3:30 pm

3:30 pm
Somewhere a bell rang and a boy started to put all his books into his colorful book bag. His tiffin was all eaten and he was in a hurry to go home and play. Everyone started closing their books and the teacher lost her voice in the symphony thus created. All she could do was shout out to all the students to bring some money and the slips signed by the parents for the field trip to the zoo.

3:30 pm
The teacher glanced at his watch. She knew what was coming. The bell was about to ring and within a fraction of a moment all the students would close their books and rush out of the class. She had to remember to remind the students about the field trip to the zoo the next day. They would also have to have their parents sign the permission slips, after all tomorrow she would be the one responsible for all these children.

3:30 pm
The bell rang, the zoo warden was very happy. It was rare moments like these that made his days interesting. The bell meant all the schools were closing for the day and in another part of the town, there was a school closing that he was close to. The children would be leaving and she would be trying to tell the students about the field trip. Tomorrow she would come with the children to the zoo and this was his opportunity to get close with her, while giving the students a tour of the zoo. She was responsible for the children and he felt it was his responsibility to take care of her.

It had been so long since they’d known each other. Even as children, he had felt protective about her and wanted to take care of her. But being born in disparate societies prevented them from coming close. Even so, their love had taken root in such a difficult society, which made much stronger. Neither of their parents would agree to this love between them, he knew that, but that was a problem for the future. Maybe they could convince their parents or maybe they would have to elope, but that didn’t matter for now. For the foreseeable future all he saw was them together giving the children a tour of the zoo. Him talking, all the while stealing glances at her; and she, telling the students to quiet down, modestly brushing her hair back.

Drawing parallels

You'd think it would be hard to find it. Something that draws parallels with your own. But its right there. Without looking it draws itself against you and then compare and contrast you see the two of you have so much in common. So much parallels going towards infinity.

They seem to meet at the horizon, but they never do. You have to cross over and stop with the equal distance.

I'm trying to sleep here

I always turn the music on and head out to the balcony after waking up, it's a ritual of sorts. Sometimes I'm brushing my teeth and other times drinking bed-tea with my stale mouth. I slide the door open and the bird flies off to the nearest tree holding some twigs and straw with its mouth. The season is fall, the bird is a robin, and the twigs is for a nest its building on the AC unit that protrudes out the wall in the verandah.



I wish we could exchange words, that I could tell it that it can keep on building its nest and I'm not going to hurt it. Maybe it would thank me for that. Alas! the language and barrier. But why would it be rebuilding a nest that was abandoned last year and one that had already dropped an egg onto the ground just last month. I guess its nice to not know.
Their venture into a new season reminds me of my sister starting out her married life. I'm very happy for her, but selfishly I'm sad too. Knowing that I won't be able to wake her in the morning the next time I go back home is heavy on my emotions. But even more saddening is not being able to attend the wedding and having pictures to satisfy my heartache.
I miss all of it and wish I could go back to sleep. I lie awake on my bed, eyes staring into the fuzzy stars; remembering playing with my brothers and sisters in the evening and the sounds of the summer evening critters. Somehow these old sentiments lie hidden during the day -- my busy schedule keeps it in control. But I can't hold back all of it within me, and every night it makes itself known.
Now I lie awake, seeing if counting stars is going to help me sleep, and if it doesn't then I guess there's always Nyquil.

Blood Suckers

The sun took a deep breath as it slowly went under the horizon. Dust seemed to be growing in the evening market as people gathered to talk about their day. They gathered in the tea shops and under the big peepal tree. Some sat there contemplating their day, reading newspapers and watching people, all while slowly sipping their tea.  Others chatted with the villagers bragging about their offices and their children. They talked loud as they spoke of how they had met with a famous person at the office, and how their children were somewhere far away fulfilling their dreams. The audience could only listen in awe and console themselves, knowing they could never be like these educated bada people. In the background was the constant whirring of the kerosene stoves, over which was a big wok filled with hot oil. The cooks were making pakodas, samosas, puris with the flair of a chef in a French restaurant. Nearby, in the middle of the square, was another vendor who seemed to have his hands full. Business was good for his evening momo as people queued up to get at their favorite dumplings. They blew at it to cool it down faster so they could gulp it quicker. Further down was a group of vendors selling pani puris and chana chatpats catering to a more bitter-sour palate.

Above this evening commotion lay a group of silent watchers as they quietly waited for darkness to fall and the people to go back to their homes.  Some of the scouts were already at work irritating the people so they would go home sooner. A few would die, but it would not be in vain. They were in the trees, in the grass, everywhere patiently waiting and waiting.  Although their lives were short, they had been taught to be patient and stalk their prey.

The last suns ray finally disappeared and there was only darkness filled with the electric lights. They liked this modern invention.  It gave warmth and helped them move about freely, occasionally invisible in the darkness and then visible again in the light. This partial invisibility gave them a chance to get closer to their prey.  But still they waited.  Some impatient ones had already gone hunting -- some had died while others had had their fill. But the thirst for blood was insatiable. They would be hungry again and again, and the hunt would go on throughout the night.

The blood suckers had heard about places where there was so much jungle and brush that they could feast all the time.  Drifters had told stories of not getting time to sleep.  It was an eating festival all day and night long. They could choose which animal they wanted to feast on. It was a free for all.  No one cared and everyone was free. But these hungry creatures didn't care for stories.  They liked their societal structure just the same.  There were some rules that they had to follow but it was not much compared to the reward of drinking human blood.  They just loved the flavors of human blood, after all the blood took its taste from the prey’s food.  Sometimes it was salty and sweet, sometimes it had a spicy kick to it, and sometimes it was just a medley of flavors. Oooooo..... you just could not explain the flavors.  It was just sooo worth it.

With modernization, the humans had developed methods to thwart off these vampires. In the past, there had not been much options.  It was easier to find loopholes to sneak through and get at the blood. But now it was much difficult.  The humans had found new technology and had become smarter.  The older folks told stories of how their ancestors had it easy, how they didn't have much to worry about, how it is such a difficult world now and how much better the past was. Even though their methods remained the same as it had been in the past, the foolish humans array of preventive measures could not keep them from getting at their food.

And now it was time to feast.  Their leader at the front buzzed at everyone. Eagerly they hovered with their needles sharp and ready to do the biting. The scouts had come back with news of where the easiest preys were to be found.  Hunger gave them little patience yet discipline kept everyone in their place.  The leader was amused and impressed by their hunger and discipline but he would have a mutiny if he kept them too long. So with a final buzz he flung towards the dimly lit houses, his mob of hungry mosquitoes following right behind him.