Doomsday revisited ~ but now it is for real !

Somewhere on the beach in a South Indian Metro

6.00 am: December 21, 2014: Exactly 2 years after the Doomsday of 2012 that never happened

A weary Sam, who had moved on from the Metro City back to his hometown, slowly picked up the metal piece from the wet sand. It seemed very familiar and instantly Sam started rubbing it off on his shirt sleeve and held it up against the morning sun. He could not be wrong, the insignia on the belt buckle was distinct, it was the Gott Mit Uns, the German military symbol brought back memories of good friend Matt. He was sure it belonged to Matt, and could not hold on to the emotions any further.

“Where are you man, what are doing in this city and on the beach so early in the morning…? Er… WHAT… Hold on… I am coming there in half hour”, Ronnie hung up the phone, same response from a startled Joe, who too promised to meet in almost the same time.

Over the next 30 minutes, Sam’s mind took him back in time reminiscing the months he had spent in the city, the fun times with Ronnie and Joe two years back, then his own career and life that had taken him through various ups and downs. Regret was not the thought on his mind, but then yes the creative thinker was now short of reasoning and felt a deep thaw in his heart. Time had to be rewound, wish the clock turned back.

Sam’s thoughts now moved back to Christmas 2013, almost exactly a year back, a reunion of the trio at the same roadside tea shop, where in their heydays Sam and Joe endlessly pulled Ronnie’s legs and regaled. But this time around it was different; the meeting with Matt was the highlight.

The Globetrotting young man in his early thirties was introduced as an acquaintance by Ronnie to the other two. Impeccably dressed, sharp features, rich British accent and a fine sense of humour, Matt (his short name) was at ease with the dirt and dust of the surroundings, he was not new to the place. He even understood the local language. For someone who could pass off as an undercover agent, Matt was actually an architecture graduate whose interest in medieval history and civilizations had taken him across Europe. 

He shared as much of his knowledge of the 17^th Century as of the World War II period. Sam remembered asking him about the belt buckle “Are you a Nazi sympathizer?” “No”, replied Matt nonchalantly, “this is one of the rare pieces that I picked up during my recent visit to Bali in Indonesia from a street side hawker”. 

He told the trio that it was an original Nazi piece that must have landed in the South East Asian island through some travellers.
Matt was not very religious but a quite worshipper who explained Gott Mit Uns meant ‘God With Us’.

Matt was affluent and much affable, over the next three days he hit out well with Joe, Sam and Ronnie. They went around the southern town 60 km from the metro city known for its 9^th century monolithic temples. Matt would click pictures endlessly and speak of the architectural marvel that place was. Soon they were discussing evolution from the monolithic days to the scientific era with its technological advancement and the internet revolution. Matt seemed lost in thought and would in bits and pieces keep mumbling “technological advancement is a myth” and rub off the sand on the shore temple carvings and keenly observe the beauty and make notes. “December 26^th 2004 is just an example that humans can’t withstand nature’s fury, technological advancement is a myth and the world will be more clueless soon”, Matt sounded sad talking of the Tsunami, but there was more to come.

Joe asked Matt jokingly “are you predicting something like Nostradamus’ end of the World?” Ronnie turned away, Sam laughed loud, Matt just muttered “an end the World may never decipher” and his last statement was quite cryptic.

On Christmas eve Matt bid good bye to the friends and flew off to Bangkok, the pagodas and the Thai architecture attracted him much. While parting he promised the trio to meet again in the same city a day before Christmas next year.

7.00 am: Sipping tea on the beach Joe and Ronnie join Sam in unravelling the events over the last year, the mysterious disappearance of Matt and the cluelessness of the World in locating him. Ronnie held the Gott Mit Uns in his palm and spoke out loud “it is his, I have no doubt”. Joe, still in his tennis apparel, queried “how sure are you”? Sam had the same question in mind and Ronnie replied “The blunted beak of the Eagle has got the scratch when Matt fell while rock climbing last year, he showed me that”.

Next question all three came up with – Did Matt return here after leaving India last? The answer was No.

Ronnie turned towards the sea and said “last anyone heard from him was me, he called and wished on my birthday - March 6^th, said he was flying to China in couple of days and will be in Netherlands a fortnight later”.

