Taken for a ride!

This may have been after a good 10 long years. I got into a double decker bus, it was late in the evening and I was rushing to get back home, headed for VT/CST. It's a given, when you get into a double decker bus, you're limbs involutarily climb up the stairs and go straight up. I believe the ones who opt against this are abnormal - they either are generally sad in life disallowing any scope for the slightest level of excitement or suffer from a severe degree of vertigo. Me being neither, propped up zealously to my seat up there.

I peeped out of the window to see the city at my feet! Mopeds scurrying past the road as if the larger vehicles were on a mission to gobble them down! The cars and the jeeps and the vans blaring their horns at undefined forces, hoping for a miracle to clear the traffic. And, in the midst of it all, were hundreds of pedestrians trying to make their existence felt by halting traffic with a single wave of their hand, assuming the duties of a traffic controller!

And all of a sudden, I spot a vacant seat on the front row! I feel elated! I jump and leap to the seat. The front seat on the "fisrst floor" of a double decker! The window upfront is open, there's cool breeze blowing through, it brushes past me and right up to the back of the bus, I guess. I spot the dizzying tail lights of a million vehicles on the street. My eyes follow their trail, but fail, the busy-ness is unimaginable. There are tall standing lamp poles, like pins with glowing, electric heads. All seem to chase and drive each other, performing an odyssey by themsleves. How the lights dance in grace! A delight for my weary, sleepy eyes!

Alfredism!

Alfredism of the day:

Now, picture this. Both, me and Alfred are in the office cabin, we have to share one, my fate!!! It's post lunch, and I feel like a quick nap - may be for a good quarter of an hour, plus there isn't much work load, so i really can manage that. I get into the cosiest possible position in the available tiny little space, rest my head on the desk and before I realise, I'm deep into my nap. I even remember a dream from it, something about a great dessert. And.......the next thing I sense is a hand on my right shoulder. The first thought that struck me was, "Oh shit! it's my boss! I'm screwed!". Then i hear our dear friend Alfred, " Mini, let's listen to music".

I'm left speechless but I still manage to squeeze words out of my mouth carefully filtering out abuses, now that was tough! How could any human being with even quarter of a brain wake up a soul sweet as me (!) from a deep slumber and suggest something as stupid as that? Given the fact that we have NO music system in the cabin except a laptop that doesn't even belong to us!

He amazes me! Alfred! Phew!

My dear Alfred!

Alfred, he's my colleague. Lately, it seems as though he's consumed my entire life. I spend the whole day in his company. When that's done, i'm talking about him to all my friends. And all of them seem so curious to know about him! I get calls enquiring about Alfred's wellbeing everyday. All of a sudden I realise how many of my friends' calls I've missed because of lack of an Alfred in my life. But now, it's no longer the case!

You might expect me to confess my love for Alfred in the following lines, but let me save all the build up of a climax - nothing of the sort awaits your attention. In fact, what's waiting is an acount of the weirdest character I've met in my life! Undoubtedly!

Firstly, he's no macho man. He's shorter than me. Now, that's a statement in itself, quite definitive, considering i'm one of the shortest females you'll ever meet. And when I stand right in front of him, I can see the top of his head covered with jet black hair. Hair well groomed, not in the most fashion sensible manner but: parted at the centre of his head, each strand of it dripping with oil! And two curvy locks hang right on the forehead, like fangs of a venomous snake.

His gait is another aspect which surely needs mention. His back is always erect, as though a plank of wood is stitched tightly with his vertebral column. Each stride of his would involve a push of the shoulder blades in alternating order, once right then left. His hands would remain safe in the front pockets of his pants constantly in search of some hidden treasure, may be!

He loves wearing his shades, and has quite a collection of them. All of them seem picked from a roadside vendor after keen deliberation of frame shape and colour. He would resist taking the glares off even after entering the darkest dungeons. It's funny to spot him peering at scrawny writings on the walls or papers with his glares on. He lacks the commonest sense to do away with them in such situations, guess he believes in giving himself enough challenges in life! After all, he's one of the National Cadet Corps members, that's what i hear him harping about half a day long, everday!

His talks are something that amaze me the most. He would start off questioning your opinion regarding something, for instance he would ask, "Whom do you blame for corruption?" And before I can even open my mouth one tenth of it's capacity, he would be on his own trip! "I think, it's wrong to place the entire blame on the officials. If the public stops offering them money, they wouldn't have any option but to do their jobs the right way." I can only try butting in, for he's got great conviction! He'll go on and on, " And, don't you think it's wrong to blame the system when you aren't ready to be a partof the system? I think it's wrong, to make any changes, you have to first be an insider......bleh blah bluh.."

One of my friends thinks he doesn't belong to this generation! That's very interesting and true. For, his use of language is totally uncharacteristic. One such incident: There was a movie discussion, something that happens all the time. My friend Alfred thinks 'Kya Cool Hain Hum' is a great movie. I beg to differ, so i say, "Alfred, that's a damn sad movie!" And dear Alfred takes it literally, " No, it's a comedy. How can you call it sad?" Ohhhh Myyyyy Gaawd!
And he's still stuck in the era of using "Housie" as a game to entertain the children and hold their attention. Wake up, it's the age of Play Stations!

It's non-stop entertainment in his company, though he tends to get on your nerves at times. Never mind. I'm looking forward to more of "Alfred Quotes" to keep posting here! Here i come Alfred...!