Kumbhakarna Wakes Up

ok, i have decided that enough is enough. i am going to start writing again. its almost been two months since i have last written and it is time to work the pen and hear the applause and all. i don’t have a ready-made topic on my hands so i’ll just write what i can think of and then, my dear readers, you will do the same in the comments column.

i am going to give myself 25 minutes exactly to write all that i can. i have a very mediocre typing speed and i like the idea of killing two birds with one stone, Rajnikanth style. not that i really want to kill birds. oh no, its just an expression.

i’ll start with politics. and the drama played out in the lok sabha. i came home from class and i saw a group of people waving bundles of notes and clapping their hands. the assistant speaker or vice-speaker or whatever was scratching his beard and whimpering for quiet. l k advani was trying his best to smile and frown at the same time. lalu was giving a very comical speech. and i was laughing. really laughing. i mean, it was a true, real, hearty laugh. it was not a hollow laugh. it was not a laugh saddled with despair and disgust. i didn’t feel those feelings. why should i ? it’s not as if it was a bolt from the blue or that it was the death of democracy or whatever. no one was really surprised. we expect such things from our politicians. we criticise them so much that it would be a shame if they did not attempt to bribe or make it appear as if they were being bribed. and its not as if a change of order at the top would change anything. it wouldn’t. the opposition would keep opposing and the allies would keep making demands and we would continue crying tears of false despair.

ismeet singh died yesterday. he was in maldives and he drowned in the swimming pool. he was 19 years of age and had a bright future ahead of him. i normally do not watch talent shows but i had had occasion to watch “Star Voice of India” once or twice. he seemed a nice, polite, reserved and confident young man. i opened the newspaper and saw his smiling face and then saw the word ‘dead’ staring at me. i felt incredibly sad. and i mused on the uncertainties of life. my grandmother, who was reading a Marathi daily and was quite unaware of ismeet, recited a joke. a burglar enters a large house and demands of the owner,” sona kaha hai ?”. the owner replies,”ye ghar bahut bada hai. jaha so jana hai waha so lena.” i started laughing. and i forgot about ismeet. just like that.

right, time’s up…in fact , i am three minutes late. toodle-oo. more tomorrow, i hope.