If only it had rained for some more time .............. (Short Story)

Today, Hindu Newspaper Headlines :( January 25th)

“Youth killed as Bus run over him- Yet another victim due to lack of subway”

Time 6.00 Pm Indian Standard Time: (January 23rd)

Have you heard of Nairobi before reading this line? If your answer is yes, any one of the three points given below should be true.

1) You should have been recently memorizing the capitals of all countries as you are fancying your chances in taking part in some quiz competition.
2) Your favorite subject in school should have been geography.
3) You must be a cricket fan.

If you are wondering what a cricket fan has to do with cricket, then since now and then cricket matches are being played in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, I felt cricket fans would have heard of this capital city in the Dark Continent. And today one such cricket match is all set to take place in Nairobi – a one day international between India and Australia. The match should have begun by now. In fact it should have begun at 2.00 Pm Indian standard time. But rain in the morning meant that match had to be delayed. With the cricketers sitting in the dressing room trying hard to avoid looking anxious and with the sports channel covering the match telecasting some old matches, rain God ‘Varuna’ decided to call off the rain. And the players are now all set to enter the field.


A flat in Anna nagar, Chennai, Time 6.00 Pm Indian Standard Time: (January 23rd)


“I will do it later ma” screaming the fourteen year old teenager came and sat in the sofa in front of the television set. When he said “I will do it later”, he was referring to the task of cleaning the small dust gathered in the kitchen. His mother had asked him to do it for quite few days now. But he had some how managed to keep on postponing the work. This avid cricket fan was prepared to watch the cricket match in Nairobi but the rain there meant he was disappointed. He felt irritated and kept on doing some silly things before he thought he could use the time meaningfully by doing that task, his mother gave few days ago. Just as he was about to start the work, the rain had stopped in Nairobi and the match was about to begin. So he shouted the statement in the first line of this paragraph and came to watch the match, as the dust in the kitchen remained there happily.

In the same flat in Anna nagar, Chennai, Time 8.00 Am Indian Stanard Time: (January 24th)

She was cooking in the kitchen. She had salt in one hand, which she wanted to put into one of the dishes, when she noticed that gathered dust. She had asked her son to clean it few days ago, but he is yet to do it. “He is always like this, and I cant scold him also. His Dad will immediately jump in support of him”, she thought within her mind. She decided to clean it herself. And she cleaned it too. Unfortunately in the process, she forgot about the salt and the dish went to the dining table without the salt.

He was very upset. The alarm clock had ditched him once again. He was supposed to be in the meeting by 9’0 clock. It’s such a crucial client meeting. Before that he also has to dodge the heavy traffic to reach his company “Jagadha Agro Products”, where he is the Accounts officer. With all these things weighing heavy in his mind he came to the dining table.

Few moments later, the dishes in the table were flying in the air. “Can’t even eat good breakfast” shouting he left the dinning table. With the car key playing few minutes of hide and seek with him, he left the house, with the absence of the salt in the dish serving as a very good catalyst in changing his irritant mood to that of anger.


A small rented house in Anna nagar, Chennai, Time 6.00 Pm Indian Standard Time: (January 23rd)

His uniform had been kept folded in one of the shelves. He is the bus driver in the MTC (Madras Transport Corporation). Tomorrow morning he has to report to duty at morning 5’0 clock in Ayyapanthangal Depot as he has to drive the first 17M bus leaving from there to Parrys. He usually used to sleep by 9’o clock whenever he has early morning duty, but today with the India Australia match being so interestingly poised, he couldn’t help but watch the entire match. When he finally slept after the presentation ceremonies were over, the time read 11.30 Pm in the clock.

Jagadha Agro products, Vadapalani, Chennai. Time 9.00 Am Indian Standard Time: (January 24th)

His eyes were very reddish due to the lack of sleep for the past few days. How could he get to sleep when he has so many problems? He needs fifty thousand rupees immediately. He had lost the marriage jewels of his younger sister and he is yet to inform the parents about it. He couldn’t even think what will be their reaction, if he says it to them. He had tried getting money from many places, but he was not able to. At last one of his friends said that his relative who is working as a accounts officer in Jagadha Agro Products has agreed to lend him the money. He is waiting for him. The receptionist has said he would be here by 9’o clock usually.

He saw him, his friend’s relative coming. He went and stood in front of him and said “Sir”.

As you know he was already late for the meeting and in sense of anger caused due to lack of salt in his break fast and felt very bad when this guy came and disturbed him as he was rushing to the meeting and shouted, “What man! Your eyes are so reddish. Did you really lose your sister’s jewels or you drank with the money you got by selling those jewels. If I had been in your place I would have committed suicide by now. Get lost. ” To be fair to him, he did not really mean it. His mind was filled with frustration and he just wanted to let them out. So next minute he said “Okay. Come in the afternoon”, but then he was not there to listen to it.

He was walking slowly along the road. He felt very dejected. He was crossing the road, when the words “If I had been in your place I would have committed suicide by now” started to echo in his ears. He saw a bus coming fast towards him. He decided enough is enough. He went and fell in front of the bus.

That bus was 17M. The driver of the bus had slept late last night and it is taking its toll now as he is driving his second trip. He saw a guy falling in front of the bus few microseconds later due to the drowsiness he had. That few microseconds was all that mattered. The bus ran over him.

