Underwater temple and paper piano
I saw a couple jumping into the water and from inside the water I saw them kissing each other once, then swimming deeper towards the Sri Ram temple at the bottom of the lake. I swam to the temple and visited it. I saw a hawker distributing prasad so I accepted a packet. I opened it and ate a little boondi from it. I realized I couldn't stay without breath under water for a long time so I started going back upwards. I called my sister and asked her to leave with me. She was puzzled but she did. I pushed her upwards, then started swimming towards the surface. I had to go through a thin opening which had stairs below it. I then realized that the temple was submerged in the lake but wasn't when was originally built. Sensing that I might be out of breath, I left the packet of prasad at the start of the opening for better comfort in swimming.
On reaching the surface, I started feeling hungry and regretted leaving prasad back at the lake. I looked around for vendors selling prasad but didn't find anyone selling the same prasad. Finally I asked one of them for 3 out of 5 diff. kinds of prasads that he was selling but he refused, as he sold them all as a set and not individually and I didn't have enough money to buy the whole set.
My sister and I were to wait for a vehicle to take us home but we waited for sometime and it didn't come. Coincidentally I saw Alok, Sachin and other IIIT-H friends who are currently working and staying in Bangalore leaving the temple in their car. Alok looked out of the window and in his usual style greeted me.
Apparently some of the guys in that car were to be dropped somewhere so it would take more time than usual for us to reach home. We made a few minutes stop at their place. I told them that it reminded me of my school and the place looked like a part of Army cantonment area. It did have small rooms arranged in a circle, a TV room, a playground and a large area for exercises. I saw a playroom with a paper piano in it. My sister went there and started playing the piano. I was astonished to see that piano make music. My friends and I walked around the place and talked for a few minutes. I asked them if there was anything available to eat and although I had a biriyani and something else, still I was hungry. My sister came to us from the other room and said that the paper piano was dismantled. I saw the broken into pieces piano and got a little worried. My friends said it can be fixed easily and that I should not worry.
I was at a marketplace (sadar bazar, Jalandhar, lookalike) with my father and some friend of his. My father left me with him to buy something from some shop a little far. My father's friend asked me if I would like to have something. I said, and he brought me a large hot-dog and something else in packing. My father called us outside so that we may leave. While leaving the shop, I forgot to take my half-eaten hot-dog and the something else in packing. Halfway out of the marketplace, I remembered that I had left my stuff at that shop. My father and his friend looked at each other, concerned. "Never mind, it'll not take long," my father's friend said and we went back. It was closing time for all the shops. Initially we were not sure if we were at the same shop because the place looked like an abandoned patch, as if nothing ever existed there! There was a man taking rounds of the street, asking everyone to close down their shops. He wore a uniform similar to the security guards' at IIIT-H. On watching us enter the abandoned shop, he walked to us and said we were not allowed to enter that place because it was past closing time for shops. We tried reasoning with him that we'd left our stuff inside the shop but he wouldn't listen. Finally we had to give him a little something, which my father and his friend debated upon, and went into the abandoned shop, only to find my stuff lying there, untouched, among the emptiness.
Later, we walked the empty streets of the city. There was enough lighting, both natural and artificial to confuse a brightly lit night to a cloudy daytime. I saw a big banner of indibloggers on our way back and got excited about it. I pointed to it, saying that they'd have their meeting in the same building which hosted the banner. My father asked me "What do you guys really do in such meetings?" not convinced those meetings and get-together serve any purpose.
I saw myself in a long table conference type of meeting, sitting close to the head of the meeting. Somebody, I think it was Mux, greeted him, "Konbanwa" which the boss interrupted saying it was morning time. The boss asked others if they knew the Japanese greeting for "good morning". Many, including me and Mux said "Oya sumi masen" with a little hesitation. He repeated the greeting with better intonation and pronunciation. He finally asked who knew basic Japanese. Many hands shot up, and it was then I saw Mohit sitting in the meeting, a couple of chairs away from me.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
6th April 2010 Early Morning
It must be 8 or 9 am, we were trekking, me and few others. Among others I remember a couple of families, some other middle aged people, and few of my friends. We were walking through a posh colony, akin to an army cantonment colony. We looked around and saw only few people around. One of my friends pointed to a house and said, "This is house of Rocky, Sylvestor Stallone." I thought he was kidding but when I looked at him, I knew he wasn't.
I slipped away from the group, walked up to his apartment on the first floor. I knocked at his door. He came out in his night clothes. He stared at me for a few seconds. "What is it that you want, kid?"
OMG, Sylvestor Stallone talking to me !!