In fact that was the last anyone heard from him, Ronnie tried contacting Matt’s other friends who too knew nothing much.

In the days after Matt’s disappearance endless search for the slightest of clue of his whereabouts seemed to no avail, conspiracy theories floated even as billions of dollars were spent by multiple nations bearing no trace of any evidence of the big bird Matt was flying in.

For someone who seemed like a clairvoyant through his utterings Matt surely knew more than the World would ever know – How else could one explain ‘an end the World will never decipher’ and ‘Gott Mit Uns’?

As 2014 ends there are absolutely no answers to when the mystery will be solved, will this remain as the most mysterious of happenings ever? The disappearance of MH 370 continues to perplex the World and is a challenge the ultra modern technological know-how is puzzled of.

The 'God With Us' is silent.

Rest in Peace!

Related Read: … And thus the World Ended on Doomsday December 21st!

Disclaimer:

This is purely a work of fiction and Matt is just a figment of imagination.

Sam, Joe and Ronnie are fictitious characters inspired from real life friends. 

Why this Hockey Gold in the Asian Games cheers more than anything else!

I remember as a High School student watching the 1982 Asian Games on the community TV in our neighbourhood, it was the first sports extravaganza that I remember inspiring me and our entire generation. The loss in the Hockey final notwithstanding, I still got hooked to the stick sport.

Though the folklore of Dhyan Chand and Olympic Gold Medals were irresistible, another Hockey Gold at the Olympics was not what I was looking forward for India to win, it was an Asian Games Gold defeating Pakistan that mattered most now.

A year later everything changed, India won the Cricket World Cup and as they say, the rest is history. In the next 3 decades since then, Cricket swept away all other sports into... well, almost oblivion.

In secondary school in 1986, there was fond hope of revival of Indian Hockey at the Asian Games, after thrashing all in the Group stage India met its nemesis in Pakistan again, that day I cried but told myself never to cry again for Indian Hockey.

Three years later a certain Sachin Tendulkar came on the Cricket stage and over the next two and half decades ruled the sport and the hearts of Indians slowly but surely erasing the bad memories of Hockey.

A dozen years later India won the Asiad Gold, but that was also the year when Tendulkar was at his mesmerising best ‘causing nightmares’ to the best of opponent bowlers. The Hockey win that year was made not so memorable by the Indian Hockey Federation sacking the coach and a few stars of the Gold winning team, not very impressive or inspiring for the youngsters to take up the sport for glory.

Years passed and Indian Hockey fortunes fluctuated reaching the peaks and nadirs consistently.

While Cricket took precedence, I continued to follow Hockey silently hoping to see better days. The last two years had been really pathetic, almost all hope seemed lost.

The expectation of India winning the Gold in the Incheon Asian Games wasn’t too high. As the tournament progressed and having defeated the host in the Semi-Final all hope returned. Harrowing memories of loss to arch rival started playing in the mind as India trailed 0-1 in the 1^st quarter of the Final. 

While the game entered the final Penalty phase, I sat in silence glued to the TV – praying! As the entire nation erupted at the heroic moment from goalkeeper Sreejesh, I shed a tear. Yes, this was different, it had to happen at the Asian Games, against Pakistan, in the Final and it did.

----- Dedicated to all my classmates and friends at Kendriya Vidyalaya, who went through similar emotions -------

Telangana Survey - What they asked and what they didn't!

The much publicised and over hyped in media Telangana Survey also known as the Samagra Kutumba Survey evoked tremendous response according to the Chief Minister, who called it a 'Hit'. 

However the Questions in the Survey itself didn't seem to serve much purpose personally!  For a forward caste, private employed, middle class Tamilian this survey had no expectations though!

I have enlisted a few Questions that amused me and a few that really didn't:

Aadhar Card number - Yes | Ration Card - NO

~ Wasn't this exercise all about weeding out bogus ration cards in the first place?

Mobile Number - Yes | Fixed Land line number - NO. 

~ "House" hold survey right?

Water Connection & Can Number - Yes |  But not how frequently water is supplied in the locality? - NO

~  For the record: Once a week for 1 hour.

