The Wise one says…

I am not a bike person..not at all. And the fear of bikes aggrevated when I knocked one down while I was driving. I am living in a constant delirium since that fine day…imagining every bike to be collapsing on the vehicle I am traveling in.

When my mentor offered me a lift, I kind of had no choice for I had missed my regular bus..and waiting long hours would just be boring. So I decided to “go with the flow” and ride a bike this time. Remember when we were kids and had to cling on to the person who was driving you through….no I didnt do that.

I am not much of an equilibrist, so I was sure that toppling effect can be safely attributed to my inflexible reflexes. I do have read about how a biker has to bend at the bends…and I always have been afraid of bending in the wrong direction. You know..innate responses which may seem quite obvious, dont occur to me.

So..here was the wind in my hair, and I could make faces at him, without being looked at. My hair looked like alfalfa from the Rascal’s movie. I was terrified for my laptop and my hand held the back rest tight.

I reached the mid way, only to find that “Kanwariya” have taken all the buses..so service will be thinner then ever.
I do an auto hunt at such times, and a major part of it involves finding people who could share some of your fare.
This bony figure which stopped the auto..and then yelled in the voice full of disgust ,,a flick of hand,.will make you vanish sort of thing. Boy..was he crazy.

I had to split the fare, and he being a tough cookie..I had to pay three parts while he paid two.
“Hi..Mahmood…Nice to meet you”
“Hi..Prateek”
“So…these auto vallahs are immoral, they overcharge us”
“But we are kind of helpless…with no buses”
“No…..NO…Fix the price, then sit”
“Ya..I kinda saw that little outbreak of yours”
“I always fix the price, you see it is sufficient for him” he said pointing at the driver

“So Mahmood..where are you from” And I was sure he was from Kashmir
“Iraq..Baghdad”
“Wow..and you are travelling I presume”
“Oh..I study.”

A little trivial talk about song he was playing which was like arabic rammstein only little more satanic (or so as I thought)
“So you have a bike..?”
“No…but I just came on one.”
“You dont have a bike?” And he put me to shame…nodding sideways in the most disapproving manner…

“So..how do you find Iraq when you compare to India”
“Well..India is big. And hot”
“Really?”
“And..I think comparison wont hold right. I mean..Iraq has been in conflicts, has come out of a war..a major war.”
“Ya..I know. War is the most disheartening thing..” And all I could think was the publicized hanging of the great old despot.
“War ruins the country. It ruins it for me..for youth. Even if you come out of it, recoil hits you below the belt…”
“Was it better?? I mean before the invasion”
“At least it was peaceful. Atrocities did occur, but a major land remained at peace. And then this huge turn of events.”
“I think..time is all Iraq needs. “
“Yes..and that is why I think comparison doesnt hold”

And it was time we got off…

I had read a little Chomsky earlier..
“Power, unless justified, is inherently illegitimate. The burden of proof is on those in authority to demonstrate why their elevated position is justified. If this burden can’t be met, the authority in question should be dismantled. Authority for its own sake is inherently unjustified”

Sometimes…your thoughts come flashing over…all you read..comes flashing over validating the instance, exemplifying it to the very core…like some one is really running a school up there.

Sometimes..dots connect.