Chapter 2:

The night shift ends at six in the morning.  As soon as clock strikes six, young lads will jump out of the office building and race towards their homes in smoke-tailed Suzuki Samurais and Shoguns but I had no choice but to use feet, to cover the two-kilometer stretch between office and accommodation.  The thought of buying a bike for transport never occurred even in the remotest dreams, as the monthly stipend during training was scarce enough to even meet the rent and food expenses.  Because of the same reason, the white trail of smoke left behind by flying two stroke bikes never created any feelings of desire, let alone despair.  Only when one possesses something valuable, he develops the greed for more.  Once the seed of desire is planted in mind, it grows uncontrollably, until it exhausts all the resources, leaving the man dry and barren.  Where have I read those lines? Perhaps in a book that is resting somewhere in a huge bookshelf of that big library building in hometown...

A strong black tea from Mariyamman Thunai hotel is the morning norm nowadays.  It helps to wade off the sleep drooping in the eyes, after an eventful night shift.  The black tea habit stuck with me for rest of life, except....

While sipping the lukewarm refreshing liquid, newly acquired knowledge from previous night came to mind, the prominent feeling being curiosity than fear.  Nothing had happened so far to create any fear about Raj.  He is always withdrawn to himself and mostly asleep, and while not asleep, just focuses on food or books.  Going to office is a choice that he makes, not his boss, and a warning letter is already in his credit, and with one more, he can pack his stuff.

Thoughts got cut reaching the bottom of the tea glass, spitting the tea dust which accidentally met with the tongue.  The hotel's credit book received one more entry, and I stepped out onto the road.  Smoke bikes are gone.  The long walk is through harvested corn fields, through the trodden single path towards sleep.  The path is a bit risky to be used at night.  From dogs to snakes, it might have everything that darkness hides; so, for night walks towards office, I usually take a detour via the main road, walking an extra one kilometer for safety.

As I walked, the occasional but familiar misty December fog waited away obediently in the periphery of my visible surroundings, as if hiding something behind those thorny tentacles of babool bush around the field.... and I quickened my pace.

As my steps crossed the small arched entrance labeled Burma colony, thoughts shifted to present.  A settlement built for the second world war Burmese refugees, most of the plots are owned by Tamilians now. Almost all houses being asbestos roofed, I and my "annas" were lucky to be settled under a concrete roof, albeit cost us a substantial portion of our meager stipends.  The two-bedroom pink-painted structure stood amidst a babool fenced patch of land, just hundred yards from the rusted arched entrance to the colony.. to one's right.

On its steps, sat Robert, sipping his morning tea as I walked into the cemented courtyard.  Both of them are in day shift, and today being Sunday, will be at home.

Seeing me, he asked with the same brotherly air he always throws.

"Did you have tea.. can I make one for you.?"

After returning a polite no, I glanced inside.  Raj is still asleep.

"Come.. sit here with me." Robert pointed to the steps.  As I sat there, pulling my shoes off, he told again.

"So did you check what Raj asked you yesterday.?"

Words got stuck in my throat.  How does he know about it? Seeing my wonderstruck face and open mouth, Robert continued as if to serve the answer himself.

"Raj told about your conversation yesterday.  His father had told me about his condition the very first day itself, but didn't want to scare you so kept it from you.  Now that you know, will tell you few more details."

I sat there listening like a child.  Real name is Raj Kumar, son of a Mumbai port officer, and spent a good deal of his schooling in boarding system.  As there was less parental control with lot of pocket money to spare, alcohol and some drugs became part of life, until it started to affect brain cells. After years of extensive treatments, he is back to normal but needs at least seven pills a day to keep his brain cells under control.

I intervened and asked.. "so what will happen if someone like you or me take that pill..?"

Without a hesitation, he answered. "Our brains cannot simply stand it.. these are high dose antipsychotics. You will just fall down and sleep for hours or even days.  Why do you ask..? got any plan to try?"

"No no.. simply asked." I threw my socks inside.

"Do you know? .. when the effect of the medicine wears off, he gets hallucination.. I have seen him sitting and talking alone to someone once..!"

I sat upright in a jolt.  "Who..?"

After enjoying a suspenseful silence, before standing up to leave, Robert told with a twisted smile... "A woman, that’s what he told.. I guess his love. Let me get ready for the Church."

I sat there on the steps alone, trying to grasp the volley of new information I had just gathered, wondering what is coming next.  When the time comes, should ask Raj himself about all these.

Even if it was in hallucination, Raj too had a girl to love and talk with..!

Robert also had someone waiting for him in hometown, who he wrote very long letters for.  As a single “Inland” was not sufficient for him to express his love, scores of white sheets were filled with almost half the ink of a pen, which then he would carefully tuck inside a post cover and carry to the post office, almost twice a week.  What a love..!

Talking about love, age and hormones had started to act inside me with more vigour, for a companion.  Everyday as I walked past the gate, on the neon lit footpath towards the office, numerous pairs of lovers crossed me in both directions, hand in hand.  How I wished for the girl from hometown to be with me, to hold my hands and walk along with me.. her curly oily hair would have turned bright orange under the beautiful neon sky.. why did she leave me?  But the very next moment, that feeling gave way to anger.  I shouldn’t have even thought about her.

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