by Vani Viswanathan
Amma
There??
Yes
Which of these is good?
<Image 1>
<Image 2>
<Image 3>
Whatar you buyign it 4
Just felt like it. Tell me quick!
Second one is lik what v gt 4 last yrs Diwali
K. The other 2?
Which one do u like?
Both. Can’t decide. That’s why I’m asking you!
Like third one a little more. Never bought yellow bef.
Thats what I ws thnking
Number 3 then?
Yes 😀
Okbye! Love you :*
Vishal has the camera turned on and ready. The children are at the far end of the ground, getting ready to run 50 metres. He begins recording. His parents, Smriti’s parents, and Smriti’s brother will surely want to see this.
“Ayush is at the other end, all ready to run. The kid in a blue tee-shirt and dark blue jeans.” He zooms in on Ayush, to highlight him from the other kids milling about in the area.
“This is a 50-metre race, and Ayush is running with other kids chosen across KG 1.”
The whistle blows.
The children start running, some a few seconds later, looking around in bewilderment as their friends take off.
Ayush runs as fast as his little legs carry him, and he swings his baby arms forward and back swiftly. Vishal giggles. Ayush looks hilarious – and dead serious about his run. Vishal’s giggles are being recorded too.
Huffing and puffing, the child runs forward. Vishal cheers, looking at the tiny Ayush – on the screen – running towards the finish line. The child is among the early finishers, and pants for a few seconds before he spots his father.
“Papa! PAPAA!!”
“Congrats, buddy!” Vishal says, showing a thumbs-up sign, all the while looking at a grinning Ayush – on the screen. He begins seeding the video online to send it to the relatives.
Juggling her purse, laptop bag and her lunch bag, ear phones in hers ears, she struggles into the train. Her leaning corner, right by the door, is free! She makes a dash for it before the other woman inching towards it. A look of triumph on her face, she pulls out her phone and loads Twitter. Soon, a host of websites are opened up, making the phone browser hang. She patiently restarts it, and starts reading. Election favourite polls. The latest ‘undiscovered’ travel spots. Review of the movie she wants to watch the coming weekend. A beautiful essay on the – wait for it! – comma! She loves that she can get so much from following the right people on Twitter. Her Twitter account is not for tweeting useless updates about what she had for dinner or the song she’s hooked on to, no ma’am! As a new mother to a three-month-old who keeps her awake all night, even after her ten hour-long day at work, Twitter on the train is when she gets her dose of news, views and the latest in the world of literature. She was so happy when smart phone prices were slashed like crazy – she could have never had the heart to spend a few tens of thousands on a phone.
Before she knows it, it’s time for her to get down. There, a 52-minute-long journey, gone by like a breeze.
Vic’s heart races when he spots a familiar face on Grindr as moving somewhere close by. Stan! How long has it been since he had seen Stan? The way he was flustered, excited and nervous now… he remembered high school days when he secretly adored Stan, but was unable to speak with him. He would collapse into a bundle of nerves whenever he saw Stan, who pretended to not be even remotely bi-curious. And to find him today on Grindr was a victory of sorts for Vic. “Ha!” he says. He taps on Stan’s picture. Stan’s wearing a crisp black suit, a white shirt underneath, with cufflinks. The man had style. Deep brown hair, matching his deep brown eyes. Is a lawyer. Stan. Intimidating as ever. Vic wonders if he can do it. Memories of being ragged to humiliation in high school – by a party led by Stan, no less – come back to home. You know how torturous high school can be! Is it time for redemption, Vic wonders. Would things have changed? Taking a deep breath, Vic informs Stan of his location.
Stan gets a ping. A ‘Vic,’ somewhere close by. He clicks on the profile. A well-built, muscular man, leans against a surf-board. Nice tan, sunglasses, and a charming, disarming smile. Why does Stan feel a stab of familiarity? Met him somewhere downtown, maybe. Stan responds to the ping, asking Vic if he would like to come down to the club where he is.
Vani Viswanathan is often lost in her world of books and A R Rahman, churning out lines in her head or humming a song. Her world is one of frivolity, optimism, quietude and general chilled-ness, where there is always place for outbursts of laughter, bouts of silence, chocolate, ice cream and lots of books and endless iTunes playlists from all over the world. She is now a CSR communications consultant, and has been blogging at http://chennaigalwrites.blogspot.com since 2005.
Pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eshbach/
