Through the window

I was hoping against hope that a due rest would restore the unrest that was bugging me for the last two days. It refused and finally had to lock the door and step down the stairs to head for the local physician’s chamber. As expected it was a starry night. With drooping eyes saw youth oozing out of the thin by-lane of my neighborhood. I didn't know whether the shivering was internal one or a visual impact of recurring spaghetti tops that crossed my eyes. Even with woolen garments on was feeling quite helpless.

“Would like to go to Dr. Banerjee’s chamber? Will you wait and bring me back?” I inquired in a broken voice.

“Sure!” said the lean thin rickshaw puller, standing at the corner of my lane. Here names are enough to substitute googlemap. It took us minutes to reach.

Unlike the other days the chamber was empty. Off course anybody would have hated to visit a doctor on new year’s eve. Standard checkups, blaming the seasonal changes, strong antibiotic and after wishing each other a happy new year head, I hopped on to the rickshaw once more. Picked up medicine and was back to home. Most of our days in a year revolve with common man’s interaction with the other. Small attitudes make that the biggest difference. The year ended with a real humble ordinary rickshaw puller’s smile.

Gobbled some food, followed by medicine and went to sleep. It was much before one would really like to hit the bed. Deep drowning sleep broke with a series of beeping SMS and blast of crackers. Picked up the mobile in the dark to see it was 00:10 min. So the new year is in!

Switched off the mobile and fell deep asleep once more, to let the antibiotic fight hard. Got up late to my standard, still weak but feeling better. The neighborhood chaps had been playing some melodious songs to create a festive ambiance, from their club house. Took a place by the window and kept watching the passersby. Each had a story to share and I kept thinking imaginative things that may not have any link to their lives. However the thought that I was weaving stories was very thrilling. I didn’t stop myself, rather kept indulging and painting all out.

Just when I took a pause to hunt the next story my eyes fell on him. A balloon seller with several full blown colorful balloons was slowly paddling through the lane. The little girl opposite to my house had stepped out. Her local nanny came rushing. The vendor applied a break. May be she will pick one. Behind the iron bars of the window could sense the happiness in her gesture.

We have such dream sellers who cross lanes of all size with dreams of all volumes. Like each year, 2014 will also bring in a van full of colorful dreams that we want to live in, live with and live by. We will rush to pick them; we would have nannies in our lives to help us as the calendar pages roll along. And some day the balloons will shrink, just for you to wait for the balloon walla (balloon seller) to come down once more for you to take fresh pick. It was a wonderful realization that provoked to scribble once more.

Wish you a happy and healthy 2014.