In the midst of summer, I got a call from the office. It was almost afternoon at the beginning of the weekend and it surprises me. From the caller tune, I knew it was from my boss as one dedicated called the tune for him and due to this I was very much surprised and annoyed on receiving his call. I was a little angry and bang my palm on the desk to show my desperation. In reality, I should be dumb and numb in front of loss but when I was alone I could release all depressed energy against
my boss my showing this sort of action. Damn, even they are not sparing me on the weekend. I have to plan to reach the native town and from there I could travel and traverse for two marriage ceremonies on this Sunday.All now have been diminished and gone forever. It was a bit of a strong statement though, and then suddenly I realize the call ended. I was in deep shock in not attending boss’s phone call and try to see the log and reconnect to base, but this time my android phone takes some time to open the phone book. The phone book or contract segment of android is now heavier after certain days, and surprisingly I have no idea about it. Luckily the phone rang again and this time I am like a young child who has only just been able to walk and try to show his parents that he could walk steadily. I received phone all in a hurry and then from the other side boss said I have to go to Chennai for some urgent official assignment. I softly remember him that I have already taken few days of leave in order to attend social functions but boys did not reply anything and just said to me what he is willing for me to do.
In these situations, I feel awkward and feel I was a small lieutenant in front of a big down. My mind goes into sub-conscious stage and from there comes a number of movies where the dictatorship of villain comes to forefront and how the don in the movies is persecuting his lieutenant on not obliging his order and how don smiles and his lieutenant just been pressed like a small ant. I was terrified and all of my thought gatherings precipitated against boss’s voice of asking me would you go, it sounds like to me you have to go in a villainous strong tone. Though the boss speaks in soft words but my sub conscious feeling in receiving his words makes it stronger and feels like howling of guerilla try to mesmerize visitors who show disrespect to him inside a zoo. More and more of my thoughts on exhibits into deep sense of dissatisfaction and the whole concept of my imagination of reaching to my native town and from there attending to social gatherings have just been smoked out due to order from my boss. I have limited hours to pick it up and also I have to convey my parents in making then convince about this. Within a few hours, I packed it up and official vehicle reached and I sat there. I reached the airport and from there in Chennai which hardly will
take two hours.I reached Chennai on time, and the climate of my office city and that of Chennai is almost same. Hot summer with strong sun ray spreading around and it is almost difficult to walk into the market under the sun. As per the schedule, which is with me offline as well as with online, it is all about, working from tomorrow and this today, I have plenty of time to traverse and walk around the city to watch the market from a distance. Chennai has been my second native city as most of my education and first posting is here and for this, I have entire knowledge about this city and I am no stranger here at all. I can even speak small Tamil words which are necessary and I could almost understand Tamil though at the time feels to speak fluently. It has been a tremendous experience here of reaching here after almost six years as after service I do not have any work here, and first time in these six years this assignment though at first instance I was not much interested to come here due to reassignment social gatherings in native city. Wow, many things have changed here. The roads are now wider as well as there are many sky scrapers around here and in seeing this even eye feels exhausted. Sometimes, I was a bit disappointed with these modern cement temples which are mostly helping in making Chennai hotter.
I was standing under shed and was eating some foods from nearby shop, which was known to me and he recognized me and suddenly I watched at the square where a small girl may be seven years old is standing and drawing her hand out and begging visitors foods, she was standing in the midst of high traffic and many vehicles are passing her dangerously and she could not understand the impending dangers of every moment. Even my eyes have closed down for some moment in seeing vehicles is passing closely to her. Even people are not concerned about her, as metro is as busy in reaching to different destination and people have hardly time to watch this and also it gives me utter pain when small child have to resort to begging in order to asking for food from people. The girl has a pony tail which shows that it is time to go to school not being funny in arranging food. I saw the other side of the road and realized her mother was standing there with a small boy child in her lap and encouraging her girl child to ask for money from visitors.
What a pity, when a flock of students going to school passes at her and in estimation and surprise she looks at them. It is the sign of poverty which is encircling her and enables her to leave basic set of life which the normal child has. What a pity after so many years of independence and so many years of teaching to the status of developing country, we are still marching into the domain of poverty and helplessness where paupers only have to survive from the giveaway of rich and affluent.
