Yeah!! Finally got myself drenched head to toe...But it wasn't a very glad morning. As if GOD was away looking after some other world since last night. So much so that he even forgot to drop me a decent sleeping pill.
After staying up till 3 am (yes) there wasn't much I could do but get ready to the office. Office is sort of school to me. Discipline, rules, guidelines, classwork and homework (contrary to schools, homework in the office is mostly self assigned. No one asks you to do it!)
So, Just as I was only three minutes from the office. The left engine of my craft caught fire!!
Kidding!
The left side started making a pulsating rattle sound and before I knew, a loud crack and silence! I was rolling down the road towards the traffic lights. Engine off. Me still in control of the vehicle.
Brake...
Stop...
Dismount...
Inspect...
Inspect...
Chain link smashed!!
Damn!
Thoughts...
Can I fix it?
How far is the mechanic?
Took out the toolkit..Too few tools!! could have fixed it if I were at home with my arsenal of tools :).
Risk of smudging the cuffs with grease?
Well, The best option seemed to look for a mechanic somewhere, so wisely, I started heading towards the nearest possible market where I may find a mechanic.
Walk...
Walk...
Drag...
Drag...
..the bike along
A raindrop!
Pray, please Inder ji wait for half an hour!! Not now, I have to get to the office after getting this fixed. But he never minds wetting a few for sake of hundreds others. Thought it will be better to stay underneath a safe looking tree by the road. Safe from the raindrops.
As more raindrops started to fall, more and more people gathered to seek refuge under the only tree on the road. But poor tree had many holes in its shroud and cannot accommodate all those were seeking shelter as rain began to fall.
Falling raindrops also woke up a beggar lying a few feet away from our temporary lodging from his sound sleep. How he managed to sleep in that rush? What kind of pill...?
The poor man rose up midst the still dry dust flying off from the raindrops falling all around him. Someone has been very generous to drop a pack of Verka while he was sleeping. He rightfully picked it up and started preparing for his breakfast sent by God through one of his devotees.
The rain was intense than ever. It conquered the tree and entered the sleeves of the refugees, seeping through all their clothes. Most of whom, like me, were on their way to the respective offices during that hour of the day.
I had still more stuff to accomplish (get the left engine of my craft fixed) before my day will begin.
In the ruffle of the leaves, song of the rain, there was another voice. Something like a deep request to all humanity. The voice continued unattended for a while. After a while, heads turned towards the voice, there was the beggar, his clothes no different from the mud he slept in, getting more gross with the rain seeping through them, holding his pack of milk up to the refugees with his hands sans a few fingers.
The messenger of God who brought the milk did not provided scissors!
"What good is the milk in the packet? Someone please open it up!" was what the voice meant.
Who has got blade?
Anybody got something pointed?
Has someone practiced opening the pack of milk with the keys?
Who cares? Let it be..there are many like him around here because of the mandir nearby.
Someone went over to him and took mud ridden pack of milk from owner of the voice. Washed it in a stream of rainwater flowing down one of the branches of the tree. When satisfied that the pack was sufficiently clean, wiped it with his handkerchief just to be sure. Then bit the tip of the pack with his teeth and handed over the pack to the owner of the pack. Of the voice, who drank it to utter satisfaction of his ailing stomach, since who knows how long?
That was the noblest thing I did this year.
Why did the chain link snapped? Why it rained when I was about to approach that tree? Why something directed me that a mechanic was to be found on this road only?
So that someone can have breakfast? Who knows?
That point onwards, it was just another hectic day for me.
Another Black Pearl in the broad rosy daylight...