END:

A stranger standing there remarked, “These MTC bus drivers are always like this. They drive so rashly”. His friend countered it, “I don’t think the driver is at fault here. What can he do if some one goes and falls right in front of the bus”. Another person who came down from the bus said, “This bus driver was driving very rashly right from the start. He was about to hit an auto just few moments before”.

Each one was giving their reason for the death of that guy. As we saw earlier, The Hindu cited the lack of subways as the reason for his death.

But only us, who have read the entire story know that, if only that Accounts officer had not got angry, if only the driver had applied the breaks few micro seconds earlier, , if only the driver had not felt drowsy, if only the Accounts officer’s wife had put the salt in the dish, if only the driver had not felt drowsy, if only the Account’s officers son had cleaned the kitchen the day before, if only the driver had slept at the correct time the day before,

If only in Nairobi, which is thousands of kilometers away from Chennai, it had rained for some more time.

Suicide (SHORT STORY)

I went and stood at the end of that long line. There were around two to three hundred people in front of me and I felt that it may take around two hours. Nevertheless I decided that I got to do it today. I can't postpone it, especially after all those things I had to undergo yesterday in my home - No I can't call it as my home any more after all those things that happened.

I decided to spend the time standing here usefully, by conversing with a eight year old girl, who is standing in front of me. I wondered when was the last time I had an conversation with a stranger.

"Whats your name" - I started off.

She said some thing. I was not able to understand it. These days they keep such crazy names to the kids. She did not seem to be too much fascinated to converse with me. But I decided to continue it any how.

"Why are you standing here"

"My dad scolded me"

"You should have went to Court"

"I went, they said scolding is a right punishment for disturbing him when he was going out with his Girl friend....." - Then she started using some words that should not be used by a eight year old kid.

I wanted to continue the conversation, but couldn't. In this TWENTY FIFTH century, where life is being dominated by 'Telemessages', we have even forgotten the basic "Speech", which has in the first place distinguished man from other animals, that are extinct now.

By the way, I am yet to say, why am I standing here. I thought you would know it. In this Twenty Fifth century, where we get every thing (when I say every thing, I mean every thing) right from Wife to groceries just by the click of the button, the only thing for which we need to stand in line is to commit SUICIDE.

Even Suicide used to be very simple before. But only last year, the World Leader decided to scrap Online Suicide and also announced only one Suicide camp would be open per city. He made this decision in order to some how increase the population, which is drastically reducing. He thought at least the prospect of standing in a long line would deter people from committing suicide. But for people like me, it is never going to be a deterrent.

Government officials forced some E-Papers into every one's hand. It would be some crap about "Why we should not commit suicide" - Yet another policy of World Government to reduce Suicide. I started reading it, just because there is nothing else to do. I wanted to kill time some how, before I could kill myself.

It contained a Twentieth century story. "John was sleeping in the cot waiting to die. He had taken poison just few minutes ago .................". The story just continued. I was wholly absorbed in it.

After I read the story, I felt bit of struggle with in my mind. The lead character of the story had no special talents. He had so many problems. And by luck he was saved by his next door neighbor as he was trying to commit suicide and he went on to achieve greater glory. On the other hand, I have so many special talents. I have even received Special Awards from World Science Minister. I have very few problems. Why should I commit suicide. My mind was oscillating.But I had to decide fast.

The girl in front of me had entered the suicide building. In thirty seconds, She would be converted to ashes in the 'Nuclear Chamber". I had to decide soon.

I made up my mind. I will Live. I will attain Glory. I went out of the line.

Just then the cop, who was standing there shouted "What the Hell are you thinking. You stand in line and then leave away. Why are you just trying to increase the length of the line. Do you have no other work".

The cop is just a C grade officer in Government. I am a A grade officer, and he has scolded me, that too in Public. What is the use of Living here after this.

I went and again stood in that LONG LINE.

Some practices in marraiges here

Why is it that very loud music (Nathaswaram, drums etc) are played during marriages here?
Marriage is believed to me one of the most important and happiest moment in a person's life. (Though few may differ with the usage of adjective 'Happy'). Hence it's essential that both bride and the bridegroom and their close relatives and friends get to hear only happy words during the occasion. But then thousands of people attend the marriage and they will have their own conversation going with their friends and during the conversation some words may come up, which could upset the bride/ bridegroom during the time of the happy occasion.

Imagine some one talking in the cellphone angrily saying "Get lost, you will never succeed in life" and bride/ bridegroom gets to over hear that. And it is also practically impossible to request/order all those people who have come to marriage to refrain from using those words. Hence in order to make sure that those words never reach bride/bridegroom, so that they can continue to be in high spirits, loud music is played during marriages.




Why is that marriages are not allowed to take place during the Tamil month 'Marghili' (from mid December to Mid January)? In ancient days, most of the people are farmers. And here in Tamil nadu, the major harvest is done during January, and December to January is supposed to be the busiest month for the farmer. And in those days, marriage means a very long affair, that took up a long time. And if a marriage was scheduled during the busy period, it would cause inconvenience to all those concerned. Relatives would find it very difficult to come to attend the marriage when they were needed to be present in their place looking after their crops. Hence marriage was not allowed to be held during the month of 'Marghili'.



"In Western countries, marriage is between two individuals, in Eastern countries marriage is between two families".