Aaj kaun sa function hai?!

The doorbell rang as Reena hurriedly pulled her hair into a bun and rushed to the door. Outside the door stood her husband, Ram a bit jaded but cheerful. Reena looked exasperatedly at him and said, "Why are you so late today? Don't you remember that tonight we have to attend Vineet's reception?".

For a moment, the smile was wiped clean from Ram's face but he mustered a look of surprise before his observant wife and replied, "Sorry, honey, there was an emergency meeting today. Don't worry. I will get ready in a jiffy."

 Ram -"Really these functions! Why the hell should I waste my evening at a boring reception of Reena's uncle's son's brother-in-law, when I could jolly well laze on the couch watching today's match? Anyway, who keeps a reception on the day of an ODI?"

Reena looked suspiciously at her husband. She said, "Look, Ram, I know you are not interested in coming. But we could not attend his wedding. The least we can do is wish him in the reception. Moreover, Vineet helped us a lot during my wedding. For your sake, I have convinced Sarita to bring along Mukesh so that you'll have company. Now, get ready fast!". Mukesh was Reena's brother-in-law and a close friend of Ram. Ram heaved a sigh of relief.

An hour later, Ram sat next to Mukesh in a corner of the grand hall, where the reception was organized. The hall was thankfully air-conditioned. Guests were milling in and out, greeting the newlyweds who stood on a ornate stage, decorated with the choicest of flowers. Ram said, "Thank god, man, you are here. Otherwise, my whole evening here would have been spent smiling at nothingness and waiting for Reena to finish her endless conversations with her countless relatives." Mukesh replied, "Yaar, I don't know about you but Sarita promised me the food here was good. That is the only reason  I am here."

Meanwhile on the stage, the bride and groom stood patiently, greeting the long line of guests. As it was a reception from the groom's side, the groom introduced his relations as the bride smiled and made small talk. The groom said, "This is my grandfather's brother's daughter and her family." The bride acknowledged their wishes with a smile, took their gifts and passed it behind.

The bride - "How many more guests to come? This lehenga is  so heavy. I can barely stand. The photographers also do not give us a moment's respite. How on earth am I going to remember who all these people are? Ok, I have to really be attentive now."

As Ram and Mukesh talked about sundry topics, suddenly, out of the constantly moving crowd, an elderly lady stopped by Ram's side and said, "You are Ram, right? And you must be Mukesh?". The two stood up and said, "Yes." "How are you? I was just talking to Reena and Sarita about you two. It has been sometime since I  last saw you. Maybe it was only at Reena's reception." Mukesh said, "Of course! How are you doing? How is your health?"

Mukesh -"Oh my god, who is she? Think fast, Mukesh! Is she Sarita's mother's cousin sister? No, no! Is she their childhood neighbour? Oh god, I wonder if Ram remembers."

 Ram - "Say something, Ram! She was at your reception. Reena must have told you about her. Does she have a son who is abroad? No harm in trying!"

Ram said, "How is your son? Has he come back?". The lady looked flummoxed. She replied, "Oh no, I have only one daughter. She and Reena studied together. We were neighbours for many years. I have known Reena and Sarita since they were little girls. I guess, you have forgotten me."

Mukesh - "Yes, neighbour! I should have said so."

Both mustered a weak smile and Ram said, "I am sorry, aunty. I got confused." The lady smiled and said, "It's okay, beta. Hope you are doing fine. I will see you later," and walked away.

The two sat down sheepishly. Ram said, "Honestly, man, I didn't have a clue who she was!" Mukesh said, "Forget about it. It happens all the time at these functions. I wonder how much longer it will take for these two ladies to stop their chatter and give us some attention."

Reena and Sarita were having a gala time catching up with their cousins and other relations. Reena said, "Okay, Sarita, I think we better go and greet the newlyweds. The stage is not so crowded now. You go and fetch Ram and Mukesh. I will wait near the stage."

Mukesh saw Sarita gesturing him and told Ram, "Chal yaar! Bulawa aaya hai. If we can quickly finish this process, we are slowly on our way out." Both of them hurried to the stage. The four of them waited patiently as the previous guests posed for pictures with the newlyweds. Then quickly they made their way, introduced themselves, wished the bride and groom, clicked a picture and climbed down the stage.

Mukesh turned to Sarita and said, "Okay, now that is done. Can we have our dinner please?" Sarita looked irritated and said, "Can't you wait until we are a safe distance away from the stage? What will they think if they hear you? As if we have come for the food!"

Mukesh - "But that is why I have come! Ok, shut up, Mukesh. Thodi der ki baat hai."

Reena said, "It's okay, Mukesh. You guys go on and have your dinner. We will join you later."