Electricity Bill number - Yes | But not how many hours electricity is supplied (or not supplied)? - NO 

~ For the record - presently 5 to 6 hours power cut every day.

Type of Asset: Air Conditioner? - Yes | Why not Automatic Washing Machine, Double Door Refrigerator, Geysers, LCD Televisions, Persian Carpets and lot more such luxury items?

~ Who decided this query?

Pet Dogs - Yes |  Why No cognizance of the dozen rabid stray dogs on the street lying right in front of the house? - They make life miserable!

Epic signing off:  I solemnly declare the above in the name of God / Self. No other options?

Forced Bandh: Buses, Autos, Taxis, Shops, Schools, Colleges, Offices, Banks, Diagnostic Centres, Petrol Bunks and even a few Hospitals - every thing was closed - Roads Deserted Wine Shops remain open whole day!

~ It's a topsy-tipsy survey !

Tail piece:

My wife was enlisted as 'Housewife' but Mother was not - Reason: There is only 1 Kitchen in your house. - Outrageous.

Of niceties in Sport and punishing law breakers!

Lahore October 16, 1987: It was almost twilight and West Indies were on the threshold of entering their fourth consecutive Semi Final place in World Cups. Pakistan required 2 runs from the last ball with Abdul Qadir on strike, the non striker Saleem Jaffar was backing up too far and should have been out ‘Mankaded’. 

But the Caribbean giant Courtney Walsh decided to play gentleman and stopped in his tracks to allow the Pakistan no. 11 back in his crease. The next ball Qadir got the runs for a famous victory. West Indies lost, but Walsh won a million hearts and the incident remains etched even after 26 years.

That was then. Cricket and the World have traversed millions of miles around the Sun and human life has evolved much around the principal of vengeance.

While cricket is now played with fierce competitive spirit with no team missing a chance to sledge and disturb the other team, the Englishmen, credited with inventing the game of Cricket and branding it a gentleman’s game, are no saints either and have a fair share of bringing disrepute to the tag. Not new to breaking the law, crying hoarse and playing victim is something the English cricketers are not new to either.

The recent incident involving English batsman Jos Buttler and Sri Lankan spinner Sachitra Senanayake is moot case in point.

After a whirlwind century in a losing cause Jos had come into this deciding fifth One Day International with a huge responsibility. What was irresponsible on his part was his constant ambling outside the crease at the non striker’s end while the bowler ran up to bowl. Having been warned a few times in the earlier match and twice by Senanayake, Jos was in for a rude shock when the bowler coolly ran him out Mankaded. That hastened the end of the English innings and a seemingly achievable target meant the Lankan side won the match and series.

While it would be fair for the home crowd to feel cheated and boo the opposition for the alleged un-sportive act of the Lankan captain upholding the appeal for Out, it also brings to fore the unfair  advantage sportsmen take by breaking the law. Yes, lawfully Buttler was out and he didn’t deserve a third warning.

For a strong believer in sportsmanship and fairplay, I may not have Mankaded a non striker while bowling, but as a stickler to rules I always believed, the one who breaks the rule deserves to be punished. 

On this day English Cricket had to be punished, and they were!

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Ashes ~ Cricket at it's best!

IF Cricket is Religion... Ashes is it's most revered celebration!

July 10, 2013: Once again it's that time of the year when the most keenly fought and most keenly followed series in the history of Cricket begins! 

While Australia and England fight for the pride of the historical trophy, Ashes over the years has changed hands much. More so in the recent years after the consistent supremacy of the team from down under was broken. The rivalry between the teams has seen many a high point and a few lows too, for the modern day cricket is quite 'no holds barred'. 

The Ashes 2013 is going to be no different, for the war of words and strategies have already begun. 

While we Indians have been subjected to an extreme overdose of T20, especially the much-tainted IPL, the  recent Champions Trophy has been a refreshing change from the shortest format to the One-Day version. 

However, Test Cricket has been universally accepted as the real 'test' of cricket, and there cannot be a better way to start the season but for Ashes. While I would like to go on and on in eulogising the 'real form of cricket', for the ardent follower of cricket, just the mention Test, is enough. 

