Personal Cosmos

PART - II

I thought it was merely my imagination, but truth be said, the knot in my heart had loosened up a bit since I'd arrived in India. It was like I was home. However, out of curiosity, I had to ask again - "Brother, what do you plan to do now?"

He looked up at me and thought for a while. "Be your personal guide and translator. So, I guess it's your choice."

That made me smile. "Then... I guess-"

"Actually, I might have planned something already." He cut me off.

I pulled off my poker face. "Okay."

"You want a pup?"

"Umm.... I can try."

"Fantastic! So I'll ask my friend to be here in five minutes with his pup." He said proceeding to make a call on his phone.

"What?! Here?" My face being the physical definition of bewilderment would be the understatement of the century. This place was literally nuts. Nutshells to be precise. We had been having pistachios all day long.

My whole being must have been radiating shock because right after the phone call, he looked at me, racking his brain for a viable explanation for five minutes straight. "Yes. Well... He's a close friend. He wouldn't mind."

So, we waited and ate pistachios. The room was pretty much empty, except for a refrigerator, two mattresses and two backpacks. My brother was peeling the pistachios for me, because he thought I couldn't do it with one hand. We were sitting on loaded cardboard cartons, our backs facing the entrance.

Suddenly, something hit me on the back of my head and I heard a distinct, "Bhais ki aankh!" [Translation: Shit!]

I and my brother simultaneously turned around to find a guy with huge eyes, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, looking at a marble on the floor.

I looked at my brother and asked "Bhais ki aankh?"

He looked at me, then at the guy and then, back at me and said hesitantly, "Oh! Uh... Bhais ki aankh... Bull's eye, I guess."

"Huh?" I turned towards the guy. "Were you flirting?"

He shook his head vigorously at me with big sincere eyes. "Sorry, behen." [Translation: Sorry, sister.]

"Meri behen hai." [Translation: She is my sister.] My brother said, emphasizing the first half of his speech and proceeding towards him. I followed him.

"Oho! New York wali?" [Translation: Oho! The one from New York?] The guy asked my brother who nodded towards him.

"Uh... Hi! Me is the Vicky." He said turning towards me.

"Saale, America se hai, Antarctica se nahi." [Translation: Idiot, she's from America not Antarctica.] My brother said nudging him with his elbow. "Aur kutta kahan hai?" [Translation: And where is the dog?] My brother asked further.

"Kutta?" [Translation: Dog?] He looked confused. "Arre haan, kutta! Bhool gaya." [Translation: Oh yes, the dog! I forgot.] He added as if remembering something.

My brother muttered a "Kutta" [Translation: Idiot] under his breath and proceeded to swat his head. However, he easily ducked and moved behind me, using me as a shield. He said "Sorry yaar. Lekin laana kisliye tha?" [Translation: Sorry dude. But what did you want it for?]

"Chal, mai jaa raha hoon. Meri behen ka dhyan rakhna." [Okay, I will be out for a while. Take care of my sister.] My brother said, ignoring his last question and walking out. I gently shook his hands off and started following my brother, with a soft "It was nice to meet you. Bye."

"Kahan?!" [Translation: Where?!] The guy asked my brother who was already out of sight but was cut off with a loud "Behen!!" [Translation: Look out for my sister!!]

Then he grabbed my arm before I could go any further and pulled me inside the room. So, I had no choice, but to stumble into his arms. I wondered if I was malnourished or if he was Gulliver, now that we were the only ones in the room. He towered over me like Eiffel Tower. As he helped me regain my balance, he said, "Your brother will be out for a while. He asked me to take care of you."

"What? Why?" I asked worried and proceeding to get out again.

"Wait." He said pulling me right back. "Think about it. He's been taking care of you for weeks now. He needs to catch up on other stuff."

I froze. He was right. I'd lost my cool over nothing.

"Uh... How about we just talk?" He seemed a little flustered because of my staring.

When I didn't reply, he grabbed me by the shoulders and made me sit down.

And so, we talked. At first, it was normal talk. Introductions and everything. He asked me to call him Vicks and I asked him to call me Andy. He said he was a Delhiite and I said I was a human. The usual, you know.

But then, he said he was a poet and that was all it took to get my mouth running.

~°~

That was my first meeting with Vicks. To all of you, who have never had the privilege of meeting this 'prani' or creature, let me describe him to you. He is a real tall, fair complexioned, black horn-rim goggled 22 year old. He always wears a loose tee and a black pair of jeans. His physique is the oh-my-god-how-can-it-be-so-awesome type. He has curly black hair and sea green eyes. He always has the happy-go-lucky look on his face. Natural beauty. He was never particularly attractive, but he looked like a God to me.

When I first met him, he impressed me effortlessly. He was very friendly and he could relate to people better than anyone. Even when I told him about my depression, he didn't look at me with pity. He just asked me if I was okay. And being my stupid self, I answered with a "Not really," to which he simply closed his eyes and nodded.

And then, he offered me a competition form. It was a poem writing competition. He said it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Only hundred such forms existed in India. I wondered why he would offer me such a super rare form, and told him to take it instead. But he insisted that I take it.

Me being able to focus on conversations was a different story! I had still not come out of the black hole. I needed more time to regain my feelings to write poems, but strangely enough, when he said he'd help me, I was more than willing to try.