An hour later, the four were finally on their way home. Reena and Sarita remarked how much fun they had had while the two men exchanged knowing looks and just thanked God it was over.

A few weeks later, the doorbell rang and Reena sauntered to open it. Ram stood outside and on seeing Reena in a plain saree, remarked, "You are not ready yet? I told you to be dressed by the time I come. Don't you remember today is my boss's son's birthday?"

Reena said, "Of course, honey! The maidservant was late today. And I was not expecting you to be so early. Don't worry. I will get ready soon."

Reena - "Really, these office functions are so boring! Why should I miss my daily serial just to dress up and be bored in a strange party with strange people? Uff, this Ram also will never understand!"

The Unbelievable Life of Pi

I'm not a risk-taker when it comes to collecting books, preferring to pick up books I have already read and liked or classics, bestsellers or award-winning books that guarantee a good read. So, when I bought the Booker Prize-winning novel, 'Life of Pi', I knew it would be good.
Though I'm a literature student, it is with a degree of shame that I admit to never looking at a novel from a critical point of view. I'm purely subjective, never bothering about literary devices or analysing the content, structure or language. Therefore, instead of focussing on its allegorical references or recurring theme of religion and faith, I would like to write about what I took away from that book.
The premise of the novel is simple and interesting. A ship sinks leaving a sixteen-year-old boy in the company of a Bengal tiger in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The story chronicles the adventures of an ordinary Indian boy, Pi Patel, the son of a zookeeper, who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances; giving us a credible back-story of his childhood and early life in Pondicherry.
By revealing in the beginning that he has survived the ordeal, the suspense may appear to have been quashed but nothing can prepare us for the chilling, mind-numbing moment when Pi watches the ship sink, leaving him clueless about his family's whereabouts. If that were not enough to shake the reader, the presence of a tiger, a zebra, a hyena and an orangutan in a lifeboat with the hero is enough to make us wonder how he could have survived for 227 days in the ocean. That is the beauty and genius of the author's writing! Never for a moment is the attention allowed to wander as Pi painstakingly sketches his daily activities and triumphs over nature and monster.
We weep for his loss. We marvel at his presence of mind as he negotiates life on the lifeboat with the tiger. We sympathise with him as he battles the elements. We are grossed out by his attempts to satisfy his hunger and thirst. We wait as eagerly as he does for the sign of approaching help and are as disappointed when days go on without an inch of hope. We are amazed at his sagacity and wisdom as he trains the tiger to listen to him. We are scared to death as he stares at imminent danger from an unpredictable wild creature. We cheer for him as he masters every obstacle. In short, we are with him throughout the journey. And when finally he sights land and the tiger runs into the jungle without so much as a farewell, we are as astonished and saddened as he is.

And then comes the twist in the tale. A doubt is sown in the mind of the reader, and reality and imagination suddenly merge leaving the reader flabbergasted and flummoxed. The author turns the story on its head and sends the reader searching for the truth in the realms of belief and cynicism. I would like to believe, however, that every reader, just like Pi, would end up trusting and accepting what is eventually 'the better story', no matter how incredulous and improbable.
I may not have read many novels in the past few years, but I can safely say that after 'The Kite Runner', the 'Life of Pi' is a book that disturbed me immensely, albeit for different reasons, and definitely not for the puke-worthy scenarios and sentences. My first reaction is the amount of trust and belief that we humans have that makes us believe blindly in what is told or shown to us. In an increasingly cynical world, I still feel that people are willing to believe what is 'the better story' when truth itself is so hard to digest. The book is a tribute to imagination that allows us to create a world that is far away from reality, a reality we do not 'want' to believe. It also showed me that when I believed something utterly, I would reject any other version outright, even if it may be the truth. A lesson for life indeed!

The other thing that stands out in this novel is the propensity of mankind to adapt to every possible situation. The author writes that everything becomes acceptable when one gets habituated to it, whether it is abandoning vegetarianism or even killing. There are no moral questions asked nor answered. It made me wonder to what lengths one would go to if one was trapped in an unforeseen scenario. Having been in the crowded streets in India and also in the sparsely populated streets of America, I still cannot imagine being alone in a vast ocean surrounded only by water. Surely one would die of hopelessness. Therefore, the book is also a testament to man's will and determination to survive against all odds, even if it requires uncharacteristic behaviour.

There are several layers in the book that I might be unable to express here but I would like to think of it as an ode to man's imagination that somehow makes things more beautiful, and life easier to live. Yes, the 'Life of Pi' is so unbelievable that you want to believe in it and accept it whole-heartedly.

 

P.S : In spite of hints of plagiarism that I have no clue about, I deeply admire Yann Martel's research and knowledge of another culture that made me almost wonder if he was Indian!