The much celebrated Australian team is not the same again. Sans Ricky Ponting, this inexperienced team lead by Michael Clarke will be up against a rejuvenated English team lead by Alastair Cook. Rejuvenated from their recent successes in cricket and buoyed by a sports crazy nation basking in the glory of the historical achievement of its favourite Tennis star.

Andy Murray, who won for his country at home, the mecca of Tennis - Wimbledon after a long wait of 77 years, will surely be a huge inspiration for England.

The mecca of Cricket - Lords, beckons another War!

July 10, 2013 is a day of reckoning, an eagerly awaited date for the connoisseurs of the game, for this will decide whether the longest version of the game will bite the dust or rise from the Ashes.

Thus, I sign off with the same lines as my previous Ashes blog post ended (appended below)

--------------- My July 5, 2009 blogpost on Ashes ---------------

(http://venkrekzworld.blogspot.in/2009/07/ashes-to-ashes-dust-to-dust.html )

Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust...

…If Thomson doesn't get you, Lillee must!

So goes the folklore of cricket that seems to have been the hallmark of what cricket was all about – Test Cricket! Add Gary Gilmour to the attack, and cricket in the 70s and 80s was in its fiercest form of competitiveness, in spite of the fact that it was played over six days with a day’s break in between. The West Indies defined the four pronged pace attack and the spearheads like Croft, Roberts, Holding, Garner, Marshall sent chill down the spine of the batsmen. There were batsmen of the likes of Geoff Boycott and Sunil Gavaskar who would play out days and nights to blunt the above attack.

Cricket in flannels is still considered the purest form and Ashes the flag bearer. Today cricket is followed as religion in India but then the passionate following that this game has dates back to 1882 when a young London journalist, Reginald Shirley Brooks wrote a mock obituary in the Sporting Times, which read: “In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval, 29th August, 1882. Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances, RIP. NB: The body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia.” That was to be Australia's first victory on English soil over the full strength of England.

Things haven’t changed much even to this day, Ashes conjures some of the most competitive displays of the gentleman’s game and has stood the test of time. If the overdose of Twenty 20 through the Indian Premier League and the T20 World Cup makes the modern follower feel that test cricket is losing its sheen, then look back to the year when Kerry Packer hijacked the cream of the cricketers to a new brand of coloured clothing game, which brought a revolution to the fifty over format.

The 1978-79 Ashes was played in direct competition to the unofficial WSC matches elsewhere in Australia and, while England lost a few regulars, Australia fielded a weak side that lost the series 5-1. The crowds dwindled and Test cricket seemed threatened. After things settled down the following year Ashes saw some of the most memorable performances The 1979 series was notable for the remarkable number of players who made nineties - Kim Hughes (99) Boycott (99*) David Gower (98*) Greg Chappell (98*) and Graham Gooch (99), missing out his maiden century being run-out. Those days cricket was keenly followed on BBC and ABC radio and of course through the newspaper columns. Even as One Day cricket with coloured clothing and white ball made strides, Test cricket continued to flourish and yes with some record breaking performances across the World.

After almost two decades of dominance Australia lost the Ashes to the English in 2005, but then regained it at home eighteen months later with an emphatic 5-0 whitewash. Two years later and with the cream of the Aussies leaving, the team from down under are facing a stiff challenge, not just to retain the Ashes, but also uphold the dispassionate interest that followers of the game have always had in the five day version.

July 8, 2009 is a day of reckoning, an eagerly awaited date for the connoisseurs of the game, for this will decide whether the longest version of the game will bite the dust or rise from the Ashes.

--------------------------------------------- pics : Internet--------------------------------------------------

An India that lives in Villages!

4.15 am: Thursday June 13, 2013: We (I was accompanied by my friend from Hyderabad) alighted at Villupuram in Tamil Nadu (Vizhupuram in Tamil) after a 5 hour journey from Coimbatore. Too early in the day for our proposed meeting with an Agri Professor in a deep interior village, so we decided to stay put in the town for the next six hours.

10.15 am: Boarded a private town bus from Villupuram to Vikravandi, the distance of about 15kms took over half hour, with frequent stoppages for the filled-to-the-brim bus to offload passengers at the villages and take more in.

