Instrument of unfortunate events.

Life is always a chase, for something or anything that you feel makes your life meaningful, or unknowingly a big bulshit. In spite of poverty and avoidance, I had enough strength to dream that one day i would become a singer, One day that i would give out all my savings to buy a harmonium. I am standing in front of the hotel for exchanging the coins to a single currency note with a Gandhi face on it. I often feel pity on our society, because it clearly shouts that happiness is only for those who have money, those who sees the smiling Gandhi on the currency. During my lifetime, I haven’t seen a coin with anyone’s smiling face on it. I got 63 rupees from hotel, from that i had a masala dosa for 30, tea for 6, and a pack of dinesh bedi for 7. Rest goes as my saving. Every night I count my savings to reach my dream. I am a thief, a cheat, a insane human… Only because my dream is the devil inside.

Sharan is so much tensed, he looks at her face and asks, “is it fine with you?”. Central Park, wind is calm, and leaving are falling down gently, crispy sound of leaves rolling over the concrete or the birds unrestricted communication is not soothing these cupids anymore. Life is busy around, and she replies, “I trust you, you are my world, I am there with you..”, saying that both held their hands together.

23^rd proposal, still she says the same answer she said 2 years back, “NO…”. Her name is Archana. Why Arjun loves her is still a mystery, that even he doesn’t know. When friends ask him why its Archana?, he says “Man.. ARRRRCCCCCHHHHAAANNAA …man… she is awesome, class.. ,educated.., she has a style, and sexy too, if I take her to my mother and tell her that i wana marry her, she would accept it without doubt…”. Crazy that he had seen Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya a million times. After all its love, we can’t find any justification of what is right and what is wrong in love, it happens.. and yes shit happens. Sidharth, a software techie who earns around 60k every month, who completed b.tech in Computer science as topper in his college, is now facing supplementary for his love, attempting 23^rd time, came to know that she is going to register marry a guy who is  a automobile mechanic at the ford service center tommorow. Atlast he ended up in a bar, with 1^st peg of whisky which was again followed by rum, vodka, beer and brandy.

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Its hard to find a place to sleep these days, temple ground, church veranda are all closed. It seems even God is feared of us, the unprivileged, those who don’t have money. Atlast I found some space in front of a shop. With a piece of cloth, I moved the sand away, and lied few sheets of newspaper. I kept my bag on one side and lied down, night was calm with star studded sky. I slowly started to close my eyes, and then i suddenly heard the sound of someone vomiting hard. I got up and looked around. Near the median of the road, I saw a young guy wearing a tie vomiting. He was holding the street lamp post and vomiting all the energy he had earned till date. I gave away a long breathe and turned around to sleep. Suddenly I heard a sound of something falling down, smell of burnt rubber.

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“I need it, the black box.” Shouted over the telephone.

“sure, boss. we will get it.”. Govindan kutty reached Mumbai 12 years back hoping to reach Dubai one day, unfortunately he couldn’t make it and in no plans of returning home, he lived on the streets of Mumbai for more than a week. He had no other option other than to steal and get some money. He robbed a man standing along side the road, and ran with a big black box. With great expectations he opened the case to see a Harmonium. It was his lucky machine, he didn’t knew what it was. Even after 12 years he didn’t knew what it was, but he considers it as so lucky that he became a local goonda, a shiva sena member, and then a small Don named “Chotta Rajan”. Now that he has lost all his power, he wish to get back into his status of being a Don. He need the black machine back. So he sends a photograph of the black machine to his thug, to trace it out.

(phone rings). “hello..”, answers  Pistol Pasha, Don’s thug. Pistol Pasha hopes to become a Don one day, his greatest inspiration in the film ‘GODFATHER’.

“what, where… get him”

“we are on the way”.

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“so this is the black machine..”. sigh.. “what is this??”, Pistol Pasha asks the gang.

“a locker..”

“emm… puzzle”

“seems like some musical instrument..”

“harmonium…. its a harmonium…”

“what ‘-nium’?”, replies Pistol.

He takes the phone to tell Chotta Rajan that he got the black-nium machine. Excited Rajan gets a stroke. He gets admitted to a hospital. Don as his last wish asks for the harmonium.

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“here is the deal man, you take the package ,hand over it near the Anand Hospital, Mumbai in less than 6 hours. You shouldn’t stop the car anywhere whatever be the reason, you are strictly not supposed to see whats in the package, and no stops inbetween..”, says Pasha to Sharan.

“pay…???” asks Sharan.

“10k as you reach there.” Pasha turns and lights a cigarette and continues “not a pie if u make it a minute later”.

“why can’t we buy another harmonium and show it to our boss ?” asks someone in the gang to Pasha.

(gun shot). “insincere bastard..!!”.

***************************************

“we have no other option Archana, we should marry legally to face the consequences in a better way.” Saying that Sharan looks at her face. She smiles giving him all the hope and trust. “but where will we get the money for registration and move to a better place?”, asks Archana. “I will get it somehow, you be ready by day after tomorrow morning…” sighs… “i will come with the Car, i will ask Reghu and Manu to do the necessary arrangements at the Register office”.

“getting tensed Sharan..!!”, responds Archana hearing all these.

“don’t worry.. lets hope that God to be with us.”.

She smiles and leans down to his shoulders. He kisses her forehead and holds her hand tight.

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Losing all hope in arranging money and fear of losing his love, and thats when he decides to call Marcos. Marcos is a local goonda. He takes the phone and dials his number.

Meanwhile,

“we need to send the fucking black machine as soon as possible, bus or train or cab isn’t a option for us”. Says pistol.

(phone rings)

“then…”,

“we can hire someone not within us, someone who(phone ring continues), fuck you bastard, take the fucking call or put your arse out……………hmmm, can drive well, who knows the shortest way and looks decent with a neat hair cut..”

Marcos steps out of the room and takes the call. “what ?”

“man, i am in a fucking pathetic situation right now… i need money…”

Marcos bunked the call and got inside.

“IS THERE ANYONE?????”, and thats when every shit started to happen.

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Its 8.46, and Sharan has to reach the Hospital by 2.46 without any delay. Before he starts the run, he calls Archana to be ready with all she wants the next day morning. Sharan sticks a picture of Archana on the glass.  He starts of his run, a chase for his love, a chase for the day after tomorrow. With the engine crying at the 5^th gear, human’s basic instinct is slowly trying to deter his dreams, the sleep. Taking a long curve, his head falls down only to hit something on the road. Sharan applies break suddenly that the car skids burning the rubber. Sharan’s world is stuck for a moment, his heart is feeling heavy, and body electrocuted. Sharan opens the door, and looks back in the yellow lamp light.

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Its strange that, we humans are tied to a common thread, our anger, our revenge, our dreams all comes after the basic truth that we are all just humans, and not superhumans or Gods. Archana waits outside her house for more than 2 hours and goes back inside, thinking Sharan has cheated him. Sidharth has been hospitalised with a broken leg and few wounds on his face and hands, Sharan was with Sidharth all that night. By around 11.30 previous night, Don Chotta Rajan has passed away without seeing his lucky machine, to be a Don of a unknown place.

I saw that young man lying on the road hitted by a car, and the Car at some distance away with its yellow indicator twinkling for no-meaning. A person ran to the spot of accident, then another, again another, and then a crowd. The devil inside me woke me up, I went near the Car, looked around. Nothing was inside other than a pic of a beautiful girl.

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Central Railway station: I boarded one of the EMU that stopped infront of me, I got in, People are busy, everyone is so serious and i feel , I am the only guy smiling and happy. I open the Black box, My Harmonium. I am going to be a Singer one day.