The Witty Stride

It’s another busy day at the bank, and handling the pension section is complex. Every day, there are cases where grandmothers and grandfathers can’t even understand what to do. Yes, I treat them like Ajji and Dadu, so they come so openly with their problems. Not many children look after their parents for long. If most of them were well educated, this problem wouldn’t have arisen.

The birthdate on your Aadhaar card does not match the birthdate on your PAN card. According to your birth certificate, your birth date is 6/9/1955, and 6/11/1955 is listed on your Aadhaar card. You need to change it.” “But beta, they told me to give the Aadhaar card number and see the letter from my son,” I face-palm in my mind (obviously now). “OK! Why don’t you take my card and tell your son to call me, or it’ll be better if he can come and help us out?” “Only if he really could, he says.” I must participate in the situation as if I were their daughter. At least, I try to.

“Sanjana! Are you done with those passbooks?” It’s past noon, and the pace is only getting busier. “Excuse me. I wanted the information on this account number, if you may.” I looked up, and now you don’t get many grandmothers speaking so calmly. A beautifully aged lady in a plain white saree looked through me with those dense black eyes. I am 28 and couldn’t come close to her mastery of applying winged eyeliner. I took the passbook and searched the transactions. They were ancient. It was as if no one had used this account for 5 to 6 years.

I filled out her passbook and gave it to her. Read the immediate transactions. “I wish to transfer the amount to my account and close this account. My husband passed away a few years ago, and the account remained untouched.” OK, good children; they didn’t let her feel alone. “I am so sorry to hear that. You will have to submit the death certificate with a sample letter to the branch manager (I pointed out), and that will be all.” “Beta, I didn’t get my pension this month.” She gave me the warmest smile with the coldest and darkest eyes I had seen. For some reason, it left me unsettled. I had more important things to look at than those eyes.

As a corporate bank, we are open on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It’s almost 5 p.m., and the main entrance has been closed, but work continues through the back door. I started packing my stuff. Suddenly, I noticed a handkerchief whose border was stitched in red chains. The name RAVIRAJ was embroidered on it. Yes, the name on the lady’s passbook must be hers. I folded it carefully and kept it in my bag. I will surely return this to her on our subsequent encounter.

Driving back home, I get a text from Maya, my roommate. I guess we got an invitation to a club. That is the only time we get a chance to do something recreational. Yet, we decide to drink and sleep on our issues. And we call it a happy life? I’m free and will not let Maya get wasted again, so I’m surely going. I decided to wear an lbd. Otherwise, it will rot in my closet. I choose boots over stilettos anytime, and my favorite turquoise jewelry adds a touch of divine elegance. Roar Maya starts the car, and I sit inside, looking for cracks. As Maya accelerated, I saw someone standing beside our parked car. When I looked back, the watchman was standing there. But… “So, are you open to relationships yet? Coz I think we will have some handsome company today, giggles.” “Amm, if he believes in aliens, hates Trump, and wants to change our education system, why not?” “There, sis, there! There are too many intellectual skills to test. Nope, I don’t; it’s the basics, I believe. Why would I invest my time, anyway? That shadow-like thing I saw wasn’t the watchman. But what else might it be? I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“We are here! Am I looking good?” Maya asked. “You are, and isn’t that a question to ask before we, you know, leave?” And before I could hear anything she said, my ears filled with music, “Jaiyen aap Kaha Jayenge. Ye nazar laut ke fir ayengi..” That’s not usually a song played in a club unless it’s themed or requested. Nonetheless, I do like it. I do not know the lyrics, but I start humming the tune. Slowly, EDM music began to fill my right ear. It felt like I had just traveled to some parallel universe playing the golden hit. In that moment, I had transcended. I started remembering whether I had a drink, but I didn’t; I was sober. Thinking about all these things, the white shadow, the song, I am on the floor, the next thing I know. Someone had pushed me badly. “I am so, so sorry! Miss, are you OK? Here, let me help you.” A pleasant-looking guy was helping me out. I couldn’t move my legs for some reason. He pulled me towards him and helped me get a seat in the corner. “Hey, what happened? We just entered, and you are wasted already?” This girl embarrasses me in front of hot guys all the time. “Naah, he pushed me by mistake.” “Of course, by mistake; I am so so sorry! Are you alright? Can I get you something?” “Grey martini, if you can, please?” Okay, now I will admit that isn’t usually the case. But he seems to be friendly. We will find that out soon.

