AN EMOTIONAL ENTOURAGE

AN EMOTIONAL ENTOURAGE

While relishing all the gossip about the film stars and their private lives in a movie magazine unaware of my surroundings in the hygienic portals of a public library, a serious voice addressed me from behind “what is happening in Bollywood young lady?” I was shell-shocked and slowly mustered all the courage to have a glance at the face of the voice so closely supervising me. Awestruck by the brilliant glow on his wrinkled face, clad in flawless white dhoti with neatly combed hair and with a ‘mark of Vishnu’, my natural flavor of naughtiness was just pouncing upon me to ask him “how handsome must he have been in his youth?’ But I regained my consciousness and stood with an air of reverence and with choked voice, I stammered “noth…..nothing sir!” A straight line of studying skulls glared at me making me feel uncomfortable. Then the old men said “come with me little lady”. This time I questioned myself in a stature of a post-graduate “am I little?” wondering where I was being led to. He took me to Gandhian Studies Section which has almost been a touch-me-not zone for me for no serious reason. He made me feel at ease and we both exchanged pleasantries. I was ready to impress him with everything in my power. This was just enough for me to act like quick silver and to plunge in to a friendly rapport with the old man with all my elemental loquaciousness. He is well-informed with all the alphabet of bollywood starting from Ash-Abhishek, Priety-Ness wadia, Shahid-Kareena and the list goes. He wowed me and left me unperturbed with so soothing a voice. And things were going pretty well until I realized that he pinched my pulse, kindling my primary areas of interest as only a pretext to involve me in a serious talk. With a puzzled look he asked me “have you ever entered Gandhian section”? Paradoxically, at much ease I said “no”, feeling happy for my honesty. “Does Gandhi bore you?” he asked. And sensing a chance to show off, I decided to give a witty retort, of course in a tone of reverence. I replied” no! Nothing like that. Gandhi is interesting in Lage Raho Munnabhai with his Gandhi giri funda. Isn’t he? (Seeking his approval) Nodding his head as a sign of approbation, he said “yes, of course. But don’t you think it is high time you read Gandhi and not isolate this section”? I ran short of words and thought “was I observed so closely”? And in the next moment with the slightest hesitation I asked “but how do you know”? With all care in his voice he said “I am sure you must have read T.S.Eliot’s “The Waste Land” (reminding me that I was a student of English literature) I responded with equal pace to show case my memory skills and aptitude quoting some popular lines from it. He said “Do you think you need to contribute to the waste land portrayed by Eliot by just reading junk literature and ignoring some serious stuff. This quickened my senses, combed out all dirt of me and a laid-back attitude. But my bias towards Sidney Sheldon, Barbara Cart land and Grisham compelled me to question him “Is junk literature bad”? Then he smiled and patted me and said “Nothing is bad and good provided you should gain acumen for everything as a blossoming scholar”. At the instant he left bidding me adieu. I was left speechless and inspired.

However, I never met my majestic old friend again who reintroduced another majestic man “Gandhi”. But my eyes took delight in searching for him whenever I visit the library