Ki Khabara

It is one of those days when you just cannot stand the concrete and the screens. The whole plasticity and the robotic-ness, you know?

And yet they are all around, staring at me like that Basilisk in Harry Potter, threatening to petrify, or worse, suck life from me.

But this is just a phase, obviously. I think that the mere fact I am experiencing this is a good sign. Because we worry about losing things if we still have them, isn’t it?

Life has been slow and un-rushed, or maybe I feel it all the more because of the whole college-to-office transition. I remember it had blown me away when the vice versa had happened. The Bengali New Year just passed, and it was ever so pretty to see everyone all dressed up in sarees in office.

The whole you-are-a-Punjabi-but-you-are-a-vegetarian thing continues to follow me. But there are other stories that come by. A person I was talking to told me how he along with his group of traveller friends got stuck somewhere along the Eastern borders of the country, with the nearest guest house being 350 kilometres away. And how when they spent the night in a Gurudwara, they were more than well fed and taken care of. And also now between two routes that are feasible, they take the one which lies along the Gurudwaras.

Another thing I noticed lately is that Ola Share has literally no algorithm behind it’s routing logic. I have always been an Uber fan, but as a classic example of consumer-goes-after-price-at-the-end, I observed that not only the end to end experience is hugely different, but also the technological part needs work. This was further confirmed by a colleague who is way well versed with algorithms than I am. Also, the point that Uber only wants to retain its market share till it implements driver-less cars. And Ola is kind of all…over the place. Anyway, in one of these instances I actually observed people arguing in Bengali. And it was funny. Like how do you argue in a language that is inherently designed to be sweet.

But I’ve noticed that I somehow enjoy the extended shared rides. I get to see more of the city with that flat price, and observe more people. Most of them are not really interested in interacting, sadly.

In my visits to “cute little cosy places”, a very different thing I observed was the number of old couples who hang out in café’s. It kind of gives you life goals of sorts. Like imagine being 55 years old with your share of joint pains and stuff, but there is a new place that opened nearby so obviously we have to go and have mocha and try the pasta. I haven’t really observed thing with as much intensity at any of the other places I’ve stayed at. Cute old couples, just by themselves, having a nice time. At one of these instances I was sitting in the vicinity of an old couple who were relishing their cup of Vanilla ice cream when my dad called. And they get to know that you are an outsider here, you know. Maybe the moment you say “bhaiya” instead of “dada” and stuff like that. And I told my dad that I was having tea. To which he asked if it was green tea and I said no, it’s normal milk tea. At this I heard the uncle chucking. Parents, everywhere, are more or less the same and coherent, I feel.

Another thing I observed is that there is no dusk here!!! Like it’s sunny, and then the next thing you see is that the day has ended. And I absolutely ADORE dusks. I miss that peaceful “sigh” the universe takes at dusk. It is just SO beautiful.

With the trend being continued, the lizard in my room now has a name. This one’s called “Scaly”, for pretty obvious reasons.

Oh also, the guys sitting by themselves and reading a book in Oxford Book Store have an added cuteness quotient to them. Just saying. The sheer joy of visiting the place, though.

 After an unproductive yet really exhausting and mentally strenuous day, I am grateful that the cup of black tea was finally able to drive away the headache.  Here is a picture, pretty much summing up things: