Bangalore Ultra Marathon 2008

Pre Marathon Thoughts:

It has not been six months since I've started having an obsession for running. Before that, I could hardly run more than 3kms. So with these experiences tucked into the past, I decided to run my first official race- the Bangalore Ultra Marathon 2008.

I registered for 50kms. You should be thinking I am mad. Anyone will. After registration, even I thought the same. So the last-to-last weekend, I decided to do my regular training run, and decided how much I can push myself. I did 36kms in a time of 4 hours 9 minutes. Not bad a time, but, I could not push myself to the distance of 42kms, that I wanted to run. I was defeated. That too, badly.

End of the run, I started developing shivers and what-not. I had a hard time driving back home. I was almost going to throw up, and I decided to go and sleep with an empty stomach. I finally managed to sleep, for 5 hours straight.

It is after this realization that I pondered, if 50km will be a bit too much on me. Especially remembering the fact that I'll not be able to reach back home as and when I want. And the result: I boldly chickened out to 25km category.

D-Day:
Bangalore Ultra Marathon happens at a resort called Our Native Village (ONV), approximately 50kms away from Bangalore, near to Hasserghata. The organization of the whole event was very good. They had a bus service from Cubbon Park to the resort, and back.

The buses for 25km category runners were stipulated to start at 4.30AM. That meant I had to get up at 2.30AM, pack my stuff, and get ready. I then had to find a "safe" place to park my car, in that, at the end of the gruelling race, I did not have to tackle another race of hunting for a towed away car. I decided to leave the car at Church St, adjacent to Brigade road, and walk till Cubbon park.

I parked my car, walked up, and reached the bus. The time was 3.45AM. Another 45 minutes left. There were few many runners there already. Most of them were for the 50km category, whose running will start earlier. So also, they had their bus leaving early- 4AM.

Many of the runners left in the first bus, and many joined in with us for the second bus at 4.30AM. Finally the bus took off at 4.35AM. On the way, they distributed oranges, biscuits and such. But I declined all of them, as I can run only on my empty stomach. (Yes, thinking of the food at the end of it is one good motivation to run).

At 6AM, we reached the ONV resort. The only small glitch, that I found in the organization of the event, was that there were only two toilets, and no bath rooms to take bath, or extra changing rooms. I felt, this is the only thing they could have taken care of.

There was no other runner from my running group who was participating for the event. I thought that I'd be stranded alone in the whole pack of runners. Luckily, I found Ashok, a pleasing chap who we used to keep bumping onto during our weekend runs, and had even run with our group once. Now, I had company.

By 6.15AM I was all ready for the run- in my running shorts, shirt and my favourite running shoes. Me and Ashok, marched out to the start-and-finish point of the race.

The 50km runners were already near the start line, waiting for their gun fire, commencing their run at 6.30AM. Aravind, the organizer of the event, and a offical of Run-For-Life running club was dispensing information on the running track, aid posts and such.

The running track is 6.25km one way, making it a 12.5km loop. And 25km meant 2 loops. Sounded easy enough. There were 4 aid posts on the way, serving electerolytes, oranges, bananas, water, and even peanut butter sandwiches (OMG, whose gonna eat that between the run is the first thought I had hearing this).

50km runners already started. Now time was approaching for the start of our race. Just a few minutes before our run, one runner from 50km category came to the finishing point, finishing his first loop- this means he is running at a speed greater than 12.5km/hr. And, no prizes for guessing, he was the winner of the race.

6.30AM: Gun fires. Our race starts. Seeing the pack of people, bumping on to each other, I started getting nervous. All I was thinking of is how to get out of the pack. Just as soon as the race started, the adrenaline rush, along with the urge to get out of the pack, made me sprint out. Couple of minutes, I was in a comfortable position, but, already feeling that I shouldn't have done that sprinting exercise. What I forgot is that the runners is going to get spread across this whole track of 6.25km in a matter of minutes. Early aggression, I knew, is bad. But I couldn't control it.

I had already set my watch to 9minutes count down- to run at 8:1 ratio, running for 8minutes, recuperating the next 1 minute with a walk.

The track is a red mud track. Music had already started pumping me the energy. And minutes passed by with seemingly no change, except the amount of gatorade in the bottle.

I must have finished the first 6.25km in a matter of 30 minutes. I kept running at the same pace. By the end of 10km, I started feeling it. I began realizing I was pusing it harder, and if I did that I might not even finish the 25km.

Lap one ended. Time should be approximately 7.40AM. Pace was okay. I changed my gatorade bottle and had a bite of chocolate. I took a sip of the drink I had in my sipper, synthetic caffeine with lemonade flavour. It just did magic, and I literally sprinted on my way out of the first lap.

Few minutes later, tiredness started kicking in. By the 4km mark, I was doing 7minutes run and 2 minutes walk. I finished the 6.25. I was tired that I didn't even notice the time. At the aid post, I picked a few pieces of orange, ate a few, and dropped a few in my pocket.

By this time, my play list had started its second loop. I tried Linkin Park for some time, and it was too heavy, I felt, it was draining energy out of me. I decided to switch back to the first playing list, my favourite.

The last 6.25km lap was extruciating. I started feeling tired, growing afraid if I'll drop out. But I believed in myself, told myself that I've done more distances than these, in better times. I just kept pusing. The trance had set in my mind. Running was the only thing happening. I was not even listening to the music that was playing.

Two aid posts and a couple of orange pieces later, I was at the last 2km mark. There was a person almost 2-3 meters infront of me. I wasnted to catch up to him, badly. Started pushing harder, and I began realizing he is a better runner than I.

Last 100meters, 50, 20.. 10 meters. The last turn and I can see the finishing line. Yes. I finished it in 2hours 37minutes and 30seconds. I'd have been happier if the time was below 2hr 30minutes. But, I am still satisfied with my results.

Athul announced the finishing of bib number '026', that is me. I felt happy hearing the clap from the spectators. I should be in the top 20 runners to finish, among the 170 runners who participated in the 25km category.

I stretched my legs and arms. Kept some ice on the knee, took off the bib from my chest. And joined the spectator crowd. I talked to few other runners who had finished already. And finally I caught a glimpse of Ashok. He had finished in 2hr 51 minutes, but I missed him finish.

There was a photobooth to take some memories of the event along with you. I went there gave my name to see what they give. They said, they'll be mailing me when the photos are available, over email.

In between, a runner passed us, and an announcement came from the stage: he is running 200km; and had started running 6pm on the Saturday evening. This meant he has already been running for more than 16 hours, continuously. Probably he'll finish in another 5-6 more hours- in 20-24 hours of time. Now, that is what I call endurance.

There was a good lunch provided for the runners. I finished that by around 12.30PM and moved out of the crowd. Made a few calls- announcing my achievement, and by 1.45PM, I was in the bus. The bus, back to Bangalore, took off at 2PM.

The back seat journey was tough on my back. Finally 2hours, a dozen jumps, a seat change, and a few pleasant talks later, I was back at Cubbon park. I walked (or rather dragged myself) back to the car in the Church street. And unsurprisingly, the car was still there and was not towed away.

I thought of getting some books on the way back, but ditched the plan. Got back home. Finally after a bath, some food, and a movie (you'll call me crazy, yet again, if I said, I watched "Silence of the Lambs" to relax myself) I was back in shape. Night came in early for me, and I still can't figure out when I slept. :-)

Post Marathon Thoughts:
Marathon is tough. It is more about endurance than fitness. I was surprised to see people running 75km, 100km and inevitably 200km. It took a lot of guts to do that. What surprised me even more was that there were women running in 50 and 75km categories. Some of them should be in their 40s or 50s.

