Friday, May 28, 2010

Feelings III - Part 2

"And??" she asked ,now almost irritated by the guy gazing at her and talking intermittently.

"And i wanted to just come and meet the person who has got everyone praising,plus nothing much happens in the village anyway,so wanted to check you out" and smiled,showing 18 of his crystal white teeth(guess colgate salt toothpaste had helped)

"Check me out??,what do u mean?" ,her tone was getting more angrier now.

"No i dint mean the other way,i wanted to just meet the person,see what business is being run,just to get more informed thats all,sorry if it felt like i was meaning something else,btw i am Saraswathi Amma's grandson" ,he said thinking that the name of his famous grandmother may get him some leverage with her.

Her tone suddenly changed."Oh  ok u are Sarsu Ajji's grandson,give me 20 minutes,i will just wrap up the accounts calculations and meet you in a while in the verandah.Just make yourself comfortable" and so saying she directed one of the maids to serve him a glass of butter milk.The drink was the default introductory serving in all homes in Kumta.

Aditya watched keenly as Inchara was handling multiple things at the same time.Doing the math,keeping an eye on whether all the goods were being loaded correctly into the vans,checking whether the guests were being treated well.In exact 20 minutes Aditya saw her finish off all  tasks and freshening up and coming.

"Hello,sorry for being a bit rude that time,i m Inchara " she said extending her hand.That was a change,mainly because in villages the only greeting a boy and girl can make is a folded hand namaskar.

"I am Aditya,i had come on a vacation here,i am a .." and before he could complete

"Software engineer" she said moving her tresses aside with a mocking smile on her face.

"Yeah how did you know..hold on before you say that if you throw a stone anywhere in Bangalore and compare us to dogs,let us stop it there"

"No i did not mean to say that,Ajji had distributed sweets to us saying her grandson in Bangalore had gotten a job in a big company",although she wanted to say the exact same thing as what Aditya had feared,she dint want to insult in any which way,so ended up making a reason.

"Anyways what did u want to know?"

"Well whats your business all about,how did you bring this up and other stuff,want to see if i can get some inspiration"

"Dont mind,today is tuesday and its time for my weekly visit to the temple,can we talk some other day?,or will you join me,we can talk on the way",she said in a cool way.

"On the way,only us?i mean is that allowed here and all?" he asked almost conjuring up all the aunties coming together and gossiping about the boy and girl.

"Oh come on,i think the only thing outdated here is you " she said smiling."Come lets go"

They decided to walk to the nearby temple.The temple was on a hill and people had to climb a lot of steps to get there.From the top, the Arabian Sea could be seen in full splendour.All through the way she explained how she got help from KSSIDC in giving her the infrastructure and guidance for free.She used to export a whole variety of food items and lot many more ingenuous things.All through the "green route" Aditya was taking a lot of pics which irked Inchara a bit.

"Why are you taking so many photos?" she asked.

"This is the only place where i get to see nature and its beauty,at the rate the trees are being cut in Bangalore,i think very soon to even see trees we will have to come to Kumta" he said.

"Oh ok you are also nature conservator,so what would your views be on the dam being built on the agnashini river nearby?"

"Well it should be stopped,i mean so many ppl are getting displaced" he said almost in a "I am right about this" tone.

She disagreed telling that looking at the benefit it would giving in the long term,it should be done.They argued over the entire algae and moss filled steps to the temple.

Cool breeze was flowing at the top and Inchara was having a hard time keeping her hair away from her eyes.They decided to sit inside the temple to avoid the impending rain.However they were hardly getting anytime to talk given the popularity of Inchara.This was causing a slight ache in Aditya's mind and some envy crept in.

A few days after this,they again met on the occasion of the marriage of one of their common friends.Aditya's grandmom had forcibly tagged along Aditya. Dressed in a kurta ,he was standing in a corner trying to avoid the "family audience".Inchara came along with her father,dressed in a neatly embroidered red saree complete  with ghungrus and jhumkas.Aditya overheard some of the elder women talking about Inchara and how she would be ideal for their sons.Some were apprehensive about a a businesswoman being a daughter-in-law.Most of the conversations bordered on the eccentric.

