Daily Lessons

Madhav's diary

26th December 2008 –

The dawn with a run of the mill opening. It is a holiday and I got up late. Holidays are for it, I unfalteringly believe. The day, a sunny one, faded in its own way. I did work proactively preparing for future lectures. I prepared a ppt presentation on NON-FINITE verbs, a real good work I think.

Dusk showed its face and I planned to go town to get new books for me. Mrs. Malar gave me Rs. 1000 to buy books for my department. I went to a shop and shoved the chit, which gave the titles of the books that I was in need. I notified the manager of the book company that they are a part of the syllabi, when the latter asked me the purpose for my purchase. When I gave the reason he said that they are not going to bill, but provide them as specimen copies, I was enthralled. There were several other books left in my chit, so I headed to another bookshop. The second bookshop was not that fitting, for they did not have the books in my roll and if they have at all, it was of shoddy quality. After purchasing them, I went to the third bookshop – to buy books for my little nieces. I parked my vehicle deliberately at a long distance, with the simple reason that I could have a walk. I purchased two books – one in Tamil and other in English, with stories and illustrating pictures contained in them.

As been said earlier I walked along the wide road before Madurai railway station. I strolled, zigzagged, even jumped when men standing in the platform spitted their saliva not minding of pedestrians who walk along the platform. As I crisscrossed the crowd of congested people, I met a woman in plain green saree, standing at a distance beneath a white light. Something in her attracted my eyes. The way she wound the saree, the single streak of her saree that traced a good silhouette of her body, the contrast of her dark skin with that of the pale coloured attire, many such outwardly appearances would come as reasons for me to gap at her. I never thought that she would see me at all, that is an added sense of courage and that encouraged my eyes not to shift from her. As I came near her, she came towards me, behind a man. The man asked me whether I want her. I was just shocked – a PROSTITUTE! A whore in Madurai, so public, in the heart of the city, shameless, daringly was asking me . . .

The surprise in me kept multiplying itself as I hastened the pace of my walk. I took my bike, without turning back to see the woman. I was utterly frightened, I should confine. As I drove my bike, making sure I have rolled up a long distance, I ruminated about what has happened with me. I smiled, a smile of satisfaction, not that I have escaped from the clutches, but they have recognized me as a grown up man. People forsake me to consider me as an adult. I too regret considering me as a grown up. This incident made me, makes me think that I am A MAN!