Vikravandi (Panchayat), I learnt, had a very high literacy rate, the dusty town bus stand led me to the narrow street where I asked the auto guy for directions to Ganapathipattu, a village some 8 – 9 kms from the bus stand. He said it would cost Rs. 150 one way. We had no choice and got into the auto for a long winding ride on some tarred roads, some stoned roads and some no roads leading through some amazing greenery. 

As we reached our destination half hour later, Shiva Kumar, the auto guy introduced himself thus, asked would we take long. I said we would need an hour and half, and he may leave if he wanted to. He said there was no way we would be able to go back to town as there was no other mode of transport. His was the only auto that reached the village edge at that moment. Shiva volunteered to come back if called, but then changed his mind to stay back till we were done with our work.

About an hour and 45 minutes later, having finished our meeting with the highly intellectual humble Agriculturist, we were back in his auto for the return journey. Shiva told us that we would find it difficult to reach our next destination from the Vikravandi bus stop and offered to drop us on the Highway near the toll gate, where we could have our lunch and also board any bus towards Chennai. The idea sounded good for we were very hungry and tired

 

That’s when I got started talking (for my friend knew very little Tamil, he was a silent spectator), enquiring about the way of life, the political scenario, the rains, the real estate boom and its effect on the land prices and then to Shiva and his family. Like most villages abutting the highways in India, the farming was fast disappearing, the agricultural lands were being gobbled up by realtors and sold at exorbitant prices. Politicians had their fingers in every pie and this place was no different. I steered away from the topic and thought it would rather be interesting to know about the young man and why he preferred to drive an auto in the small town.

At 30, Shiva was the youngest amongst 5 siblings. One of his sisters was a teacher in a private school in a nearby town and another was a home maker, his two brothers were well educated, one was a post graduate and the other a doctorate. He too did his intermediate, for he was quite fluent in English, and followed it up with an ITI certification in electrical winding. Jobs for his qualification were hard to come by and the mills in his town hardly paid much. He did find offers from other major cities, Coimbatore and Salem offered lucrative jobs, but he wanted to stay closer to his home town and with his ageing parents. 

Married and blessed with two kids, Shiva for a brief period worked to cultivate his 10 acres of farm, his frail body couldn’t allow him to do much and continue with it, that’s when he sought his brother-in-law’s services to toil in the land. He found the local travel in and around the twenty odd villages of Vikravandi was quite difficult and thus bought an Auto to ferry people. The earnings did make his ends meet and he was happy with what he was doing, despite the strong objection from his brothers and sisters, who wanted him to do something better.

His two children are going to school and he takes much interest in their education. For someone who has not moved out of his district, Shiva dreams of his children to cross the seas.

With pressure mounting from his family, Shiva yearns to earn a little more to have a travel company of his own, a humble fleet of 2-3 cars, himself driving one of them across the State.

Soon, we were on the highway, as we alighted I asked how much? Shiva simply said “ungallukku yenna thonardho kudungo saar” (Give what you think is right Sir). Overwhelmed with the simpleton I bid goodbye to him after paying him aptly.

Post a sumptuous late lunch, we boarded a bus near the Vikravandi Highway Tollgate and soon my friend dozed off, I was not sleepy and preferred to watch the the outside, as looked out of the window at the vast greenery I was lost in thought…

In an era when most youth of his age and education would not think twice to move to greener pastures across the World, here was a villager who earned a decent livelihood, stayed grounded and dreamt of a Worldly living for his children.

… And thus the World Ended on Doomsday December 21st!

Many religions, calendars and prophecies point to Dec. 21, 2012 as the end of the world. Is this another "Theory of the Apocalypse" that will come and go like others we have seen, or is this one that we should be paying attention to?

Ronnie is an investment banker with a multinational, has his hands full with things to do all the time, when not busy juggling his finances, he is browsing the internet for interesting recipes and has a very acute sense of humour. Cryptic at most times, his thoughts like his humour go un-noticed.

Joe is the silent of the trio, IT Consultant, avid cricket follower, plays the game too apart from Tennis. Though very proximal to Ronnie, loves to differ with him and has Sam for company in pulling the banker’s legs.

Sam is a creative guy, the thinker, who is lost beyond his time, comes out as an affable character and is seen on the time lines of social media most times.