Indians were less into running for quite some time. Just like any other western habit, I guess running is also getting accepted in the Indian society. And luckily, this time what we have acquired out of westernization is not an evil, probably just a minor madness. :-)

Cubed

One of the first puzzles that I got as a gift in my life (*and the one that I did not solve for the longest time) remains the Rubik's cube. To all who knows what that six faced, not so easily tamable beast is, they know how much they appreciate one who can solve it.

I got the gift in fifth grade. I knew the formulas also. But that time, the only problem was to know what formula to apply where. Then gradually my cubic itch just subsided.

It is recently that I started looking at it once again. Thanks to Douglas Hofstadter's Metamagical Themas. All that group theory and stuff behind, got me motivated again to do fiddle with it. There started my cubic itch again.

I sought out various ways of solving it (*at least got to know the names of those algorithms). But my timing remained very very bad, around 30 minutes or so, compared to the world record of around 10-15 "seconds".

Then came the deus-ex-machisma of cubism, one of my colleague. As by serendipity my cube got to meet him. With his easy to remember moves (* which even a dumbo like me could learn in one day) and his amazing teaching skills, here I am, always finishing a cube (*unless I confuse the moves) in less than 5-10 minutes. Now the road beyond is of practice, and my upper limit, will remain a mark of my dumbness.

But yes a cube solved means, no more fear of someone destroying that perfectly set cube, kept in the shelf!!

a customer's plea

A recent event at a restaurant coerced me to react to it at the best way possible. And what could I managed to do was to get the mail id of the VP of the hotel chain, and mail her. Here it goes, the snippet served from my mail..

Respected madam,

Being a true connoisseur of food, it is not less than a dozen times that I have visited the Indijoe restaurant on Airport Road here in Bangalore, in the last one to two year span of time. The food, ambience, service and just about everything: the whole experience, I felt, was no less than excellent. And, it was a happy news for me to know that a new Indijoe has opened up on the Old Madras Rd, at a walk-able distance from my home. And last week I decided to give it a try.

At the first look the ambience was at par with the other Indijoe. And the man in charge there, came and asked if he can help me. I said I wanted a table for a person. He pointed me over to the bar table counter, and when I said I was there to have food also, not just drinks, he said they don't have tables for individuals. Pardon me, but I just wondered if I had walked into a road side dhaba! If he had told me that there is no two-seater table available, and I'd have to wait for a while, I would have understood. But this was way too much for me.

I have traveled across a lot of places, dined right from the road side restaurants to the five and seven star hotels like Taj and Leela. This was the first time I had come across an experience of this sort- literally, getting thrown out of a restaurant, for being single. I have seen hotels saying 'dogs not allowed', but, 'singles not allowed'- this has to be a new trend! If it had been a discotheque or a place like that, allowing no stag entry, I could have understood. All this man wanted was, me to have one more person, if I need a table; and what was I to do- wait outside the restaurant, for some unlucky customer like me who gets thrown out eventually, and pair up with him for a table?

I am not flaming, or even trying to play a blame game here. All I want to put across is, how a customer like me who "used to" adore Indijoe, gets totally annoyed and irritated by an incident like this, and having to walk out and search for another place to eat(luckily here in Bangalore, good restaurants are, for your kind information, not hard to find). Every time we friends had parties, treats and such get-together occasions, I used to suggest Indijoe as the best place to go for. What this person, who threw me out forgot is that an individual coming to a restaurant one time, is the one who is going to bring along a whole family the next time, provided the atmosphere is enchanting and not annoying!!

Sorry for such a long mail. But I was just trying to point out the feeling of a customer without loosing on the emotions behind the words. I believe you value each and every customer (over a pack of them who might be shelling in a couple of more bucks) and keep Indijoe as nice as it used to be, keeping with the reputation of the BJN group. I request you to do the needful. And just in case, if there is any need to contact me over a phone, my number would be: xxxxxxx

Thank you for you time.

