Excerpt of DAWN TO DUSK from my book BEYOND THE LINE-SHORT STORIES(2nd edition)
It is raining heavily right since morning. The entire city of Mumbai is in standstill mode. In fact, it happens the same every year. After sultry summer, the season of monsoon hits Mumbai’s coastal area during June-September. Due to the heavy downpour, sometimes even the railway tracks get submerged under the water. The local train service which is the lifeline of Mumbai is disturbed as a consequence of the heavy rain. As a result, the daily lives of Mumbaikars gets disrupted for a few days. It has become a part of life of the city dwellers. All the schools, offices, commercial establishments remain closed during these 2-3 rainy days. Rain is also important because if the monsoon is inadequate there can be a crisis of water supply throughout the year as the water reservoirs will not be filled to their maximum capacity. In spite of the inconvenience of the people of Mumbai rains are welcome, which adds to fun and enjoyment.
Siddharth is standing near the window of his tenth floor flat of a high-rise building located near Lokhandwala circle at Andheri (West) of Mumbai. The window faces the main road. He is keeping a watch on the movement of buses, cars and auto rickshaws plying on the busy road. Some birds can still be seen on the trees which are standing erect in the near vicinity. The poor birds hardly find shelters to protect themselves from the rain. With the expansion of urbanization nowadays, the natural balance is spoilt gradually. Trees are uprooted to accommodate concrete structures. Days are not too far when we humans will have to look out for a separate space where we will have to go for fresh air full of oxygen. But today, Siddharth is not thinking about all these issues. He is only concerned about the impact of heavy rain on the city life. If there is high tide in the sea, the area will be affected adversely. However, in spite of the warning, people are rushing towards Juhu Chowpathy to witness the high tide and the huge overflow of water from the Arabian Sea. In fact, the sea absorbs the air pollution of the Mumbai city. The sea, however, does not solve the crisis of water in Mumbai. It is only the rain through which daily requirements of water are fulfilled. Siddharth is not even thinking about the drinking water at the moment. He is only concerned whether he should go to office or not. There are some urgent issues in office which have to be settled. There is a slump in the market. Even the flow of order with the desired price is not regular. Chinese products have been dumped in the Indian market at cheap prices. Indian manufacturers are finding it difficult to sustain the business. However, all is not lost; there are still some hopes left for the demand to pick up. Upcoming tenders of public sector can lead to a surge in the demand with comparatively better price. Siddharth wants to utilize his rich experience to clinch major deals. He is keen to close the internal discussion regarding the price today. And that’s why he is keen to go to office. He has spent years working hard for the growth of his company and the employer. There is appreciation, of course, for his selfless effort, but with the induction of the next generation in senior positions, it is seen in a different perspective. The management is interested in infusing young blood by replacing the experienced staff. The purpose is to infuse fresh ideas that will bring in new dimension in the business to accelerate the growth even faster. This is a new kind of approach of the management. Whatever it may be, Siddharth was however disappointed at the new developments. He never expected that at the closing hours of his long innings he will be gradually side lined. But Siddharth is dedicated and loyal to the company. He does not want to forget that the company has taken care of him and his family for so many years. He wants to retire from the company with colourful marks.
Siddharth was lost in his thoughts when Anjali entered the room and came close to the window where he was standing. She asked Siddharth, whether he would you like to go to office as it was raining heavily. Siddharth smiled and said that it is impossible to go out today as it was raining very heavily and there seemed to be no respite in sight. He asked Anjali to prepare khichri for lunch. Siddharth told her to mix many vegetables into it and add some ghee to make it delicious. Some fries would also make the lunch interesting. He wanted to enjoy khichri in this rain. In fact, there is a unique relation between khichri and the rain. .
Anjali too liked the idea, and happily agreed to prepare khichri and said that the rest will be prepared by Bokul.
Bokul was a full-time domestic help at Siddharth’s house who did all the household jobs.
Seeing the weather, Siddharth was reminded of a similar day when they first met many years back. Anjali and Siddharth first met at New Market, Kolkata. It was raining heavily that day too. Anjali was a little wet, but still she looked gorgeous. She was conscious of her looks then. Even today she is proud and particular of her beauty. Siddharth was handsome too.
Book is available on Amazon.