All three work in the same building, with offices on the same floor and routinely met at various intervals of the day.

December 21, 2012:

Driving through Friday morning traffic from different corners of the city, fighting off the week’s struggles both at work place and domestic front, the three converged on to the most famous address in town, the most visible landmark of the metropolitan city.

10.30 am: As every day the trio met at the street side tea shop opposite the Metro railway station and was having a mirthful discussion of the previous day’s cricket match, a topic which was almost alien to Ronnie. While Joe and Ronnie preferred Tea, Sam sipped coffee with his smoke, the stray discussions on each one’s professional hardships slowly veered towards the hot topic of the day - Dooms Day.

While Sam recollected reading Nostradamus predictions on the internet and related it through Mayan calendar declaring December 21, 2012 as the ‘end of the world day’, quite interestingly Ronnie had a version of his own, his readings told him that the world will not end by way of disaster caused by fire or water but through a giant monster gobbling up the world in one go, he even gave his own version of the monster, more on that later. Joe was quite content listening to the other two and was only keen to see the day after!

They disbursed only to meet post lunch!

2.00 pm: Same tea stall: Armed with info on the end-of-the-world Joe and Sam told Ronnie that the time has come. It is destined to end at 4.31 pm (16.31 IST). Even as they laughed at the heavy lunch they all had, which could eventually be their last meal, Ronnie remarked with confidence “I’m immune to this doomsday prediction, Apocalypse will not effect me, I’m going to be alone… all alone… and shall enjoy watching it happen”. Things couldn’t have been easier for Ronnie to comprehend as Joe brought in a new dimension to ‘doomsday’, he added "there was not going to be any disaster, just that all life forms would simply disappear”.

Yes – ‘All life forms would simply disappear’ is what all three agreed to and promised to reassemble at quarter past four, for one final round of tea, coffee and smokes!

4.15 pm: Just as Sam paid the tea stall guy the day’s charges, Joe picked on Ronnie to throw away all money, for he would require none of them soon in a deserted world. Time ticked away and then as it turned 4.30 pm, Ronnie walked away in to the deserted by lane slowly blowing smoke in the air.

An Hour later: Silence engulfed his world, Ronnie felt he went deaf… couldn’t even hear the crickets, it got dark… a few lights across the road… he walked on to reach his office... the lift was there at the ground floor. Went into a silent office and found none… picked his laptop and went down to the parking lot. His small car was parked in the corner, as he found his way to the main road, one which had over thousands of two wheelers, cars, buses, taxis seemed still and a few vehicles parked haphazardly at various points.

He realized it had come true, the world had ended, but no calamity, no disaster, no earthquake or floods, no tsunami either. Life had disappeared, sans him! It was generally cold winter evening and he suddenly seemed to be the only man alive, rather human alive and soon he felt an eerie realisation, he must have been the only living being alive. There were no dogs, no birds and no animals in sight. No, the dead weren’t present either, they just disappeared. But he was wrong, the plants breathed, the air seemed fresh, the oxygen kept him going. He drove randomly to the nearest automobile showroom parked his car on the drive and drove away with a plush luxury sedan, filled fuel on his own at a filling station. Drove further, no signals, no vehicular movement absolutely no one in sight. Was he scared? NO, he had expected this and was not bothered about the solitude.

It was only when the radio in his car remained silent Ronnie realized that there was more in store than he expected. There was none to operate a radio station, but the audio CDs kept him company. The volume seemed to reverberate in to the alleys leading to his home. As he walked into his first floor home he was greeted by none. His two German shepherd dogs, his family all gone, no, he wasn’t shattered with emotions… simply stoic in silence. The TV had no signals, so all the world’s news was his to view and find out and none to tell him what happened.

It seemed to be quite an instantaneous happening that the World Wide Web too was gone, nothing to tell him where, how, when, why it all started and… he wasn’t bothered much now. There was milk in his refrigerator, he made some hot coffee and switched the air conditioner on and glad the power was not affected. Lit a smoke and started recounting the people who he thought went missing... his memory faded about the names of the people in his life.