To my surprise, she responded, the same day. And here it goes..

Dear Mr. Jagadeesh,

Thank you for taking the trouble of writing this mail.

It is very distressing and disturbing for me to hear that one of our manager's has behaved in such an unprofessional manner.

Please accept my sincere apologies and be rest assured, I will personally take this matter up very strongly with the team. Please do not hold this one incident against us. I assure you, you will not be disappointed.

My number is xxxxxx. Please feel free to call me for any assistance.

Regards,
xxxx
Vice President (Operations)
BJN HOTELS LIMITED
Bangalore

If you ask me what did I gain from spending my time on this behalf is expressing the power of a customer. And I do respect every concern and company that do take care of customers, they are, people who really knows how to handle the business. And the gist of the post is not a black mark in any way against Indijoe, or the BJN group, but on the contrary, my respect for a VP who finds time to come down to a customer's level to address an issue.

For me, it is a rebellion sought (not exactly, but for the rhyme), fought and got!

Ah, Poetry! -- Innocence Lost

Where has the charm gone, I ask, when I visit the "Ah, Poetry..." community on Orkut now-a-days. It used to be one community of budding and veteran poets, having poetic exchanges, comments and criticisms and so forth.

I still remember the day I joined the community; almost a year back. It was very addictive. Poetry became an indispensable part of my life, fired by the inspiration- of knowing that there are readers who take time and read your poem.

Now what remains is petty fights, egoism and a once-in-a-while appearing gem of poems. "Why?" my mind asks. Here is the ten commandments of "Ah, Poetry..." (*and many of them, I live with it, knowing nothing can be done).

1. Give more to get more (comments).
   
2. To get maximum comments (*but most of them nothing but a half read, or rather not-read comment saying 'nice', 'great' and all such) you have to be a female.
3. To get more comments (*to top up on 1.) you need to be a female with a profile pic (*beautiful the better).
4. Every one has a hidden intention- satisfying an ego, snatching some fame, irritating one that gets the most comments and so on the list goes.
5. The best way to get a girl accept your friendship request (*proven) is to read a dozen of her poems, put in some sweet comments interspersed with some criticisms (*for that she has to write one or two poems which are understandable) and then send the request. 99% you will be accepted.
6. Everyone starts with a spree, that he/she got more comments than mine (*and my mind saying, that no that write is not even worthy as mine), so I need to do something about it.
7. Blessed- Anonymity allowed. Hide behind the veil and shout all things filthy- decent outside, indecent inside- and act, there is no fairer an angel than me!
8. Everyone complains, but the fact is, to a poet, nothing can be a replacement for "Ah, Poetry!".
9. Everyone complains, but the fact is, to a poet, nothing can be a replacement for "Ah, Poetry!".
10. Finally (almost) everyone reaches a stage of 'Nirvana', where no one's pranks affect you; drag you into controversies, and you remain 'selectively-blind'.
    

Tail Note:
I haven't written this as a finger-pointing article at anyone. Till a wordly fight becomes a fist fight, silence can be the best aegis.

Atomic Kitchen (1) - burnishing a hidden talent

Scene 1:
The day starts, just like any other. Birds chirping, zephyr flowing. Nature as always, showing its magnificent splendour.
The only catch, I woke up early (*earlier) and hungry out of the bed. Now what is the option. Get up, do all the morning poojas and get out for a breakfast? Nah! That's gonna take a tad too long.

Bulb flashes- idea!!

I'll cook. "Wow! Amazing, but what?"- my mind asks. Egg toast. Now that sounds tasty. I said why not.

Cooking, till that time, that very second, was one among my latent talents. No one, including myself had explored that facet of mine.

The stage is set. The utensils are laid. All I need to do is... to break an egg. How do I do that? Do I throw it into a cup? Or do I cut it? But where to cut? The corner or the center? "No!", nothing to worry; it is my specialty: I can cut it anywhere, and I mumbled to myself - "here goes nothing!!".