I introduced myself and said that I really wanted to meet him, since forever. He invited me in. :)
His apartment was really huge from inside. It looked as if he lived alone but there was a lot of stuff at his house that suggested otherwise. I saw collections of bollywood movies/songs from the 70s, especially Shammi Kapoor's. I saw a big poster of Shammi Kapoor at one corner of his living room, below which was his big stereo music system.
I went to his verandah, and peeped below. I was surprised to see Ruhela sir. I asked him what he was doing there. He said he was waiting for someone, and that I should leave at once and suggested an escape route, other than the front door. But I went back inside.
I was surprised to see my mother come to his house. I asked her what she was doing there. She didn't reply. My mother was with others on trekking, how come she was there as well? Maybe she was some other woman of my mother's age, and not my mother. She started making something in the kitchen. Mr. Stallone had prepared something snacks so we ate that and talked for sometime.
I saw Ruhela sir from the window beside me, he was beckoning me to urgently leave that place. I said I had to leave, and asked that woman who looked like my mother, if she wanted to come too, but Mr. Stallone said she'll leave after she was done with her work. I left from the front door, with Mr. Stallone closing it behind me.
I slipped away from the group, walked up to his apartment on the first floor. I knocked at his door. He came out in his night clothes. He stared at me for a few seconds. "What is it that you want, kid?"
OMG, Sylvestor Stallone talking to me !!
I introduced myself and said that I really wanted to meet him, since forever. He invited me in. :)
His apartment was really huge from inside. It looked as if he lived alone but there was a lot of stuff at his house that suggested otherwise. I saw collections of bollywood movies/songs from the 70s, especially Shammi Kapoor's. I saw a big poster of Shammi Kapoor at one corner of his living room, below which was his big stereo music system.
I went to his verandah, and peeped below. I was surprised to see Ruhela sir. I asked him what he was doing there. He said he was waiting for someone, and that I should leave at once and suggested an escape route, other than the front door. But I went back inside.
I was surprised to see my mother come to his house. I asked her what she was doing there. She didn't reply. My mother was with others on trekking, how come she was there as well? Maybe she was some other woman of my mother's age, and not my mother. She started making something in the kitchen. Mr. Stallone had prepared something snacks so we ate that and talked for sometime.
I saw Ruhela sir from the window beside me, he was beckoning me to urgently leave that place. I said I had to leave, and asked that woman who looked like my mother, if she wanted to come too, but Mr. Stallone said she'll leave after she was done with her work. I left from the front door, with Mr. Stallone closing it behind me.
Friday, April 2, 2010
2nd April 2010 Early Morning
I saw myself at a mansion. I was alone. I remembered looking at a pack of hounds tearing apart an alive human body from a window while standing over the fireplace stand. He was an acquaintance, but I was too scared to go out to help him, I was too scared to move. I ate cold food, didn't leave the mansion for the fear of those hounds. I couldn't contact anyone. I was cold, had a blanket to keep me warm. I wanted to get rid of those hounds, preferably destroy all of them.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
31st March 2010 Late Morning
There was a little girl who went missing. It was Mahaveer who first asked me to search for her. There were two other things also that I had to search but the little girl worried me the most. Her absence haunted me in my dreams too. I knew I had to find her!
Once something got stuck in my throat and I was trying hard to push it out but in vain. I felt as if the little girl was telling me that I'd left her in the dark and she was scared. I tried harder to push out the thing stuck in my throat. I didn't come out, so I swallowed it with force.
I had late breakfast as usual and was carrying a glass of milk to drink after sometime. I saw Kapil, Atul, Parashar, Pankaj, Alok, Mahaveer and others playing some stupid game in which they'd hold anyone and push that person very hard and run with that person, then eventually releasing him/her from their grip. I tried to tell them that I had a full big glass of milk in my hand and that the milk would fall and that would make me angry. They didn't bother and the group, like a group of bees surrounded me from behind and pushed me randomly left, right, front. I got angry and spilled all my milk on the person on my right because I was holding the milk in my right hand. Sadly the person was Atul! After that I did throw the remaining drops at Parashar as well but the damage had been done. I went to mess to refill the glass with some milk. On the wall clock above the entrance to the stairs that led to Yuktahaar mess, I saw the time, 12:13 pm. It was way past the breakfast time, so I had to do without milk.
There was some guy who came to me asking for Sushanta. I said I didn't know where he was at the moment. He asked me what bothered me and I said a little girl was missing and he said if I had investigated it thoroughly. I said I didn't ask the girls of the college. He said Sushanta was incharge of ice-creams and that girls would definitely come to him for ice-creams and we could ask them at that time. I looked at him, he seemed to be quite interested in meeting the girls. Then Sashidhar came along and I asked him, "hey how would you suggest a missing person could be found?"
