Grey Matter

It was a Sunday evening near Residency Towers.I was out from Gangotri after having some chat which didn’t fill my stomach, even after paying so much.Me and 2 of my friends were there.Just then a small kid came running towards us with a sack. He looked shabby.Any one looking at him would say that he is one among the kids who come begging for money, where ever you go these days.The kid would have been in his 1 st standard had he gone to school.When he started asking us to buy the ear buds he was having in his hands one of my friend quipped “yet another way to beg.These days begging has become competitive.The other day there was a women who gave me a printed paper stating that she is from Gujarat, her family got affected in Earth Quake that happened long back and they migrated to pollachi because of that.Now that she wants to get her daughter married she wanted money.” My other friend said “I see that lady every day in the same bus stop for the past 2 years.” I interrupted them,because the small boy had now started growling at me to buy the ear buds.I asked them “Does anyone of you use ear buds.I don’t use it.”
They both replied in the negative. The boy still kept talking that its just 10 rupee,he got eat something today etc., Its funny to think that we paid so much for the chat which wasn’t worth its price in Gangotri but were hesitant to spend 10 rupee. In the end one of friend said “since nobody of us uses ear buds lets not buy it.” The boy almost started crying. “Ok give him some money” said the other. The boy replied furiously “I am not begging brother.Buy the buds or don’t, but don’t insult me as if i am begging to you.” I instinctively pat him on the back.I felt like clapping for him.It takes courage when you are in utter poverty to speak and act like what the small boy did.My friends were dumb struck.They bought the ear buds.And remember he is so small that he must be innocently asking for chocolates had he been in good family.But here this guy is so mature.The dark world he lives in has given him so much experience that he has lost his innocence. Doesn’t this sound like some rajini film script? i forgot which movie it is

I am Cloned! – proclaimed Arafath’s orkut profile.I am out in the streets.Is this Arafath,Yes it is….“Hey Arafath! How come you are here?” Arafath is riding on a sidecar(attached seat in Scooter,similar to the one Veeru rides on in Sholay) that is attached to a Car.Arafath sees me and gives a wry smile which was arrogant enough for me to stop calling him.His vehicle doesn’t even stop.I keep yelling at him.My hand is inside a cave.Something is dragging me inside and it is aching and becoming numb simultaneously.A TV flickers on.Arafath comes back.He is trying to explain me that..it was his clone which i saw.He was driving the car and didn’t even notice me.He goes on to explain how cool it is to have a clone.The clone does all the menial work while he can enjoy doing things thats interesting to him.The clone is like a personal servant to him, but to the others it is Arafath himself.The instructor in the Television starts explaining that the NaH is the final thing to be added to the solution.I add the same in the jar which is in front of me.He says “Now when you drink this you will become a composite” He drinks the solution and extinguishes to become ashes(Composite in his words).The TV flickers and switches off.

Between the green valleys
there was a narrow alley
Where we walked without ambition

To the land of the miracles.
Weary of desire and guiltiness
following the footsteps that wasn’t there

Wispy, watercolour-esque clouds
straying on the orange coloured sky
Flew over our head

The time froze by-Standing still before us.
For us to plunge into the wilderness.

And here we are,with high hopes
in the new world full of hypes.

Breath taking images fill our memory
Until it overflows the brain’s boundary

Being lost in the middle of the new world
We cringe for the forces that is unseen

Force rises,Peptises
Our union has caused that.

Looking back someday we would feel
The old world was much better.

No, this is not the after effects of watching Shivaji. You slog out the entire evening and get very hungry.You go to a sandwich shop and order for a Veg Cheese Sandwich.You wait for the sometime thinking that you should have ordered two, as one sandwich might not fill the stomach.One white guy comes after 5 min shouts like a mad man,orders for 3 Sandwiches.The shop guy comes and says you that there is no Veg Cheese Sandwich.You ask him is there anything else.He says there is no more Sandwich Bread left.But you stand in the same place to give company to your friend who is already eating.And get to see the White guy order 2 more Sandwiches and the shop guy promptly delivering  him.How does it feel?