Aditya was amused by all this.He felt a tap on his shoulder.
"So Mr.Software Engineer of a MNC ,what are you doing standing in this corner" she asked.

"Nothing i am trying to avoid all the aunties,uncles,chotus,there is hardly anybody of our age here" he said.
"True,even i am forced to come along with father..hey tell you what after lunch i have a great idea,lets go to the beach"

"What?why the beach" he said

"Its been a long time for me,plus it would good to have a similar aged company.Lets go there, i will get some kokam juice and we can have a small party of our own."

"Kokam juice??thats your idea of a party?" he said."You just come along" she said.

Aditya agreed to this plan and soon after lunch they rushed to Inchara's friends home.She changed to a jeans and t shirt and they made their way to the beach.It was empty at that point in time.They sat under a coconut tree.

Aditya liked the way she was able to carry both the traditional and casual style with elan.

"Thanks for coming along,i am so busy the rest of the 6 days,sunday is one day i want to chill out" she said.

"Chill out!! " Aditya couldnt control his laughter now,he wanted to know what are the ways to "chill out" in the village."Oh we have our own ways to do it " she said."Of course we are not as adventurous when letting our hair down like you city people"

"So what do you do on weekends therein Bangalore" she asked "Pubs,booze?"

"Again a stereotypical image of banglaoreans.." and before he could complete it "Even u have about us,so why cant we have the same?" she asked.

"Anyways thats not the point,i usually go out with my friends or sometimes with family also"."what about you"? he asked

"Well dad and i go to Yana,Karwar,Gokarna and some nearby places in the weekend.Om Beach is my favourite,only place for us to see so many cultures intermingling with each other"

"Ya in Om Beach,the phoren women are too good"he said now almost smiling naughtily.

She cleared her throat and "Ya besides that also is fun,i mean the men there,some of the most incredible bodies i have seen".

"Huh,wow wasnt expecting that response" he said.

"Why when you ppl can talk lecherously about other girls we cant do the same is it,anyways it was more to stop you from talking like that in front of me,I hate this typical behaviour of ur gender"

Aditya was all zip sealed.

Changing the topic he said
"Hey why dint ur mother come along?"
"My mother passed away 2 years back in an accident and she fell silent" " i couldnt forget her,i tried all possible means,then struck upon starting my own business to divert my mind and put my brain to use."

"Oh i am sorry for that",Aditya could somehow sense that Inchara was feeling burdened both by death of her mother and her business.

"I am the only child.Dad has become very possessive about me after that,even tells that the boy i will be marrying will have to come and stay with us here,as he doesnt want to be left alone"

"But you will be coming to meet him and taking care otherwise also right,i mean ,i actually dont know,these things are very complicated for me,so i better not talk"

"You will,i mean everybody has to...............

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

FEELINGS III -Part 1

At the outset i would like to thank all the people who have knowingly or unknowingly given a lot of material on which i can splurge my creativity and imagination.I dont know what genre this story would be classified under because frankly i am as confused as my lead protagonist Aditya.Why i chose this name?Because i have always been in love with dynamism,symbols which denote the same.I wanted the name to be "Fire" but dont know whether the character i am writing would imbibe these.The girl's character would be Inchara.As the name suggests the girl is pretty,beautiful ,independent minded,ambitious with a strong conviction.I have loved imagining this character and the various facets of her personality.Hopefully i would be able to bring it into written words.

The faces of both the characters would be left to the imagination of the readers.Fill in the faces u want to and hope you enjoy reading it.

SO here goes

FEELINGS III



The time was ticking in his watch.The seconds hand moved closer to 9,the hour hand moved closer to 5.He was sitting in a reclined position in his Cavalier office chair whose back he could not fix to make it straight.His manager might have thought that the guy was wasted.As he reclined back and looked at the textured ceiling overhead, he saw the Emergency Exit board above him.His heart asked him to follow the instruction,mind said "wait,not yet".Two years back he had joined work ,after completion of his engineering degree with full enthusiasm hoping to do some great work and make a name for himself.

