What a way to start the thirtieth birthday !!!

It was an usual working day, with its own set of quirky and wierd ways.
There is always something that is more urgent than what is planned. There is always some fire and the fire fighter (yours truly) is called upon. There is always some ruffled feathers to be smoothened. There is always something that makes me postpone my lunch by just another 15 minutes. Luckily as the clock struck 6.30 p.m. I decided, I will call it a day, quietly sneak out (we all do that) and I would get to see my babies developed, mounted and proud (My slide filim from honnemaradu). As I twisted the accelerator, I could feel my heart pump and the tension inside me raising. The suspense was killing me. It was like checking the boards for my class 12 exams. "Damm, this kind of excitement isnt my cup of tea", I told myself.

I stepped into prabhu and gave him the slip. He looked at it and stared back at me. I felt he was mocking me with a look that said what-a-sucker-all-photographs-washed-out. He rummaged through the stacks of photos developed and picked up the phone to get my set from a nearby building. Dammm... a wait for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, I busied myself looking at hemanth's scan and discussing mundane details. My mind was on the frames that would come mounted. If there was an apt hindi song for this situation, it would have been "Dhak Dhak"..

The slides came and I literally snatched it form his hands. Lunged for the big light box, flipped the switches on and spread the slides all over. Hemanth my bud, was there too... One by one, the pictures came to light. All fears and douts about my abilities vanished. I felt a couple of smiles creep onto my face. Vow... I felt good, on top of the world. The photographs were good.

But I realised that there are no scans to share it with my friends. I need to get them scanned now.. As I was transfixed by the results, I felt a nudge and there was Anita and Venky. Even she agreed that my photographs were brilliant, that I was a genius (Ok... I tend to exaggerate a little bit and indulge in self complements once too often. Thats hedonism. Persuit of pleasure.). Not brilliant and genius. But definitely my photographs were good. Phew... I had a face saver man, after all that heady gyan I gave on photogrpahy in Honnemardu.

It was 7.45 p.m. and I was late. Remember the training schedulde ? I rode like a maniac, owning the road. "I am the king, I am the master and the road is mine. Anyone else who is blocking the traffic and the path of the "vazu the terrible" should be shown his place", was my attitude. Totally cocky, self assured and so full of myself. I reached home, changed into my trunks and with just a Rs. 250 (no purse, just money in the loose), bike keys, I set off. Locked my house and I was in the gym working the iron.

I felt great, top of the world. Sweating it out in the gym, grunting my way through, I felt light and bubbly. I could feel my muscles groan in pain. Sweet pain. Excruciatingly sweat. I was totally done and my biceps were nearly torn. I couldnt do it anymore. My iron buddy, cajoled me to do just one more set and I set off. I maxed out the weights and put all I had. squeezing every inch into a complete range of motion and as I finished it, I just collapsed onto the sofa. My head went for a spin and I knew, I had achieved a milestone. "Nothing could go wrong today", I thought to myself or is it ??

Straight at 9.15 p.m. I sped to empire, had one shourma and lime juice. I was just thinking, now what would I do ? go home, listen to some music, light reading (10-15 pages) and sleep. The devil crept in. It kept reminding me that I hadnt watched a movie for quiet a while and "Anniyan" a tam movie is running. I dint want to go. I just wanted to call it a day. But neither did I banish the devil from my thoughts. I gave it a little more time (till I finished the shourma) and by then, the devil had worked its ways. I quickly checked and I found I had Rs. 200 (no need to drop by home) and half an hour to reach innovative in Marathhalli. Today was a wednesday, and I reasoned that tickets would be available. Quickly, I got another shourma to go, and whizzed past the empire at kammanahalli to ORR and was off.

I loved the freedom, the freedom to take off and do whatever one wants to do, whenever one wants to do. No parents to seek permission, no other commitments to fullfill. After 6.00 p.m. its my time baby. I have been like this since I was 16 (when I finished my 12th). What a way to live. Still on the high unaware of what is to follow and full of gloat, cocky sense of pride and totally full of myself, I stepped into the theatre and watched "Anniyan". The movie itself was ok. Not great or earth shaking, but entertaining in its own way mainly because of "Vivek". "Vivek" is the best comedian in India right now. Too good.

