Monday, July 15, 2013

Tamaso Ma - 16

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The last and final injunction was that I shouldn't play with kids for a month or two after my eye surgery.

That brought a smile to my cataract eyes.

I don't go out anymore and the only kid at home is Ishani (3.5). And I no longer play ball games with her. We play mind games and word games when she visits my bed. And these don't hurt my eyes. 

So I thought.

So the next morning I was sitting in my sofa chair and watching Ishani before our trip to her school.  She was in her uniform and we were waiting for her dad to arrive and drive us in his car.

And Ishani went to her toys room to while away the few minutes of wait...kids can't stay put even for a minute unless they are unwell. And she reappeared with the gold-plated cardboard sword that she got as a gift when we visited a Trade Fair a year ago in Miyapur.

And she stood in front of me with her sword like Jhansi ki Rani and started performing her jig. And I was scared that the tip of her sword would touch my eyes and backed up against my sofa.

I think that is a variant of Murphy's Law:

"When you are scared of a thing happening, that thing appears imminent all the time"

And I recalled the day a couple of years back when we were living in the precincts of Banjara Hills. My son had to visit Chennai for a visa and the net was down. So he asked me to travel to the Railway Booking Counter in Maitrivanam and book his ticket.

And it was nearing the lunch break for the Counter folks and I was in a hurry. And while rushing to the auto-stand my foot hit a roadside jagged stone and my big toe got split somewhat and started bleeding a bit. I sat down on the steps of the Hot Chips outlet, opened my wallet which always has half a dozen Band Aids, and covered my big toe securely.

And started looking for an auto which eventually arrived and I started bargaining with the driver...in Hyderabad you get cheated if you go by the meter and cheated if you go by bargain. The chap wanted Rs 60 for the trip and I was willing to give him not more than Rs 30. 

And during our hard haggling the auto driver had to clear his jarda throat and suddenly got down from his seat and stepped on my big toe that was bandaged. And I started howling and he felt sorry and agreed to Rs 40.

Big deal for big toe.

And as I rushed to the Reservation Counter I found a waiting line of about 10 chaps ahead of me and the counter clerk was putting up his board:

"Lunch Time"

Everyone was sighing and cursing for an additional wait of half an hour. And pretty soon the line behind me reached the wall opposite.

And as another gent was trying to squeeze in at the back he happened to push the one before him. And then a longitudinal wave of pushes traveled all the way to the front line. And the guy at the head of the counter was furious and kicked back.

And a reflected wave traveled backwards. 

And as I was trying to caution the hulk ahead of me he stepped back plumb on my big toe and I let out a wail. 

Everyone was sorry and seeing my grey hair and toothless face, they allowed me to side step and bypass and stand at the head of the waiting line.

I was again thinking of Murphy's Law.

But I guess these shoves and pushes are routine and must have happened to me a dozen times in Maitrivanam but that day was rather special...


        

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