“There you go. Miss?” “Sanjana, Sanjana Sharma. Thank you.” I took the glass and started checking it. Sober or not, this one thing needs to be checked. I stirred my finger in it. My nail enamel did not change color, so we’re good with this one. It’s not like I dated douchebags. However, they certainly evolved into one over time. I took a careful sip of the martini. “Thanks, Mister, for helping me out there. I zoned out somehow.” “Call me Jai. My name is Big, so let’s stick to Jai chuckles Big.”

“Why, what is it?” “Well, you see, my grandpa wanted to name me. So he chose Jayesh Kumar Abhiraj Raviraj Singh. But I prefer people calling me Jai, and you can tell why.” “That is a long name. Thanks, Jai, then laughs.” “So, do you wanna dance?” That’s how most of the club’s stories began. It’s not like I’m not fond of it at all. I love dancing, and he seems to be good at it. It’s just that I might know how things end. I always know, at least most of the time. I know stuff. I probably would have been good without knowing it. Most of the time, it becomes a burden.

This is why people like clubbing. You drink, and the music fills your mind, so there is no space for thoughts. You live for that moment, for yourself. Your body reacts to the beats as involuntarily as breathing. Submission. To ease yourself from the power of making decisions and save yourself from its consequences. “So, should I drive you home? If Maya doesn’t show up?” “laughs. No, thank you. She will show up.” At times, you may need to take care of yourself. “I had a great time today. Am I going to see you again?” He asked with that deadly look. He certainly has a charm of his own. “Why don’t you give me your phone? I can save my number, and we will see whether we can meet again or not.” “Haha, please.”

I am sleeping peacefully in my bed. I guess I didn’t mind changing my dress. I see it’s 3:10 a.m. I don’t usually wake up at night. I fetch myself a glass of water. “Maya! Maya?” I look around me, and I am alone. Where did she go? I try to remember whether she drove me home. Jai appeared in front of me with a glass of water. “Oh, you’re up? Here, have this.” I drank water. What are you doing here?! Was it you who drove me here?” He chuckled and leaned towards my ear. Just when I was about to retract, he clenched my face with both hands, and all I could hear was the golden hit from the club, “Jaiyen aap Kaha Jayenge. Ye nazar laut ke phir ayegi.. Ye nazar laut ke phir aayegi..” My eyes blurred, and everything took on a reddish hue, then gradually darkened. I woke, my mouth gagged, and my hands were tied behind my back. The lady in white from the bank came to me today. “Where am I?! What are you doing?!” I try to scream through that cloth. She came and looked right through me, just like in the bank. She took her handkerchief from my bag, wrapped it around my neck, and tried to suffocate me. Kill me. I gathered all my strength and tried to scream, “Maa!”

I opened my eyes. Maya held me tight as if she shook me to my consciousness. “Sanju, it’s just a dream!” She screamed. “OK, I am fine.” She handed me a glass of water. “No, I had water.” How long have you been sleeping since we arrived? Shit. I do feel like I just had water. OK, games of the subconscious. I sipped water anyway. Maya looked terrified. “What happened?” She asked. “A bad dream. Like this lady was trying to kill me.” “I told you not to watch psycho thrillers! It fucks your mind.” “I do not know whether it’s just that.” There was pin-drop silence. Maya glared at me with fear. “Is it happening again?” “I don’t know, babe, I don’t know.” We slept, holding each other tight.

I woke up in my bed, all safe and sound. Of course, I couldn’t sleep well. How could I? Maya is still holding me tight. She is not strong, but she tries to be for me. This little girl has been with me through all my highs and lows. She has supported me through failure. She’s been by my side during breakups, family issues, and even the ghosts from my past.