Sunday, July 20, 2014

#ProTip

It was darker than usual that evening.  The sky was covered with clouds which threatened to open up to rains any moment.  All eyes looked up to the sky with hopeful eyes.  The monsoon had been delayed by more than a month.  Soon it started drizzling.  The parched earth soaked up every drop of water that came its way.

Just as I stepped out of office, the drizzle turned into a very heavy rainfall, as if compensating for the lack of rainfall in last few weeks.  Or maybe the rain gods just wanted to see the happiness on everyone's faces.

For someone who isn't really fond of rains (the mud and mosquitoes and other unknown bugs that accompany the rains is not really my idea of fun), I was glad to walked over to my car with the heavy downpour drenching me.  

There were narrow streams of rainwater everywhere which took me back to my childhood where I would make paper boats out of newspapers (heh) and let them sail on the streams.

Of course, now, stepping on those streams is like walking into unchartered territory as you may never know which dead creature you may be stepping on.

As I walked towards my car, I suddenly felt I stepped on an unfamiliar surface.  It took me a while to register that my right foot was on the road and I was not wearing my flipflops (black converse, in case you were curious).  My first reaction was to call ACP Pradyuman to solve the mystery of my missing chappal, but then quickly dismissed it when I realised Dr. Salunkhe may be called to take my x-ray or some such exotic test.

As if adding to the mystery, the streetlights went off.  Only that there were no streetlights there to begin with.  I realised later that there are no streetlights in the street.  But unless you are trying to find something in the dark you don't realise there is no source of light normally in that place.

I was desperate and stood still for the fear of stepping on to an unknown animal poop with no protective gear on my feet. (#funfact: I once stepped onto a cow poo and till date no one in office knows my feet were the source of the intoxicating smell that filled the dingy little room)

And then, like a saviour, a car with high beams on approached from the opposite side.  And like a deer caught in headlights, I froze.  Because 20 feet away, my flipflops were floating away to glory, like Titanic on her maiden (and only) journey. (wait, is it okay to make light of tragedies that happened over a century ago?)

But it was still good 20 feet away.  How I wish I were Deepika Padukone and could reach my flipflops with just one lunge.  But it was not meant to be.

There was not a second to waste.  Because every second I stood there, my flipflop was catching speed downstream moving away from me.

That is when I took the leap of faith and prayed to myself (bhagwan hum sab mein baste hai) and walked over and before the crush (no, real life crush, whose name I don't know) could see what happened.  Not that he was around anyway.  But why take a chance?

So kids, always be careful when you get nostalgic when you become adults, okay?  #ProTip

1 comment:

satish said...

Where are those knights in shining chappals when you need them?

Thanks for keeping it pg-5 BTW. I was expecting that like you, your imagination will take a leap of faith and a hero will save a drowning lizzy from almost dying by taking her home and warming her through you know what.