Sashidhar thought for a few seconds and suggested that we could trace her by the IP address. He then explained that the last number would be the person's ID, second last number would be the person's batch, third last number... Finally I asked him, could this method be used at present? Sashidhar, who was sitting on the sidewalk divider, looked up at me, I looked at the other guy. Both of them nodded in negative.
Nobody seemed to be bothered about the missing little girl. Was I the only one who knew about it? Did I imagine Mahaveer telling me about the little girl? Have I been doing too much detective work, as in searching for lost things that I've started hallucinating?
I looked at Sashidhar and the other guy, both lost in their own thoughts, I looked to my right, a little ahead and all my friends were still playing that silly game. I felt the dusk giving way to the night as the darkness slowly spread itself around us.
Once something got stuck in my throat and I was trying hard to push it out but in vain. I felt as if the little girl was telling me that I'd left her in the dark and she was scared. I tried harder to push out the thing stuck in my throat. I didn't come out, so I swallowed it with force.
I had late breakfast as usual and was carrying a glass of milk to drink after sometime. I saw Kapil, Atul, Parashar, Pankaj, Alok, Mahaveer and others playing some stupid game in which they'd hold anyone and push that person very hard and run with that person, then eventually releasing him/her from their grip. I tried to tell them that I had a full big glass of milk in my hand and that the milk would fall and that would make me angry. They didn't bother and the group, like a group of bees surrounded me from behind and pushed me randomly left, right, front. I got angry and spilled all my milk on the person on my right because I was holding the milk in my right hand. Sadly the person was Atul! After that I did throw the remaining drops at Parashar as well but the damage had been done. I went to mess to refill the glass with some milk. On the wall clock above the entrance to the stairs that led to Yuktahaar mess, I saw the time, 12:13 pm. It was way past the breakfast time, so I had to do without milk.
There was some guy who came to me asking for Sushanta. I said I didn't know where he was at the moment. He asked me what bothered me and I said a little girl was missing and he said if I had investigated it thoroughly. I said I didn't ask the girls of the college. He said Sushanta was incharge of ice-creams and that girls would definitely come to him for ice-creams and we could ask them at that time. I looked at him, he seemed to be quite interested in meeting the girls. Then Sashidhar came along and I asked him, "hey how would you suggest a missing person could be found?"
Sashidhar thought for a few seconds and suggested that we could trace her by the IP address. He then explained that the last number would be the person's ID, second last number would be the person's batch, third last number... Finally I asked him, could this method be used at present? Sashidhar, who was sitting on the sidewalk divider, looked up at me, I looked at the other guy. Both of them nodded in negative.
Nobody seemed to be bothered about the missing little girl. Was I the only one who knew about it? Did I imagine Mahaveer telling me about the little girl? Have I been doing too much detective work, as in searching for lost things that I've started hallucinating?
I looked at Sashidhar and the other guy, both lost in their own thoughts, I looked to my right, a little ahead and all my friends were still playing that silly game. I felt the dusk giving way to the night as the darkness slowly spread itself around us.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
16th March 2010, Early Morning
I was to go to some place, somewhere far. Perhaps Andaman and Nicobar. I had to get myself registered for the trip, some days prior to the day of travel. I called in a travel agent. I heard a knock at my door. I saw myself walking in an old, perhaps 1 BHK flat towards the door. I asked the agent to come in but he seemed rather perturbed and wanted me to quickly sign the papers confirming my journey. I signed but his uneasiness made me doubtful as to what was bothering him. I didn't ask. I offered him a beverage but he left in haste without a word. I concluded that maybe he wanted to cover maximum customers for a bonus or promotion.
It rained heavily on the day of the journey. The heavy rain reminded me that for some reason I had been to Andaman and Nicobar some months before, and had a miserable experience. I decided to quit and was about to go to the office to cancel my journey when that agent crossed my mind. I picked up my bag, put on my hat, took my umbrella in my arm, looked back at my flat which only had a study table by the window and no other furniture, and only one bulb to light the room, I left for Andaman and Nicobar.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
14th March 2010, Early Morning
I was at a party at a rich person's house. The living room was almost packed with guests. It was an invitation only party and I had been invited because of something I was or something I had done, so I was there. The lights were dim and people were slow dancing on the music playing in the background. I felt isolated in the party because I knew limited number of people, all of whom were busy chit-chatting with others, slow dancing, and eating. I stood at a corner with my drink, looking at others.
