I can drop you off at your place" called out the stranger.
He was a stranger to me, though we both share the same Eco system and watering hole. In the rain forest called office, he lives on the other side of the forest.There is only one waterhole where all endangered animals come to have bits and bytes of idli's and vada's.
It was an offer I can't refuse that day, cuz of some personal schedules I had to keep up with.
"I don't call this my car..." he said
"Yeah!! I can see that" I replied, cuz technically it should be a cross between municipal truck and shopping cart.
"I call this my magic carpet" he beamed it up, very proudly.
"Sure, the carpet could do with some vacuuming" Well, I really wanted to say that..but..I didn't , cuz, he is the one who is driving the flying contraption.
"Sit in the navigator's seat, back seat is my bedroom when she kicks me out." my friend said.
So, my friend is in the endangered species red list.Poor thing, only thing that differentiate him from a blue whale is that he isn't blue.
I climbed into the 'navigators' seat with a cross between smile and frown on my face :-s
..
..
Well,thanks for the olfactory adaptation. My nose is very well adapted to the smell of beer+cigarette+ freshener and other smells which could leave a tiny mark on machine. Still, there was something in the smell that was bothering me.The incense sticks on the dashboard answered that query.
..
..
My friend, who flies the magic carpet, pushed the gear into drive and off we go honking into the awesome Bangalore traffic.He looked at his watch and was dodging his way through the traffic. I was happy cuz, I could reach home early .
But...
"Dude, I need to pick my friend. Let us wait near that..." He said
Okay! I said.
He sure knows how to find a descent parking space. We parked the car near a famous college.
Conscious: You gonna be late.
Me: I know. I got a reason.
Conscious: Yes, You expect some hot chick to be his friend .
Me:I said, I got a reason to tell to the personal schedule.
Conscious:Do you expect any girl to climb into this car that smell like an African Warthog.
Me:oh! I don't have personal experience with Warthogs.
Conscious: But..I do.
I was getting impatient, waiting for "his friend".
[ roll eyes]
"Errr...." I said. [ Lions say Grrrrrrr... Sorcerer says Errrrrr]
[/roll eyes]
"We will wait a few more minutes and then go..." . My friend replied to my err.
After waiting for another 10 minutes, the magic carpet was back bouncing on the road dodging traffice like a belly dancer dodging beer bottles on the stage.
..
..
A few more kilometers and ...
"Dude, I think we can get a parking spot there...." He said pointing to a place near another awesome college.
The advantage of having this kind of magic carpet is that, you can squeeze it into any space. This place was much better than the previous place with much much better view.
"Cool!! " That was the only word that came out of my mouth. The word 'Cool' is like 'Fcuk'. It could mean everything and anything.
Conscious: *sigh
Me: I am 'in' the 'situation.'
Conscious:Do you really think, he is waiting for his friend.
Me: I don't know. But the view is good.You are witnessing the great migration of pink flamingos.
Conscious:Huh!
The Bangalore minutes ticked by.
..
..
After an hour and half I reached my home. I had to cancel the personal schedule giving one of those fables.
____________________
I used to meet him at the water hole almost every day and we used to crack jokes about everything bare under the sun with sunscreen.
Later one day, he confessed to me that, 'some people unwind by driving on the curves, he unwinds by staring on the curves'.
Conscious:So, I was right, he was not waiting for his friend the other day.
Me: Apparently.You thought he was trying to rhyme?
Months went by, the color of building changed from off white to blue, the trees shed their leaves, freshers came out of their cocoon and started showing their real colors in the rain forest. The H.R colored her hair bling bling brown.
..
..
One day at the wate hole, we found a new chick.
'Solitary Chick inbound, 3 O Clock. non hostile.' called out one sentry.
Her dress reflected the economy during the great recession.She was like a major corporate during the recession, too much assets and too little to cover it with.
It was 'every man for himself' situation.[ For single guys, this is always the situation, *sigh]. People with technical skills relied on that, others were left with the highly pressurized promise from Axe Deo Spray.
My magic carpet friend was not really interested in the n00b chick at the water hole. I could read 'disgust' on his face. He was giving all other guys who was looking at her 'that' look.
I having awesome communication skill decided to 'reason' with the magic carpet friend about his 'insensitive' behavior towards the n00b chick and us, before we came to our senses.
Me:Hey!! So, we got a n00b. No?
Magic Carpet Friend: Huh!! Why you guyz behaving this way?She is a girl.
He gets up and walks out. Stopping the communication abruptly like someone knocking on your door in the middle of your "me time."
Conscious:Was that his Halloween costume?
Me:I think this is what sleeping in the backseat of a car can do to you.EEEEWWW!!! Very Scary..Very Scary!!!
Somewhere in my mind my friend's behavior left a mark like ketchup stain on white t-shirt. I just didn't understand about this change; off all , his. My mind was left with too many questions.
1) Is the judgment day near? If so , did they move it back a few years?
2)Does hell really exist and is it a no party zone?
3)Did something happen to the backseat on his magic carpet?
4)Did he unwind at a lady cop in civilian clothes?
5)Is he turning into a lesbian?
..
..
After much deep and profound brain thinking inside my head, I made this theory long back that "Rumors are like fart, you just need to be at the right wind direction to get its stink".
All the while I was standing up the wind and I had missed the information. Now I was down the wind like the standards on Chinese Toys.
Next day, I got the answer I was looking for. "The magic carpet buddie's wife had given birth to a girl kid a few days back."
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