The special routines

1. I came home late from work and was damn tired. I slept with content. But I scornfully opened my eyes early in the morning. A loud speaker was loudly playing some hindi folks around. It was 7 am on a sunday. After trying out all options to shut my ears out of the noise, I surrendered to the speaker. I brushed up and went down to have a look at the celebration and may be some girls. Annoyingly, the speakers cried out loud in solitude. I didn't find anybody around in the complex except the music system operator. I approached the operator and politically enquired the reason for waking me up inspite of being in 13th floor. He replied "aaj dahi handi khelne ja rahe hain", a famous festive sport celebrated on the day of Janmashtami on this part of India (Mumbai).
I settled in the central park of the complex, where the mud pot was being hunged by a few men in 30s and 40s at approximately 20 feets high from the ground level. By 9:00 AM, few families reached the park. This complex having 5 buildings of 14 floors each, with 5 flats in each floor, has been conservatively reserved for the past 4 months as I have seen. The security guard is the only person, I know by name and haven't spoken with even my neighbour for so long, and this is the case with everybody here. Occosianal smiles in the lift are the peak of socialization in this complex. The exceptions are the school boys who play rubberball cricket in one corner of the complex, and few at 60s and 70s chat on the other side.I some times wonder, if there is terrorist attack in the place, the first person to report about me as a prime suspect to the police will be my neighbour or so. Even after 4 months, it really sucks to be a stranger to every body in the locality.
I was glad to see the good crowd gathered in the park to witness the Dahi handi celebration. Few teen aged girls also appeared in the picture with jeans, and chudidhars... The speakers were tuned to the full blast. The latest hindi hits were roaring. The legs and hips started shaking. In no time, a long hose with high hydraulic pressure is arranged. The bad boy in the gents group took the hose and sprayed the water all over. He made sure the ladies are drenched enough. But to my surprise, the act was exempted from guilt, and the people took pleasure in being drenched. Soon the park become muddy. The boys started the sport by leaping over each other to hit the mud pot in the top. The ambience was glorious and inviting.A much needed collective celebration. I almost started dancing for the music. The boys attempted atleast 15 times to reach very close to the mud pot, but only to collapse and fall down. I was literally amused to see a group of wet girls making fun of the muddy boys, attempting to break the mudpot hung at 20 feet high. I could remember a similar scene in a bolly flick 'Hello brother', where salman khan climbs to the top and breaks the handi in the first attempt for rani mukerjee.
The monsoon also supported the girls by drizzling, making the game tougher for the guys to break. Every time, they lose control, the man at the highest point salutes the mud pot , as a convention and collapse down. Suddenly, one young man at 50s appeared and announced, "It's time for the ladies to try.". The ladies instantly pushed the boys away and took the centre, and started climbing on each other to hit the mud pot. The total crowd in the park was shocked to see the ladies managed to break the mud pot in the very first attempt. The men were forced to be ashamed. Another pot was instantly hunged at the same place but at 5 feets higher. The very next time, the men reached the pot. I really wondered, how does the capacity of the men's group expanded immediately after the defeat against girls.
The Point to be noted is that the sportive spirit prevailed, inspite of generous exposure by the homely girls. But this one is much needed in the place. I observed a friendly atmosphere all around. I even get acquainted to my neighbours then. This age old traditional celebration in the name of god has the power to unite strangers, a social bonding that proves the existance of the natural behaviour of any living being.


2. I carefully knocked out one by one. Inspired by the colourfull Mumbai, my brothers had listed out places like water park, marine drive, nariman point etc. As a matter of fact, the marine drive and the nariman point apart from being the most happening place for the couples (don't ask me, what happens?), recently these places have become famous as a safe gay hangouts. I being a disciplined gentle man does not go to these type of places - This is what the impression my parents need to have. By reflex, I become suddenly a responsible family member and resolved not to expose too much of Mumbai. I took them to Sanjay Gandhi national Park to show some domestic tigers and lions. There was an extreme elegance to be in the midst of a freshly drenched green forest that lies in the midst of a crowded city. Along with 10 more civilians, we sat on the disposable Van i.e., the wild safari vehicle. Four college students with jeans and tops joined us, two of them were males. The vehicle was delibrately stopped by the driver for the tiger to cross the road. All the crowd crowded at one side to have a good look on the tiger. One of the two college girls, managed to stand in the front, uttered excitedly and loudly, "f**K yaaaaaaaar, kya size deko, f......". She was continously exclaiming in an erotic rythm, I really had no other choice than to act as a damn deaf. I sighed with relief, when the driver moved the vehicle out of the tiger. But I didn't knew that he moved the vehicle just only to stop at the couple of lions ahead.
Is there a absolute need to use these kind of slangs in life....... Why does Mr Thiruvalluvar grossly failed in this aspect ..... "Iniya vulavathu innathu kooral, Kaniyiruppa kai kavarnthatru"

urz luv"ly

Razigan