Holding the egg over the cup, with the sleight of hand, like a magician, I do it- I make the cut- or rather a half cut. Now comes the artistic part, breaking it off and pouring.

Hands perfectly placed on sides (between the words, I did cut it in the center, to break the suspense) I tear it to the sides. The raw egg flows. Not a single drop spilled, "wasn't that wonderful?"; but, into the cup. All that was there in the cup was, a few broken shells.

All said and done, even 'the best cook in the world' makes mistakes at times. It is when things go wrong- serendipity happens- that is I get a raw egg to toast!

Tail Note:
The best part was the smell of the raw egg, that prevailed, over hours, days and weeks. Now I am not sure whether the smell is gone, or I just got used to it!!

To add, this is surely not the end of my kitchen adventures; the saga has only begun.

helpless

Behind a window
Caged by iron bars
I stood,
Watching him.

I've seen him,
Every day, and every time,
I stood,
Beside the window.

Wanted to warn
Of a storm coming,
Wanted to shout,
At him, to seek a shelter.

There I stand,
Behind the window,
Helpless,
My words effaced by the wind.

At the blink of an eye,
Came the storm.
The moment I opened,
He was there no more.

Where was my voice,
When I did shout!
Now where are my tears,
When I want to cry!!

Helpless I am,
Its the way life made me,
Helpless,
To even ask for forgiveness!

--
Jagadeesh
o7/o2/2oo8

Note: There was a chap at orkut's Ah Poetry community named Vinay. He wrote poems. This is all I knew about him. I saw the news today at The Hindu, that he committed suicide yest night. Seeing that, a feeling of helplessness runs over. Even though I did not know him beyond his writes, a feeling rises inside me, saying I could have done something to prevent it.

Yearpost - Tagged!!

Thanks to Manisha, I am back with another tag. The soliloquy follows..

· What had you done in 2007 that you had never done before?
Lot of things, good and bad. First time booze. A dinner out with a girl (not a date though, heard that her boyfriend didnt talk to her for a while after we had the dinner - i think it was the food ..). Have never had fought with a girl in my life, now that too happened (for petty reasons though, I never grow up). A great achievement was solving the Rubik's cube for the first time. I was on cloud number nine that day.

· What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
I'd like to have more hours in a day, more days in the year, and more holidays than working days!

· What do you wish you had done more of 2007?
Growing up!

· What song(s) will always remind you of 2007?
Two-and-a-zero-and-a-zero-and-a-seven,
I have seen too much of hell and heaven!

I guess I am not that great a music composer! Any filmi offers contact me at my mail id (xx@yy.zz)

· What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
I have never been good at numbers. I guess it was the date I signed a cheque for 2008, seriously wishing afterwards, he should have torn it off, and not kept it with him!

· What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finally I got one (more) hair on my beard!

· What was the best thing you got in 2007?
I didn't get anything that great. But there is one gift worth mentioning. My cousin on his marriage day got a gift from some one, a "Good Night" mosquito coil. How well picked a gift!

· What places did you visit this year?
Office, and rarely home.

· What was the best book you read in 2007?
Blindness by Jose Saramago, Hungry Tide by Amitav Gosh and Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, they are my favourites. For suggesting the blindness book, I thank Sashu.

· What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I didn't do much to celeberate, but the whole world did -- 07/07/07. Old, I guess atleast one year older than I already was, the gray hair strand proves it too..

· What do you wish you had done less of in 2007?
Eating. I have been making a financial tallying for year 2007, and the maximum amount I've spent is on food. Money wasted, since after all these, I lost 3 kgs.

· What was your favorite film this year?
Bhagam Bhag. It was awfully bad. How can a movie like this run at box office, and worser, how can people roll on the stomach and laugh for jokes that literally makes one cry.

· Who did you miss the most among relatives and friends?
I miss quite a few of my friends. I guess they had a party the night I moved out from their apartment.