Reality was that work was coming to him either in flood or drought and he was unhappy of the inconsistency.He felt that his brain was not being used much to do the mundane job any degree passout would be able to do.His life had become shallow,less contact with friends,relatives,basically having lesser time for himself and having lost the desire in everything.He was going more and more towards mental bankruptcy.

Situation had come to such a pass that he was not even completing the sentences he had started.Same office,same colleagues,the sameness was killing him - Aditya who loved change everyday.

That day as he sat there he felt blank as though there was a huge void which had to filled.He decided that enough was enough and packed his laptop bag and headed straight to his home.As he sat in the office cab looking out of the window ,there was a slight drizzle and in a particular stretch there were some agricultural fields which looked inviting and reminded him of his native.The smell of the ground due to the drizzle mesmerized him.It had been 6 years since his last visit.He thought that this was a good time to rejuvenate himself and get his priorities right.

So he decided to take two weeks off and visit his native ,the beautiful coastal town of Kumta.But first he had to talk his Dad into allowing him to go as he wouldnt appreciate such random decisions.Insincerity was one thing his dad hated in individuals and most certainly his own son.

Aditya hesitatingly asked "Papa,i want to go to Kumta and stay for two weeks with Ajji"

Dad suddenly raised his eye and asked "Why suddenly?dont u have office?"

"Yeah Papa but i am sick and tired of the same job ,the same computer,the same people,i want to get away from all this"

"Oh Really?Sunanda did you hear what your son is saying?hasnt worked fully for 2 years yet and he is already sick of it,what about us who have worked for 30 years in the same organisation?Your generation i tell u.anyways Adi if u really want to go,u are free to".

Making his mom agree was not a big task for him.He called up his sister and told her that he would be leaving to Kumta soon.Even she was surprised by the sudden urgency in the tone of her brother though she had realised that he was not in his elements for some time now.

Aditya packed all the necessary items,his guitar which he had nicknamed as Sanorita and left to Kumta by bus.

KUMTA

As soon as he reached the bus stand he could smell the smokes from the chimneys common in every home there.Fresh green vegetables was laid on the floor just next to the bus stand.The people there were in no hurry.Some of them were waking up from last nights "toddy" effect.There were Red stains everywhere and it seemed that Paan and not rice was their staple diet.Aditya climbed onto the bus that would take him to his grandma's place.

For a person used to living in AC the smell was unbearable.All along the routes he could see inclined roofs made of mangalore tiles,compounds made of green,thorny cactuses.It was as though the land had been swamped by greenery and this was more so because of the rains which had just set in.There were traces of tar here and there.He could see the sea at a distance.Fisherwomen wearing blouseless sarees(usually dull green ones) chewing paan,men sitting idle were soon throughout the 6 km distance.

He was welcomed as a grandchild would normally be.As was the tradition both coconut drink and butter milk were offered as options.

As he sat down on the cot he asked grandma to update all the going ons there.All he heard was about how a young girl had started off her own business there.She was apparently exporting the products to "FOREIGNA"(that was how it was called).The house had a few more visitors that day and most of them seemed to have been overawed by the BIJNESS that was started.

The next day intrigued by this,Aditya decided to go and meet the young girl who had started off her own business.Even though there was a slight drizzle Aditya decided to go anyway.

When he reached there he saw a person carrying a bag full of jackfruit chips packets to be loaded into a van.
"Anna where can i meet your boss"

"Akkavra?she is inside"

After multiple directions and misdirections he finally caught sight of the girl.Though her back was towards him.She was directing the various helpers on what to do and what not and was getting irritated when the things were not being done as she wanted them to.Aditya thought it was not a good time to disturb her.So he waited around and asked one of the helpers to inform "madam".

On being informed the girl turned back.

Initial description:

Height : 5 feet 5inch
Color :Wheatish
Hairstyle : Step-cut
And figure dainty as though she would collapse anytime.She was still wiping the sweat of her forehead.Prolonged standing the drizzle had meant her hair was still dripping water.And her dress was all messed up and looked as though the boss had become one with the labourers.

Aditya was somehow caught up with the whole process of the water droplets kissing her hair,flowing down smoothly and falling to the ground below.

"You wanted something?" she asked in an irritating manner almost ready to dismiss him.

"Yes he said" and .........................................