Anyway, the movie got over at 1.00 p.m. and I returned home at around 1.30. I just put my hand into the shorts pocket and I could feel a pit in my stomach. A hollow sense of feeling, one gets when taking a brutal fall right on the face. "I dint have my house keys". I checked, both my pockets, incessesently. So unsure of myself and irrationally hoping to find it in my pockets the eleventh time, where I couldnt find it the first ten times. I checked, checked and checked.
It was nowhere. Gone. I went below, checked my haphazardly parked bike from top to bottom. I couldnt find it atall. The roads were deserted. Nothing there except mosquitoes. Even the dogs had slept off. My mind suddenly ran amock, trying to fire fight this awful situation I found myself in. Trying to come to alternate ways to get myself to my warm cosy bed. My furry, wolly blanket (which I so proudly flouted on a recent trip to honnemardu).

The beat cops saw me, hanging out near the gate in a wafer thin t-shirt and shorts slightly longer than my undies. The wind was breaking out and it was extremely chilly. These guys must have thought "How wierd". They questioned me and wanted to find out what I was doing at this time of the hour. I told them, that I lived there and had lost my keys. They chuckled loudly and man it hurt my heart (small and black ... yeah yeah thats the one) . I then remembered in a flash (my subconcious mind was working all the while, desperately trying to contact other subconcious minds via telepathy. Apparently they were all asleep at 2.00 a.m.) that one of my spare keys is with Prashanth, Hemanth's brother and he lives in HRBR (just a little distance away). For some unknown yet godsend reason, I had given my cellphone and keys to prashanth before going to honnemardu. Anyway I decided to call him and requested the cops to give me their cellphone. There was a sheepish smile. no currency saar!!! I felt like hitting him smack across his face, swallowed my pride, cameflouged my looks and mumbled "Paravagilla saar" (Its alright sir).

The cops were gone, the opposite house iranians were chatting something in farsi and smoking. I approached them for a cellphone and finally rang Prashanth. The phone rang, rang and rang. It rang, rang and rang. It rang, rang and rang and rang for 10 minutes. No response. Damm such an irresponsible guy, prashanth is (I said to myself). I cant trust him in emergency (I again said to myself). Another voice spoke now for the first time (Dai Addakku da.., Stop the whining).

The cops were gone, the iranians decided to sleep and I was for the first time in my life homeless. So near to my bed, yet so far. And I was 30. What a way to celebrate your big birthday !!!... Yet my mind wouldnt give up. I conjured up other plans. What if I wake my cousin up ? But did not want to burn all goodwill for just a night's sleep. Prashanth has a big family, uncle, aunts, servants and subbu the dog. By now, you all would know how much I like dogs.. So his house was also out. I then decided to go to the terrace. The wind which was silent till now, kicked up and started howling... the dogs started howling and I found myself a cosy corner under the syntex tank. With mosquitoes for company, an aching body and chill winds I just lied there curled up like the beetle in Honnemardu.

The voice inside me which rarely speaks said "Give me pain", "Give me more pain". Someone (you know who) heard that and it started drizzling. I decided to face the shit. I said to myself. This is what makes a man. Lesser people would give up. Take the shit damm it.. Give me more. Give me hard rain. stinging rain, hail, meteors. Give me everything you got you sonnofabitch. It started raining harder. Somhow, I put cause and effect theory in action and realised, "Maybe there is a connection between what I utter and what is to happen". By now pain was maximum, discomfort intense, chill bone numbing and my whole body shivering like mad. I decided that it is prudent to stay alive to fight another day and not to be stupid and dead in the morning, however exciting it is to die on your birthday (how many people had this coincidence, I wondered).

I gave up, looked up at the dark and cloudy sky raining needles and said. God, why me... why... in true salman khan style (a.k.a Khamoshi, hum dil das baar de chuke sanam). Oops sorry, no cockiness pelase. I came down the stairs, defeated, broken down and totally humbled. Man david may be brave in challenging the goliath, but he would be stupid to stand there watching if he had broken his sling...

As I was coming down, I could hear surush (my friendly Iranian neighbour) put on the lights and open the door. I cried out to him and he was startled. I patiently explained what happend. Dropped all inhibition and requested him to give me a place (without fan) to crash. He smiled and let me in. Infact, he made me some hot black tea and we ended up chatting for another hour about internet, hacking and other things. He spoke about wife, family, chicks etc. I invited him to the party at my place promised to show him a couple of places in karnataka. I felt full of gratitude, whatever for him. I shudder to think spending another 3 hours in the goddammm place squeling like smeagol and gollum and talking like salman to the monsoon clouds. What an Idiot.

The terrace wont be the same place anymore...

I slept peacefully and woke up, drained of all cockiness, humbled, worldly wise, beaten, annealed and the most excruciating pain inflicted on me.

I woke up 30.

What a way to start your thirtyeth birthday !!!