Tuesday, September 06, 2011

RANDOMIZED RAIN IN MORNING TRAFFIC

Morning is when a city wakes up to go through yet another day of whatever its citizens n denizens do. for a city that claims never to sleep just like the city it pretends to be (new york), bombay too has to wake up to some sights n sounds. the most of it is during my drive to work. it may not be much of a commute by bombay standards but its interesting nevertheless; people scurrying about, garbage regularly disposed off by the bmc, street urchins just urchinning about the streets. fresh rations being off loaded at shops, taxi drivers driving like they usually do at any point of time in the day, the days catch fresh and from the rotting sea, cops on their way to work children packed in school buses, happy children playing in the rear seat of a car and the hard rain that falls washes them all.

thats exactly how i came to think up these random thoughts n put them together in one left justified paragraph. RAIN! the rain in mumbai doesnt rhyme with spain or plain. so out go shaw, pygmalion n the flower selling fair lady. (wonder if she had an umbrella or a wind cheater at the least) it was many years ago when indy pop was at its only undulation in its otherwise remixed existence that a graduate from mithibai college made a pope album (whose name ive no clue abt. the name of the album not the person) made famous by the song:

" Dekho....barish ho rahi he,

its raining, its raining, its raining;

mera dil ro raha he,

my heart is crying crying crying;

tere liye tere liye tere liye

blah blah blah blah....tik tack tik tik thak tic toc..thik thick tha"

i still remember when i saw the video whenever it was aired in superhit muqabla or ek se badkar ek (incidentally, they happened to be the only two countdown shows. seems like it was in a different era altogether) i sat stupefied at whatever was happening in the video. the background had some five ladies dressed in white coat tails n a walking stick trying to do something with an overgrown guy in a white shirt n fake curls in an equally fake fedora was hugging a pillar n crying hoarse. guess that was meant to be the official music video for someone singing as melodiously as the bremen musicians n the blind suburban singers collective. stupefied now seems a bit under rated. lets make it a slow but steady assault on the senses possibly mapping the shortest way to a mental asylum if listened to in loop or repeat mode.

as i waited at regal circle for the light to turn green, a motocross stunt unfolded. regal circle as its name says is two concentric circles between whom runs a road. the diameters, areas, area between the two circles, perimeters and other important mathematical data can be obtained from the BMC. the circle has six radial roads that diverge to different areas but converge into the same park for vehicles. having said that ill leave it to your imagination as to what might transpire when all the six traffic lights in the circle go [blink]..[blink]...[blink]......[ ]. a biker crossed me almost 30 seconds before the light could change colour.this was at the same time that another car from one of the branches proceeded in the same direction. both of them changed course at the last minute, just like two precise showpilots. n this was just the morning traffic not rush hour. obviously mumbai drivers are better equipped for air shows n fancy flying!!

it was at this precise moment that another thought crossed me like the motorist. why didnt anu malik sing about pakodas, vada pav n hot cuppa tea/coffee or a wet saree song instead of crying hearts n transliterated bilingual lyrics?

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