· What did you hate most about yourself this year?
That ugly looking man running in my shoes. The sole reason for all my worries..

· Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
A post-bath-realization of having a bathroom window open. Why did I have to notice that? I would have slept sound otherwise!!

· If you could go back in time to any moment of 2007 and change something, what would that be?
Just this right moment, watching the expression on my manager's face, as he kept watching me blogging during office hours.. (just kidding)..

· Did you do any act of benevolence this year?
Yup. Fed a belly with an unsatiable appetite. It is not my mistake if that belly belongs to me!

· My 2008 wish list:
1. More girls join my team.
2. Beautiful girls don't go to the other team.
3. A little more courage to look at a girl's face and talk! :-P
Ref: Epimendes Paradox

sa ri ga ma...

Prologue:
I was excited to hear that a Carnatic music class right in my office. Born to a passionate music lover dad and a great singer mom, I had no apprehensions with my singing skills. I was a little petrified that this was the first time I was going to let someone else hear my singing skills.

We few sat in a circle around Guruji. He said, first he have to check the pitch of each one, that he can club students of similar pitch together.

Incidentially, I was the one sitting next to Guruji. He asked me to start with. Shying, I said, I'll sing at the end, thinking that I'll get some time to compare my inborn skills with the rest of the pack.

Take 1:
Guruji: "I'll sing sa re ga ma. Just sing the same way as i do".
First disciple: "Instead can I sing a hindustani song?"
At the nod of Guruji, he sang a song.
Guruji: "you sing so well. Have you learnt music?"
disciple: "Just around for 10 years. Now I want to learn carnatic!"

No, I was not shocked!!


Take 2:
Guruji: "Now you sing as I sing."
Second disciple: "Ok, master."
He sings and she mimicks.
Guruji: "You also sings well. Have you learnt music?"
disciple: "Yes. I have passed junior and senior grade of carnatic too. But I havent been singing for last 7 years or more. So I just wanted to recuperate on things."

Take 3:
Guruji: "Can we start."
Third disciple: "Sure."
After the session
Guruji: "Your shruti is good. You can learn things fast."
disciple: "My daughter sings. So I used to practice with her".
Guruji: "Then it should be good."

The story continues.

Finally....

Take 10:
Guruji: "Now you'll sing right"?
Me: "No problem".
Guruji: "SAAAA.........."
Me: "saaaa..."

(Note the difference in tone). I could feel an expression on Guruji's face. I have never seen theis look on someone's face, as if they had seen a ghost. Suddenly it went off. He came to normal senses (with an expression, oh lord, let me try again).

Guruji:" RIIIIIIIIIII...."
Me: "riiiiiiiiiiii....."
Guruji: "what did you sing just now?"
Me: "ri saar".
Guruji: "You had to tell me that. I thought it was GA".
Me: "Ohh".

Guruji: "try at a different pitch - Saaaaaa"
Me: "saaaaa... " (same old pitch)
Guruji: "sAAAAAA...."
Me: "saaaaa...."
Guruji: "Well, I'd suggest, you better listen to some songs for a while and come back to me in say a couple of years". (he thought he mite not live so long or something of that sort).
Me: "........."

Epilogue:
Class co-ordinator: "So you will be starting the classes next week, right?"
Guruji: "Due to unforseen circumstances, I need a vacation for one month!"
Co-ordinator: "Then when do we start!?"
Guruji: "Beginning of next month".


Me: Oh, man, what a great singer I am. Can some one create a magic better than this?

Escapism

want to run away
from this thing called life
want to escape
from this drudgery

so scared i am
and so young to die
so tired to fight
and so coward to quit

so i live
through another day
waiting for the next day
just to live on..

--
11/06/2007

flying in a blue sky

Flying so high, I was;
Over this world
Flying so close, I was;
Close to heaven.

I could hear the music,
Of the wordless speech.
pushed beyond the limits
of being myself.