Next thing, I saw my high school friend at the party !! I was looking at her after many years but could recognize her because she looked quite the same. In that dress she was wearing, and under the dim bluish lighting and slow music, I found her beautiful. I saw her chatting with a married couple and smiling pleasantly. I had always liked her more than a friend. We met like old buddies meet after years. She was a joyous sense of relief in that boring party. We talked for sometime, then she suddenly left me and went to talk to others. She said she would be back in a bit but she wasn't. I felt isolated again. I went to refill my drink (which was non-alcoholic, btw) when I met the hostess. She asked me for a favor and I agreed to do it. But while doing it I realized my mistake. Doing that favor was more boring than standing alone like a statue in that party. Two ladies whom I had seen standing at a corner, just like me, joined me at what I was doing, as if they were looking for something to do. None of the two would speak, only stare at me, at what I was doing. They looked like twin sisters, only they didn't look alike.
Some idiot in a leather jacket, started chit-chatting with the hostess who was standing beside me and the twin ladies. Before she could ask him for the same favor, he offered his services, probably to have a good impression on her. Either he had a crush on that lady, or his mommy must have told him to do so, because the favor wasn't worth any good impression or riches! Thank you, I said to him and left my work to him.
I saw my friend standing in isolation with her drink at the spot I stood for most of the party, aloof in her thoughts. I went to her and in our casual conversation, told her my feelings about her. She gave me the exact reaction I had expected. She said it was very sweet of me and that she also liked me but some things had changed in past few months that at the moment she wasn't ready for any such commitment. I persisted, because I had fell in love with her all over again in the moment I saw her for the first time after many years.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" she said, that tenderness in her voice that almost convinced me she would agree.
"I am telling you now!" I said with all the sincerity in my heart.
She turned to face me and we kissed gently. As we slow danced, holding each other close, I also fell in love with the slow music and the dim blue lighting.
I saw myself at a check post while leaving for home. There was some commotion because somebody said a terrorist had been caught. I got down from my jeep and went to check when I saw Ragunathan sir talking to other policemen or some other security agency personnel. He was their senior, I learned, and was congratulating them on their success and motivating them to keep up the good work. I saw a person looking at all of them with a disgust on his face. I could guess he was the terrorist. He offered me Rs. 90 if I allowed him to walk away and not tell the police that he was running away. He said he only had that much money with him. I refused. He reduced the offer to Rs. 50 and I asked him, "Do you even know how to count?"
I told him, traffic police in India also doesn't agree at Rs. 90, how could I, that too when risk was so high!
He was taken away. I rode back to home in my gypsy. My mother wasn't feeling well so we had to leave. My sister, mother and some friend was sitting behind in the gypsy. My father was staying at some other place. I saw us driving my the streets of Persia, as shown in the game, 'Prince of Persia'. I thought of my work and that there were some people I didn't like at my department, but due to joining of some new people, that dislike had been lessened, as if the new people act like neutralizers. I started thinking of numerology and also trying to find a relation between first alphabet of names of people I keep away from in my department and the new people in my department. While such thoughts occupied my mind, I saw kids playing on the street as we took a turn to the right. Most of the city was stone floored and each road had either houses or a wall on either side.
I get a phone call from the same terrorist even before we are able to drive out of the city. He threatens me that since I didn't help him escape, he'll make my life miserable. He started telling me what all damage he could possibly do and I start feeling scared. His voice and mannerism of speaking made me laugh but I controlled myself, lest I'd offend him even more. My mother wasn't feeling well, my sister was with me, I had a girlfriend now and we were still away from home, driving on strange roads.
Suddenly I see myself doing push-ups, and then I see another self of mine jogging on the streets of the city, as shown in 'Prince of Persia'. Could that be my alter-ego? Or my own self preparing for the future?
Next thing, I saw my high school friend at the party !! I was looking at her after many years but could recognize her because she looked quite the same. In that dress she was wearing, and under the dim bluish lighting and slow music, I found her beautiful. I saw her chatting with a married couple and smiling pleasantly. I had always liked her more than a friend. We met like old buddies meet after years. She was a joyous sense of relief in that boring party. We talked for sometime, then she suddenly left me and went to talk to others. She said she would be back in a bit but she wasn't. I felt isolated again. I went to refill my drink (which was non-alcoholic, btw) when I met the hostess. She asked me for a favor and I agreed to do it. But while doing it I realized my mistake. Doing that favor was more boring than standing alone like a statue in that party. Two ladies whom I had seen standing at a corner, just like me, joined me at what I was doing, as if they were looking for something to do. None of the two would speak, only stare at me, at what I was doing. They looked like twin sisters, only they didn't look alike.
