Wednesday, June 09, 2010

The dichotomy of my life. Our lives.
The deep carpets and hushed voices. Esoteric flowers. Luxury on the tap. Views to die for.
Work, and the numbers that the suits talk of are in millions and billions-- the zeros confound me.
But that's not reality, is it?
The autofella is coughing badly as we turn the corner to work.I'm surprised he took on a short fare.
I ask him how he is, and he weeps.
A grown bear of a man, clearly sixty plus, and he weeps.
His daughter is getting married month end. No dowry, but he has to think of the groom's social status. Hence a 1.5 lac debt.
Yes, a boy from the village in UP--one from Mumbai would be too expensive.
His son is useless, nalayak, hence the need for him to earn. Jimmevari.
I'm shaken.
This is life, too.

As is a Bhopal suddenly come to life after 25 years.
What are you going to do now? And how many more Bhopals are waiting to happen?
And bus-plane-train crashes, explosions we must not forget. Never forget. Where are those answers?
Past the media deluge on the new news.

The dissonance and the dichotomy, and a quiet space within,that perhaps is life.
perhaps.
I put my head down and work.

5 comments:

Tamanna said...

The contrasts confuse me.. Pretty much manage to depress me too.

This extremely crazy friend I have once had a long chat with a cab driver outside Bandra station - on whose life is better. She does things like that. And fortunately I was privy to the details of that conversation. The driver actually said that sometimes he feels good that he doesn't have a status to maintain, especially in Bombay. It keeps him anonymous, and makes his struggle a lot easier.

And my friend agreed.

manuscrypts said...

the human race. too caught up in itself. the meaningful futility of it all, i am thinking.
well captured, austere...

Anonymous said...

I remeber Bhopal well. The pictures reminded me of images from WWI, gas fighting, the weapon of the cowards. Not only the accident, this was a result of neglect and irresponsibility. But all connected with this facility ... produce the dangerous crap in the "Third World", cheap in any respect. "Respect", what a word in this connection. and now? SOmeone is sentenced ... some money and probation.
Schande.

PQ said...

Have you heard the saying "Poot sapoot to kyon dhana sanchay...poot kapoot to kyon dhana sanchay"

austere said...

pq- apt.

mago- you should read this:http://tinyurl.com/28fawhx

manubhai- long time,no see: some thing drew you in to comment! yes.

Tamanna- this man has managed to break free of his gaon circuit, and so many don't, and the double life they live is equally stressful.