Thursday, December 11, 2008

Cat Crossed!


Do you wear amulets? What will you do if a cat crosses your way? Do you feel a worry in your mind? Or you won’t care about that? Would you spat, as some people do if a cat crossed their way? Let us drop these personal questions and talk about Cricket Superstars. From changing bats after one over to keeping a red hand kerchief in pocket, their superstitions vary.

Now, on Bolly-wood. This is a paradise for superstitions. From Big Bachans to small ‘item’ performers, all are enslaved by superstitions.

What is your opinion about the number 13?

Now leave these questions and let me narrate one of my experiences with superstitions.

My mom was walking in front of me. Suddenly a cat crossed her way. We were going for a marriage. No, I am sorry, we were not. I was going for my classes and mom was going for her work. I was listening to something else and that’s the reason, my concentration derailed. Sorry!!!
Any way a cat crossed the path. I saw it. Mom was not careful about that. But I was confused and anxious of what to do. At once, I decided and ran and overtook mom and crossed the cat crossed path, before mom! And I was happy. Mom got her bus. I got my bus too.

Comforted, I sat in the very back seat, although other seats are empty. As a man of six feet 3 inches, it’s really difficult for me to accommodate my knees inside other seats, in almost all private owned buses of Kerala. (I have tested this fact and this is the result.)

I have been travelling in the same bus for the last four years, to my classes. The workers of the bus were very well acquainted with me. Usually I travel receiving the compassion from them. But that day, the situation was slightly different. I had to travel, in a compression!

The bus seemed like a compression chamber! It was fully crowded. Filled! The bus struggled really hard to start off from each stop. I felt a humanitarian sympathy towards that animal of metallic body and ‘rubber tire’ legs! It secured some kind of affection from me, on which I myself now wondered.

From the next stop I expected a school boy to enter into the bus. But regarding the congestion in the bus, I thought he wouldn’t get in. after all, somehow, when the bus stopped, the boy got in. the door was closed. The bus resumed its journey.

On a turning the door flung open! And the boy was thrown out of the bus. I could not, at first, make out what was happening. Every body cried and the bus stopped screaming.

Thanks to the Japan Drinking Water Project workers. Because the side piles of soil which they left after digging in the road side, saved the boy from hitting his head on rock or any such hard surface. People ganged around. The bus workers arranged a taxi to take the boy to hospital.


Again after half an hour, the bus stated off, in high speed. I understood that they have already lost their half an hour and they want to reach their destination at least on the time to restart. Because of this it stopped stopping in further stops. I had seen some school students standing in one bus stop. The bus didn’t stop. I thanked Almighty. The number of passengers is plenty and it is really difficult to accommodate any more.

When the bus reached the next junction, the bus stopped. After a moment I realized that it was stopped by a mob. The mob shouted for not taking the school students in, from the early stop.

As I mentioned early, the bus was lagging behind its time schedule. The driver, conductor (ticket collector), and cleaner tried to explain the situation. But all in vain! The bus had to turn back to the previous stop! Then took the students from there! Again, reaching in the junction the bus stopped, because the students have to get down there. So for this one kilometer distance (approximately), the justice loving, Kerala society fought and grabbed their rights!!! Every body was satisfied. O, great battle for human rights! Or was it?

I was confused. I was already late for my classes. What was the reason for these situations? I thought. Was that cat that crossed my way, responsible....?

Oh, come on... Give me a break!!!!

2 comments:

ajus009 said...

Hmm. this was indeed a good blog on Keralites. I have often undergone similar situations and have often felt writing something up atleast to share it with others. Reading your blog, i just went through the same mental condition again.

kingrani said...

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