An enterprising person, Ronnie never allowed boredom take over, so now too he just got up and drove down to the nearest mall, entered the best apparel showroom, dressed into one of the most comfortable outfits and slowly walked into the next door food joint, none to serve, but lots to eat. He helped himself to some delicacies and thought for a while – will they last long? How long? Well, not much of bother for now.

Next stop was the marine drive, the shallow beach, beautiful sight with the moon hovering. The chill had set in. Ronnie walked the sands alone and realized he needed to go home no more now! An hour passed gazing at the waves in moonlight and then the drive stopped earlier than expected at the 7 star international Hotel, amazing interiors, none to welcome… the food court was amazingly well decorated. The bar had the best of the world’s spirits. An occasional drinker, tonight Ronnie toasted to himself and didn’t know what to wish. The day had been long, actually the evening turned out longer. After relishing the spread of rich international cuisine, he checked into the nearest suite and lay there tired and soon fast asleep.

December 22

He woke to the sounds of silence! There was no movement, breeze was the only factor… he slowly walked out on to the lawns and the swimming pool. The first signs of lack of human touch started growing on Ronnie, he didn’t know how to get his tea ordered, so found his way into the kitchen and found enough stuff to make a decent breakfast.

It wasn’t until late evening of a sedate day of driving around in six different luxury cars across the different corners of the metropolis did it start dawning on Ronnie, the need for auditing his resources. He knew food was going to be his main worry. The refrigerated stuff in all the super markets would last for months, the fruits and vegetables were also sufficient for over a month.

As he drank, ate and dozed off, he felt alone.

December 23

Waking up to no chores, no entertainment, no news, no television, no internet, no life forms of any kind, Ronnie was quite literally marooned in a huge metropolis, with the towering skyscrapers and never ending and ever winding roads totally deserted of any life form. The first signs of boredom started creeping into the new found freedom.

Ronnie bathed and dressed in the best ever attire walked into the Church, he prayed, rang the gong and heard the reverberations for long. Life started to reminisce itself as he sat in the long corridor alone.

For years he struggled to make a living, to support his family, create some assets, wine – dine and enjoy life to its full. Now as he had the world all for himself, he was getting to feel lonely.

Suddenly a thought struck him, am I the only one living or is there someone else too? He started to feel better, the search for a companion in the concrete jungle began. His mobile phone never rang, the signals were still there. There was electricity, which he knew not would last how long.

The banker checked his balance, inconsequential he thought, money had no value, suddenly a chill crept up his spine – Life itself had no value, unless if he were to find another human being.

He quest for a companion saw him drive around and took him through deserted temples, airports, railway stations, stadiums, bus stands, and soon he was on the high way. Another town another deserted place, and the day seemed unending. He was now 350 kms away from his place into another not-so-long-ago bustling metropolis. The only signs of existence of life here was the huge no of vehicles spread across the city. Much chiller weather, lots of greenery, fountains, gardens and yes many more skyscrapers. Not soul in sight, Ronnie soon settled down in another luxury living place in the new city.

As he puffed away at his cigarette for the first time he thought of Joe and Sam, wondered how it would have been with the three of them around. A tear crept out of his eyes and trickled down his cheek. Had he wished too much for himself and been insensitive to others. It didn’t matter anymore. The only noises he ever heard in the past hour were his mind pounding with the thoughts of his friends and family.

He yearned to have them back. The thought made him emotional, he started crying and as the eyes swelled more… he told himself loud “I am not going to die without seeing them”.

He drove his latest acquisition, the German luxury car fuel filled to the brim, back to his city. The next 4 hours he drove like a man possessed, looking out for life forms on the moon kissed highways and the sprawling farm lands. Eventually he reached his home well past midnight. Parked the car and walked straight into his bedroom and crashed like a kid.

December 24

The alarm on his mobile started ringing, he snoozed it and dozed off again. Slowly he pulled himself to get up and saw the time, it was 9 am! He heard some noises. His house was still deserted. He walked out of his bedroom into the living area and then out in the balcony.

What he saw astonished him. He was shocked! Standing outside his gate were Sam and Joe in an animated discussion with Ronnie’s wife. He shouted out to them “Where the hell did you guys go”?

They shouted back “What the hell did you drink last night”

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