The chirpy bird are not awake yet as their usual late bedtime was delayed by some rich chubby Punjabis lads at the regular hangout place.
When he rings their bell to deliver the news they are disturbed but they don't bother as they have no important business to attend when the sun entertains the others.
Excitement and prospective free ride take over the drowsy heads and they ponder over the ingredients they need to get from the urine-soaked market.
May be some potatoes, onions, two kilos of pork and some fish for some other unaccountable friends who might turn up at his place and who is to carry the discreet gastronomical burden as the landlord does not appreciate cooking meat and if the permeating aroma gets to his hairy nostrils it will create a disturbing a situation.
However, the celebration should take place at any expense and they are very determined understanding the fact that they have done it thousand times at this place where meat is forbidden forever.
After the lofty meal they roll on the wet floor to fight the torturous heat and talk about what they have got in their stores and along with that their relationship is elevated to another envious level with conflicting intimacy.
Daddy wires the money to the Hawala man who delivers money at the fastest manner soon after he gets a missed call from Imphal. It is a load of cash and the fear of possessing heavy cash compels him to carry out his awaited business at the nearest Bajaj showroom.
It is trendy, sophisticated and it resembles some of the super bikes that we often see on TV screen. A breath taker, in fact, and some time it also could also work as a life taker.
Undoubtedly it is hot and furious exactly the same it has been advertised on TVs. His first pompous ride to the college is stopped by a whisker sporting cop since he looks different from the rest. He swears while he speaks in Hindi, lecturing the new rider on morality and the rules one has to abide by, with his stained teeth biting his intruding whisker.
No one dares a confrontation with a law enforcer like him and all above that he is one among traffic rules catalogues employ by the government to ensure what is desired by the state.
The law enforcer fines the new rider for offending these and those rules with productive intimidation. He is bound to pay since the right to gain a smooth ride can only be granted by the whisker biting law enforcer.
Days have passed by while he pursues to propagate his princely image among his wasted cronies and florid chirpy birds but the flow of daddy's money is unstoppable to allow him to flourish with reliable pills, imported marijuana and, sometimes, brown sugar.
To daddy he is at a prestigious college accredited by the University of Delhi pursuing a time-consuming course, which constitutes of Philosophy, sociology, history English literature. And this incomprehensive course contents give him the pride to deliver a good talk in front of ignorant folks even though every lecture appears very incoherent to him.
What a disgrace for a bloke who is always understood by his mates. Since he officially associates himself with some debatably entangled subjects he fancies talking about 'freedom' 'liberty' 'political reformation' ,sometimes cautiously , 'Marxism' with stranded stone-faced cronies who have joined him in his endeavour to organize a united Kanglei platform inspired by the revolutionary spirit which he hauled from home upon his arrival.
Fantasy remains fantasy and the reality is another risky game that he does not want to meddle about and the secrecy of the subconscious perennial struggle is to be sworn to secrecy. That is the well-baked sincere stance of his.
He is who knows the complex natures of all the conflicting ideas as he never stops to ponder; while he rides his much admired-bike along the urinated road with thick layer of dust and carbon above it. And that constant thoughtful thought weighs him down and to relieve himself he resorts to pain-killers.
When it worsens he resorts to any available drug. Amid these crises he appears like the forlorn Bruce who is craving for a solution to gain his to victory although the required strength has been eroded by the comfortable friends.
In the morning he plays 'whisky in the jar' 'comfortably numb' repeatedly on his second hand recorder. The spirit of the music has started riding over him and he has been enslaved by it.
Fatigue brings him sleep and unconsciousness pushes him into slumber land often. The image of a saviour who has modeled himself on an antagonist character has become a reclusive warrior who is drowned in his translation of varied thoughts.
When an imminent figure, who popped in at any place with plenty of pills in his palm to put a spell on the followers, has retreated the comfy-seeking sheep start flocking at his ajar door, which is left like that for those in need.
Through the minimum space the shady room releases the smoke of freedom and tranquility.
Those who have already been baptized during the previous audience with him inhale that free smoke to climb the stairway to quick freedom and pay their respect to their revered guru.
* N. Bobo Meitei, a resident of Bangkok, contributes to e-pao.net regularly.
The writer can be contacted at [email protected] .
This article was webcasted on March 21st 2007.
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