I saw myself in some city I had not been to earlier, with my parents, my sister and other family members from my father's side. We were staying at this big hall size room inside the campus of a BIG temple. This big temple was where they said we should begin our pilgrimage. My parents decided to spend more time in the big temple and sent me and my sister after our relatives for the pilgrimage around the town.
I was at this big hall size room, collecting books I may want to read during my stay at various temples since there was nothing else to do there. I took some sacred books, and a couple of novels, leaving one big book I wanted to read behind since it was making the total luggage too heavy. I was at the small temple provided in our big room going through the sacred books to pick and take when one of my relatives, some lady in a nice saree, came in and asked me to get ready fast since they were leaving.
While on the scooter with my sister sitting behind me, I tried to recall the route while maneuvering the scooter through the busy town roads. I asked my sister for the route but she said she was recalling and couldn't remember anything now. In a frustrated tone I asked her to call father to ask him about the route. Just then a traffic police officer pointed at me and asked me to take the vehicle to a side. I was scared. He produced a challan form and started writing challan. He showed me the challan... Rs. 701. I should have asked him how and discussed what had gone wrong. Instead I started crying. I snatched my sister's phone from her, tried to
run my fingers on the touchscreen while my tears fell on the screen, tried to find father's phone number. My sister tried to help me but I pushed her hand away saying that I had asked for her help earlier but she couldn't, and that's why now we're in this mess. We need to call father. I got his number, called him up, told him about this. He asked me to come back to the temple. I went back and my challan was excused.
There my father was very gentle with me and helped me understand that I should not be afraid of them but ask them what wrong I had done and cooperate as they were only doing their duty. Back at the temple I spent most of my time at the small temple in our room, reading the sacred books I had packed earlier to take on my pilgrimage.
On the same road few years later but after taking the left turn at the traffic signal, I was stopped again by a traffic cop, this time a lady. It was the same situation, my sister was sitting behind me on a scooter and we were going for the same pilgrimage, but this time I wasn't chasing anyone. Before she started writing challan, I asked her to give me a chance to speak. She did. I explained that I had a license, scooter registration and ownership papers and I was not a regular scooter driver. I also owned a bike and I drive a bike on a regular basis. My father drives a scooter. I was very friendly yet I showed that I respect her authority and decision, just like my father had taught me that day. While I spoke she had written all the details into the challan form. Finally she filled one last value, tore it and gave it to me. My attention first went to the amount, it was only Rs. 35. But then she surprised me further by tearing away the xerox copy from the pad, then tearing it into pieces, handing it to me and saying, "Go", indicating at the direction I was headed at.
So my sister and I visited few temples before it got dark. After seeking for blessings at this one temple, that had diety made in gold and covered with bundles of golden threaded chunri and wearing a sparkling crown, I started looking for my sister. A few kids, half naked and covered with dirt came over to me begging for alms. I really never liked the kids begging, or anyone begging, especially in front of temple. I offered them prashad which I had saved for my sister, which they refused. I guess they get enough of it everyday! They seemed adamant, but so was I. I simply walked away but not for very far. I could feel someone jump on my shoulders. While I tried to get rid of this one kid, this other kid caught my leg and started searching for my
wallet. These kids really knew some karate and kung-fu because in less than a minute I was on the ground, my face in the dirt, my suit piece ruined in the dirt and I just had to stay there for a few seconds to regain some strength. By the time I got up, they had disappeared, as if they never were. I brushed off the dirt from my face and clothes, and resolved to myself in a stern voice, "they will pay for this".
Meanwhile in some other world, I saw this guy, might be 15 years old but short in height, feeling left out by all his other friends and his people. This didn't happen always but being a sensitive person he took it to heart. So this time he had gone to share with them something he had discovered that nobody knew. But nobody believed him or was interested. He got angry and left, playing around with that tiny circular device, trying to figure out what it does. Suddenly he felt something and turned to a thin flight of stairs between two closed shops. Most of the town was closed that day and very less traffic was there on the road. In the background few kids were playing cricket on the road. He smiled in delight as if he had discovered what that device was for.
In the background I heard a female voice speak as if she was the camerawoman, "I see, so you think there's something exciting going on upstairs?"
That guy nodded.
"OK lets go then." But before this voice could finish speaking, he had already started racing to the top. Then he suddenly stopped, looked back and indicated silence by keeping his finger on his lips, then took each step slowly so as not to make a sound.
The door in front of the flight of stairs was open. He saw a man missing his knees and lower legs and tightly covered in thick bluish plastic cover which looked like had many layers. The guy had a mask on his nose and mouth, perhaps for oxygen. So this guy took the circular black coin like device and hovered over this patient, trying to find any place to fit this or perhaps some part of this patient's blue suit might get activated or lighten up in presence of this device. When the patient saw this device in this guy's hand, he widened his eyes and flared his nostrils at the sight of this device. Just then the guy saw this and it boosted his confidence that he was in possession of something big!
Entered this doctor and his senior doctor. This doctor who wore horn-rimmed glasses and looked like Mr. Bennet from Heroes, was in a serious discussion with his senior regarding the utility of this soldier who was missing limbs and couldn't breathe properly, but could still be a weapon. None of the two seemed to recognize this 15 year old guy's presence in the room. Suddenly this guy extended his hand and gave the doctor this black device coin. The doctor was surprised to see this guy, but took the device, said thank you and confidently explained how this device could help revive this guy and could be used to help him and others fight in the war.
