Its a Saturday. And I am in office - a fact I am yet to come to terms with...
Its past 4:30 pm. Someone is talking on the phone - loud enough for me to overhear him. He is saying "He has passed away..."
I suddenly know what he is talking about.
And I am suddenly concerned - as concerned as I was on Thursday, when there were rumours about "his" passing away.
I am concerned for my Dad who is travelling - on his way back from Pune.
I am concerned about my sister who has her exams tomorrow.
And I am concerned about my way back home...
I have reasons to be concerned... I still remember Thursday.
I heard the rumour first from my colleague "The media claims 'he' is still on life support. But inner sources are saying that 'he' has already passed away. They are just keeping the fact under wraps in order not to disrupt the Diwali festival for the people." At the time, I was a bit skeptic - "disrupt"?
Ok - a prominent political figure has passed away. But how is that going to majorly disrupt the common man's lives - in the City of Mumbai - where a true Mumbaikar stop not even during natural calamities or terrorist attacks?
Yes, I was skeptic... until I happened to peek out of the window and notice that all the "tapri"s were closed. The chaiwala, paanwala, sandwich-wala, idli-wala, everyone of them had wrapped up and gone home. In the middle of the sunny morning - at the peak business hour... Later I found out that most of the shops and restaurants had also closed down. What about lunch? Fortunately, one restaurant had kept home delivery services running... Those who had not got tiffins did not go hungry... For tea, we had to walk 15 minutes and venture right into the heart of Kondivita village. During the walk I noticed how empty the streets were. I had never seen this lane so empty before...
This was the situation on Thursday - when the official version was that "he" was still alive and recovering well...
And now, its official. "He" is no more... My friend messages me "Saheb is no more. Jay Maharashtra". I understand the first part. Fail to understand the second - what has the greatness of our land got to do with a politician's passing away? But then again, I have never been so big a fan of either politics or "him".
Suddenly the hot topic in the office is Logistics (there are a few other unfortunate ones like me who had to come to office today). People are planning on leaving soonest. I wish to leave. But my work is pending. So I plug in the ear-phones of my mp3 player and drown out the commotion around me.
Around 6:00, I decide to go get something to eat. The shops will be closing down fast, and then I am not sure I will be able to get anything - not even biscuits. Most of the "tapri"s are already shut down. The lane outside our office is full of people. I have never seen this lane so crowded before. It suddenly reminds me of the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin - how all the rats must have looked - all of them going in one direction following the sound of the musical pipe... Unlike Finance and IT sectors, other sectors don't enjoy 2 day weekends. So, many people were at work today. Now they are all on their way back, eager to get home before anything untoward happens.
The vadapaav-wala at the corner had put a tarpaulin over his tapri. I ask him whether he has anything hot to serve. He denies. Says, he is about to close down, due to the "problem in the city". One of my friends who is a great follower of "Saheb" said that some shop-keepers were voluntarily closing down their shops out of respect for "him". Here I see no respect, no grief, only fear in the vadapaav-wala's eyes. And its bound to be there. After all the vadapaav-wala is a North Indian... He does have some cold samosas. I buys three and return back to the office...
Its 7:00. My TL is reading out the latest news updates to me. Traffic Jams at many places in Mumbai, as people clamber to get home asap. Situation tense. Auto-rickshaws and Taxis are all off the roads. Shops and Restaurants have shuttered down all over the city. So may be its a good thing I did not leave early.
I leave by 8:30. Dad calls. He reached home safely. He is concerned about me. I promise him I will be home in a hour.
The Andheri Kurla road is deserted. Never seen this major artery of Mumbai traffic so desolate, not even late in the night. And now its only past dinner time. And the only vehicles on the road are an occasional car or a bike and a few empty buses.
As I am about the cross the road, a police Jeep passes by, emergency light flashing on it's roof. I notice another one pass by in the opposite direction after I have crossed over. While I wait for the bus at the bus stand, I notice a third police jeep pass by - that's 3 police vehicles in as many minutes... The bus stop is as deserted as the road itself.
A bus arrives at the stop. It has no bus number displayed on it. I ask the conductor "Andheri jayega?" ("Will this bus go to Andheri Railyway station"). He nods and I get in. Another passenger gets in with me. He says "Pehli bar aisa hua hai, bus mein ek aadmi nahi hai". Its true, apart from the conductor and the two of us, the entire bus is empty. The other guy gets down at Chakala. Now I am the only passenger in the bus. I mull over the fact that when was the last time I had an entire bus as my very own personal transport at my disposal? I gaze out at the closed shutters of the shops and the emptiness of the road.
I get down at Andheri station. Its not entirely deserted (I am not sure if such a thing is possible at the perpetually busy railway station of Andheri). There are a handful of people. But this is nothing compared to the crowds that throng this area every day at this hour.
I get a call from my sister. She is studying for her exams tomorrow. She says the exams have been postponed. I am surprised. The exams are held throughout India. How can they postpone the exam on account of the death of a great man whose sphere of influence stretched most prominently, only in our state? She says, the exam is postponed only for the regions of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. I am still surprised. Such is the power of "Saheb"? Even exams by National level institutes had to be postponed?
The trains are not so crowded now. I get down at my destination and walk through the empty streets. All shops are closed. The only open shop i came across was a solitary chemist store. Few vehicles pass by - private cars, bikes, almost empty BEST buses, even an ambulance... Not many strollers on the street. And so, finally I reach home.
Like I have said, I never followed this great man's career. Never was interested in politics. So I am not sure how much I will remember about what he did in his life. But I will certainly remember what he did in his death. He brought the perpetually moving city of Mumbai to a grinding halt.