Some idiot in a leather jacket, started chit-chatting with the hostess who was standing beside me and the twin ladies. Before she could ask him for the same favor, he offered his services, probably to have a good impression on her. Either he had a crush on that lady, or his mommy must have told him to do so, because the favor wasn't worth any good impression or riches! Thank you, I said to him and left my work to him.
I saw my friend standing in isolation with her drink at the spot I stood for most of the party, aloof in her thoughts. I went to her and in our casual conversation, told her my feelings about her. She gave me the exact reaction I had expected. She said it was very sweet of me and that she also liked me but some things had changed in past few months that at the moment she wasn't ready for any such commitment. I persisted, because I had fell in love with her all over again in the moment I saw her for the first time after many years.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" she said, that tenderness in her voice that almost convinced me she would agree.
"I am telling you now!" I said with all the sincerity in my heart.
She turned to face me and we kissed gently. As we slow danced, holding each other close, I also fell in love with the slow music and the dim blue lighting.
I saw myself at a check post while leaving for home. There was some commotion because somebody said a terrorist had been caught. I got down from my jeep and went to check when I saw Ragunathan sir talking to other policemen or some other security agency personnel. He was their senior, I learned, and was congratulating them on their success and motivating them to keep up the good work. I saw a person looking at all of them with a disgust on his face. I could guess he was the terrorist. He offered me Rs. 90 if I allowed him to walk away and not tell the police that he was running away. He said he only had that much money with him. I refused. He reduced the offer to Rs. 50 and I asked him, "Do you even know how to count?"
I told him, traffic police in India also doesn't agree at Rs. 90, how could I, that too when risk was so high!
He was taken away. I rode back to home in my gypsy. My mother wasn't feeling well so we had to leave. My sister, mother and some friend was sitting behind in the gypsy. My father was staying at some other place. I saw us driving my the streets of Persia, as shown in the game, 'Prince of Persia'. I thought of my work and that there were some people I didn't like at my department, but due to joining of some new people, that dislike had been lessened, as if the new people act like neutralizers. I started thinking of numerology and also trying to find a relation between first alphabet of names of people I keep away from in my department and the new people in my department. While such thoughts occupied my mind, I saw kids playing on the street as we took a turn to the right. Most of the city was stone floored and each road had either houses or a wall on either side.
I get a phone call from the same terrorist even before we are able to drive out of the city. He threatens me that since I didn't help him escape, he'll make my life miserable. He started telling me what all damage he could possibly do and I start feeling scared. His voice and mannerism of speaking made me laugh but I controlled myself, lest I'd offend him even more. My mother wasn't feeling well, my sister was with me, I had a girlfriend now and we were still away from home, driving on strange roads.
Suddenly I see myself doing push-ups, and then I see another self of mine jogging on the streets of the city, as shown in 'Prince of Persia'. Could that be my alter-ego? Or my own self preparing for the future?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
11th Feb 2010 Early Morning
Atul was sick, so I took him to a hospital where a girl worked as a nurse who used to be in my school, one year junior to me. She was so pretty and I had a big time crush on her. On reaching the hospital, with atul hanging on my shoulder with his arm, I realized the hospital was a military hospital and Atul would have a hard time there. Atul screamed like a baby when he got injections and whenever I visited him, he begged me to take him to some other hospital!
I did meet the girl from my school. She had come to check on Atul. I saw her in her group of nurses giggling in the corridor for some stupid reason. I wanted to say "hi" when our eyes met but refrained from doing so. She was still so pretty, the only beautiful thing (like sunshine) in the morose ambiance of the hospital. Since her first visit, Atul had stopped complaining about the hospital. :)
I had this English assignment due next month. I was at home, because somebody had died in the family and everybody was very sad about it. I managed to write some pages, almost half the assignment, till my last day at home. With a few days to spare before submission day, I stood outside in the train, planning my strategy to complete the assignment. When I reached hostel I realized I had left my assignment at home. :(
Later, I saw myself with a lady in white saree, who had some awesome gadgets. She helped me get my assignment transferred from home to college. My sister thought I had lost my head when I told her the instructions. Sadly the first half of the assignment that I had done wasn't on paper but in a liquid form. That lady further showed off her findings/inventions by rolling the first sheet of paper of second half of my assignment and immersing it in a big jug filled with liquid. The sheet of paper that came out was a blank sheet. She drank that liquid and narrated the whole content verbatim! Now I was curious and suggested her that she could make a similar device that could absorb the content in a liquid and read it out aloud. She smiled, then asked for the second sheet of my second half of assignment, immersed it in the liquid in the jug. The liquid in the jug was then boiled. As the vapors of the liquid came out, the jug started speaking out the content verbatim.
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