred a few songs from the lappie to my cell.Went to switch off the light,had a look at the fan.It was the normal cringing sound of the fan,probably its winding had got jammed I reckoned.I was too tired to imagine anything now.Switched off the light and fell flat on bed.

2 Days Ago
Time:0330 Hrs

"I can't sleep in the bedroom..It's very spooky...Somebody put a mattress in the hall..I'll sleep here" said my friend.I was too sleepy to take notice ,"What the hell are you talking and it's what 3:30 in the morning ?". Others got up and then gave him a place in the hall.
Later in the morning he told the whole episode.

Time:0300 Hrs
Present

I was sweating profusely.I was feeling warm,took off the bed sheet and the vest.Still no good.Had a look at the cringing fan again, the sound had become intolerable now.As if somebody was pressing its neck.The groans of the fan were becoming louder.I thought maybe if I increase the speed of fan the sound will subside.I made it to full speed .Suddenly the sound seemed to subside.I was happy..the room was getting cooler and the sound had reduced.


2 Days Ago
Time:1030 Hrs

I asked my friend (almost giggling), "Hey what happened today morning ? ". We all had thought that he was doing some prank.But when he spoke he was almost shuddering and we could see it in his eyes, he was in shock.
He told how all night the sound of the fan had become unbearable..it was much more than during the day.He thought maybe due to low voltage the speed has decreased and sound has increased.He increased the fan speed to its maximum.
At around 3:30 am the fan stopped all of a sudden.He thought it was going to fall down.But he was too lazy to get up ..also if it fell it would be at his feet.On second thought he got up and thought of switching off the fan. He went to the switch board and as he was putting his finger on the switch, suddenly the fan started rotating in a reverse way with a loud groaning sound.

Time:0330 Hrs
Present

The fan sound suddenly increased manifold times to become almost deafening for me.It woke me from my sleep.I tried to cover my ears and get some much required sleep.I turned my back towards the cieling fan and tried to sleep.It was difficult for me to sleep with the sound.All of a sudden the fan stopped and I remembered the incident that had happened to my friend.I made it clear to my mind that no matter what I wont get up from bed.Just then I heard sounds of switches being put on and off in a hurry.I closed my eyes hard trying not to take notice.After all I was to get up in another 40 mins or so.But it was not to be .... I felt somebody sitting at my back very close to my neck and almost pushing me to the bed.I reckoned it was somebody weighing atleast a good 50 Kilos.It was suffocating now..as the weight slackened I jumped from the bed and ran towards the door without taking a glance at the fan or the bed or at the open windows.
In the other room .. everybody gave me the same look they had given to my friend two days ago..this time however cold sweat lined their face.