Its past 4:30 pm. Someone is talking on the phone - loud enough for me to overhear him. He is saying "He has passed away..."
I suddenly know what he is talking about.
And I am suddenly concerned - as concerned as I was on Thursday, when there were rumours about "his" passing away.
I am concerned for my Dad who is travelling - on his way back from Pune.
I am concerned about my sister who has her exams tomorrow.
And I am concerned about my way back home...
I have reasons to be concerned... I still remember Thursday.
I heard the rumour first from my colleague "The media claims 'he' is still on life support. But inner sources are saying that 'he' has already passed away. They are just keeping the fact under wraps in order not to disrupt the Diwali festival for the people." At the time, I was a bit skeptic - "disrupt"?
Ok - a prominent political figure has passed away. But how is that going to majorly disrupt the common man's lives - in the City of Mumbai - where a true Mumbaikar stop not even during natural calamities or terrorist attacks?
Yes, I was skeptic... until I happened to peek out of the window and notice that all the "tapri"s were closed. The chaiwala, paanwala, sandwich-wala, idli-wala, everyone of them had wrapped up and gone home. In the middle of the sunny morning - at the peak business hour... Later I found out that most of the shops and restaurants had also closed down. What about lunch? Fortunately, one restaurant had kept home delivery services running... Those who had not got tiffins did not go hungry... For tea, we had to walk 15 minutes and venture right into the heart of Kondivita village. During the walk I noticed how empty the streets were. I had never seen this lane so empty before...
This was the situation on Thursday - when the official version was that "he" was still alive and recovering well...
And now, its official. "He" is no more... My friend messages me "Saheb is no more. Jay Maharashtra". I understand the first part. Fail to understand the second - what has the greatness of our land got to do with a politician's passing away? But then again, I have never been so big a fan of either politics or "him".
Suddenly the hot topic in the office is Logistics (there are a few other unfortunate ones like me who had to come to office today). People are planning on leaving soonest. I wish to leave. But my work is pending. So I plug in the ear-phones of my mp3 player and drown out the commotion around me.
Around 6:00, I decide to go get something to eat. The shops will be closing down fast, and then I am not sure I will be able to get anything - not even biscuits. Most of the "tapri"s are already shut down. The lane outside our office is full of people. I have never seen this lane so crowded before. It suddenly reminds me of the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin - how all the rats must have looked - all of them going in one direction following the sound of the musical pipe... Unlike Finance and IT sectors, other sectors don't enjoy 2 day weekends. So, many people were at work today. Now they are all on their way back, eager to get home before anything untoward happens.
The vadapaav-wala at the corner had put a tarpaulin over his tapri. I ask him whether he has anything hot to serve. He denies. Says, he is about to close down, due to the "problem in the city". One of my friends who is a great follower of "Saheb" said that some shop-keepers were voluntarily closing down their shops out of respect for "him". Here I see no respect, no grief, only fear in the vadapaav-wala's eyes. And its bound to be there. After all the vadapaav-wala is a North Indian... He does have some cold samosas. I buys three and return back to the office...
Its 7:00. My TL is reading out the latest news updates to me. Traffic Jams at many places in Mumbai, as people clamber to get home asap. Situation tense. Auto-rickshaws and Taxis are all off the roads. Shops and Restaurants have shuttered down all over the city. So may be its a good thing I did not leave early.
I leave by 8:30. Dad calls. He reached home safely. He is concerned about me. I promise him I will be home in a hour.
The Andheri Kurla road is deserted. Never seen this major artery of Mumbai traffic so desolate, not even late in the night. And now its only past dinner time. And the only vehicles on the road are an occasional car or a bike and a few empty buses.
As I am about the cross the road, a police Jeep passes by, emergency light flashing on it's roof. I notice another one pass by in the opposite direction after I have crossed over. While I wait for the bus at the bus stand, I notice a third police jeep pass by - that's 3 police vehicles in as many minutes... The bus stop is as deserted as the road itself.
A bus arrives at the stop. It has no bus number displayed on it. I ask the conductor "Andheri jayega?" ("Will this bus go to Andheri Railyway station"). He nods and I get in. Another passenger gets in with me. He says "Pehli bar aisa hua hai, bus mein ek aadmi nahi hai". Its true, apart from the conductor and the two of us, the entire bus is empty. The other guy gets down at Chakala. Now I am the only passenger in the bus. I mull over the fact that when was the last time I had an entire bus as my very own personal transport at my disposal? I gaze out at the closed shutters of the shops and the emptiness of the road.
I get down at Andheri station. Its not entirely deserted (I am not sure if such a thing is possible at the perpetually busy railway station of Andheri). There are a handful of people. But this is nothing compared to the crowds that throng this area every day at this hour.
I get a call from my sister. She is studying for her exams tomorrow. She says the exams have been postponed. I am surprised. The exams are held throughout India. How can they postpone the exam on account of the death of a great man whose sphere of influence stretched most prominently, only in our state? She says, the exam is postponed only for the regions of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. I am still surprised. Such is the power of "Saheb"? Even exams by National level institutes had to be postponed?
The trains are not so crowded now. I get down at my destination and walk through the empty streets. All shops are closed. The only open shop i came across was a solitary chemist store. Few vehicles pass by - private cars, bikes, almost empty BEST buses, even an ambulance... Not many strollers on the street. And so, finally I reach home.
Like I have said, I never followed this great man's career. Never was interested in politics. So I am not sure how much I will remember about what he did in his life. But I will certainly remember what he did in his death. He brought the perpetually moving city of Mumbai to a grinding halt.
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