A Metro ride.
A young child pushing his mother ahead on a wheelchair. The Metro jolts to a stop. The child loses balance. The wheelchair moves topsy-turvily. A face freezes, numb; unaware, or reeling under a shock. A youth rushing to his feet. Strong hands clamping the handles. The reappearance of a smile. The sweaty backside of a hand being rubbed against a forehead in relief.
A Metro ride.
A crowded station. People getting back from work. A foreigner being stared at. The foreigner being jostled inside. A snigger. Poochh gore se kahaan se tapka hai? Feet being shuffled nervously. Eyes kept low. Dekhta hai jaise Hindustan par robe chalta hai, saala. Eyes being closed. Another pair of eyes glaring.
A Metro ride.
Announcements.
Please do not befriend any strangers on the Metro station or trains.
Metro station vaha rail par kisi anjaan aadmi se baat naa karen.
A Metro ride.
Scalding tea and a freezing brownie. A panic attack under urgent suppression; postponement. A lone shiver. A lone passenger waiting. Silence. My solitary shadow trespassing the rail tracks, only to be erased by an incoming train that breaks through my thoughts. A welcome break.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
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Labels: Metro, Musings, Reflections
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25 comments:
I love this post, somehow I can almost imagine those scenes you're written. Okay, too melodramatic this.
I have my own share of memories with the Delhi Metro. I have been in it just once, that too for a joyride and couldn't help but praise E Sreedharan in my head. I mean making this thing would definitely not have been easy. And the stations reminded me of the Ministry of Magic right from the Harry Potter books. :P
And then of course there was this uncleji and his kids who were following me and my cousin brother everywhere from Connaught Place to Rashtrapati Bhavan to back to Connaught Place. I was like..why the hell are this guy and his kids stalking us? My brother was like ROFL, you think you're the only one who gets to joyride on the metro? :))
Haha, half the people on the Metro are the joyride gang. You'll find couples getting all cozy on the two people apiece seats, making the best of the two hour limit you get per ride. :P And of course, you'll find me reading a book, sprawled lazily. :D
Yeah, the Rajiv Chowk station is very MoM-esque. Some consolation for us muggles. :P
haha.. *laughs and points finger at vasudha* mils and boons. hehe *cant contain laughter..attempts to, fails.*
(no offense prerna, but i hate the books)
LMFAO
I have never been on the Metro. Hopefully in a year or two, the metro will be functional here in Mayur Vihar and if I haven't moved by that time, then I'll use the metro I guess. Joy riding isn't my cup of tea. :P
As for the Ministry of Magic, I wouldn't know. I don't like the Harry Potter books :P
The post is very evocative. And at the same time leaves enough to the imagination.
You said you loved me Raj. Now where has that fleeting mistress gone and veiled herself; the wind but lifting her veil hesitatingly. Falteringly. Her soul ebbs away...Raj!
Mills and Boon. You want stuff like this? :P
Bleh.
Bharat : :o Harry Potter is fantasy! :P
Nik : My mum reads them. :P
Harry Potter is an embellished fairy tale. :P
Lol. LOTR is the Inglis Ramayana then. :P
What about Eragon?
The Ramayana is a very interesting epic :P
As for Eragon, it is well... a teenager's compendium of every existing cliche and stereotype in the genre. :P
I prefer the Mahabharata. Or at least the 200 page abridged version I read, to the one and a half hour animated Ramayana. :P
Alright-o, any cliche-free decent fantasy book then?
The Mahabharata is awesome, especially the chapters devoted to the Kurukshetra War. I want to read the unabridged Mahabharata in English :P
I'd suggest George RR Martin's a Song of Ice and Fire. It is probably the best fantasy series ever written.
I have the unabridged Bhagvad Gita.
I think my library has the unabridged Mahabharata.
The only thing I don't have is time. :(
Will try it then. It'll probably take lesser time than the Mahabharata :P
vasudha: HAHA *still cant stop laughing my tiny arse off*... MILLS AND BOONS!! ha.
bharat: no, eragon is not quote, "As for Eragon, it is well... a teenager's compendium of every existing cliche and stereotype in the genre." ... todays stereotypical adolescent is a blond girl in pink and the cliche would be "Whatever!".
but there is a massive flaw in the book which is hard to cover up: paolini plagiarized the basic structure of his books from tolkin's LOTR, even the maps.
//no, eragon is not quote, "As for Eragon, it is well... a teenager's compendium of every existing cliche and stereotype in the genre." ... todays stereotypical adolescent is a blond girl in pink and the cliche would be "Whatever!".//
Note that I did say 'in the genre' by which of course I meant the genre of fantasy fiction. A young farmboy who rides on dragons, elves, dwarve, proper nouns with lots of apostrophes... jeez I could go and on.
And I can't believe I said teenager. Ugh I hate that word. The correct term is adolescent.
I like the term teenager somehow. But maybe thats only because it features in one of my standard replies to my parents when they tell me to do something I don't want to.
It goes like, "I'm a teenager, I'm supposed to be angry and unreasonable all the time. It's my job to disagree with you people."
Sounds like stereotyping teenagers but I don't mind because it's a good enough excuse. :P
I like the idea of Mills and Boons..
*shifts uneasily* [ps ripoff :P]
Maybe not ALL THAT mushy..
Somewhat mushy. :)
I like mushy :P
Bah.
Anyway, I'd prefer stuff like Shopaholic :D
and for serious yet fun reading, ofcourse, Eat Pray Love :P
Ooooh. AND, dyou know.. that woman, the author.. she's been on Oprah and her interview is SO amazing!
She said that almost every woman comes up to her and says "thank you for writing this book for me!"
I mean, imagine.
Guess I'm not the only one.. :|
But the thing is, I guess I am WAY younger than the other readers.. :S Is that bad? :(
my fault.. in that case, ur right. fantasy fiction is potrayed in those terms: dargon, elves dwaves, wizards..etc. i've always hated fantasy fiction (excpetion of h.p. ... no matter what u say about hp, it'll still be one of the greatest series of our generation).
*still laughing at vasudha*
*ooh and the hobbit and LOTR. *grins*
yeap...i identify with it...although my experiences arent that interesting that they could be written about...
//my fault.. in that case, ur right. fantasy fiction is potrayed in those terms: dargon, elves dwaves, wizards..etc. i've always hated fantasy fiction (excpetion of h.p. ... no matter what u say about hp, it'll still be one of the greatest series of our generation).//
I am a hardcore fantasy fiction reader and writer. And your statement is a sweeping generalisation. There are many fantasy titles which have no a.Elves or dwarves b.Dragons c.Evil wizards with a tyrannical agenda and all that bs
Nik : :/ Oh sheddup. Not my idea. :P
Bharat : I like juvenile. :P
Ishmeet : Bang on! :D
Disha : Not bad. Good thing. :) And you can gladly do the M&B role. :P
Abhilasha : The little things make for interesting stuff and they're all there. I like to observe. :D
[Longer replies once exams/frigging eye infection done with. :| :( ]
bharat: i said it is potrayedhat way.. to a non fantasy reader that is what u think of when the topic of fantasy fic comes up.
Uhh..Sorry Vas(the Ass:P).Hadn't read the whole article.It wants fairytale stuff.Not your type.:|
But Dish can try.:)
We'll then read a book proudly by her.:D
:O
Oh. Come on.
I am NOT THAT fairytale-y
:(
I mean, I am..
But I write about practical stuff, dont I? :)
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