The flight was so smooth,
I could feel the clouds,
Stopping in midair,
Why this sudden jerk!

Dropping down I was,
Like a stone into the river,
Falling asleep..
Into a stupor!!

Thanks to the pain
that made me drink
Thanks to the drink
that made me fly
Thanks to the flight
that got me asleep!!

Bangalore Diaries - III

More than a handful of my friends have already warned me about taking a car in Bangalore traffic. It really is worser we can imagine. But I decided to give it a try myself.

So I finally decided on my own car and barely managed to get the one I wanted. Two months after the whole deal the car was still running scratch-less. People were surprised, as to, if I am actually using the car.

One day I was getting back home after my office. I always prefer roads where there are signals to the ones where drivers decide how to maneuvre. People, I have seen, get smarter when the get into the driving seat. They believe they are the only ones who are really busy. All the rest have to wait. And that makes them do a hell lot of circus on the roads. And the people who do them are mostly autorikshaw-walas.

I got a red signal at one of the junctions. I stopped my car to the left most side of the road, nearer to the foot path so that no one will overtake me from the left. A couple of seconds later, I heard a crashing sound from the rear side of my car. An auto rikshaw had actually banged to the rear left of my car, trying to get ahead of me from the left over the foot path. I suspect him believing his auto could really fly.

I was totally shocked, angry and upset. I stopped the car putting on the warning lights, and got out to blast at the auto driver. Meanwhile he somehow managed to get ahead of me and the signal suddenly went green. He shot across the road and tried to escape.

I started running after the auto. I believe I was breaking all my speed records. On the way I happened to see a traffic police officer. I told him that a hit and run case has occured with me. He left the traffic handling to the assistant and followed me.

I managed to reach the auto. Thanks to the slow moving Bangalore traffic. You can any day over take a Porsche walking infront of it, those are some rare occations when you get to be jealous of a pedestrian. I got the auto driver get the auto to one side of the road. A couple of other drivers also reached there. The traffic police also reached the spot. I went back and got the car also to the spot. I got a huge dent in the rear bumber. It could get me atleast 1500 bucks to get it fixed.

The police and the people around were talking in compromise terms. They started discussing among themselves in Kannada. Finally policeman told me in English that if I file a case, both the vehicles would be in the station for more than a week. I said I dont mind having my car in the station for a month even, till this gets settled.

Now the tone of the policeman changed. I got to know that he was trying to get me off the hook, and I also knew what he wanted of me. I never wanted to give up. He and auto driver started speaking of financial compromise. I actually could understand Kannada, though can never speak it. So this chap was actually asking the driver how much he has and how much he can give me. He showed around 50 bucks or something. The policeman was warning the auto driver saying that this would be the cost of one coffee this guy (pointing at me) takes. I told the policeman that I can understand Kannada, but can not speak. So do it the way he thinks it is fair. He asked me howmuch I expected, as a financial compensation.

Now, ball was in my court. This auto driver looked so innocent. I thought of the life I am having and life he might be living - a few children to feed, looking just at the money he earn and a whole family dependent on him. Wouldn't taking his earning away from him be a sin, atleast with the hundred fold salary I earn compared to him? But I could not let him go also. So I decided to get around 100 bucks from him. But if I asked for that, I would end up getting almost nothing other than a thanks or a sorry. And as I had guessed, I ended up getting 100 bucks instead of the 250 I asked for.

Finally leaving, I noted down his number and let him go. The rikashaw-walas might be doing a lot of anti social activities, like over charging the traveller, not going where you want but rather where he wants to go, and a lot more like that. But just take a moment. Think of how much he might be earning. Think of how extravagant a life we are leading. How much we spend without a cause or a reason. Yes, all these points never grant them the authority to do any kind of illegal activity, that is for sure. Still....(the thought lingers)..

The final smile that he granted me, when I let him go, made me feel that I got more than what I asked for.