How many of us wake up at 5 AM? Humans have a very definite sense of a day. It starts with a yawn and ends with a yawn. Romeo looked at the first ray of sunshine bounce of his body. Time to leave home. When u don't have a sense of beginning or the end, there is no brand new day. Flapping is overcoat he jumped yet again. This was his favorite part of a human day.
The closest you can describe a typical Delhi morning is as brand loyalty. There is nothing special about it, yet there is no place in the world that gives the promise of happiness as a Delhi morning. In a sea of men-women-children, Delhi morning gives you a little space of your own. There is mist in the air as you see the aunties from Saket try to reduce flab in parks. Uncles on Kasturba Gandhi Road getting ready for yet another day at work. Everything seems to have a rhythm. If you have lived in Delhi, your brand loyalty will sure lie with the Delhi mornings.
Romeo did a somersault, enjoying the chill this morning had. He wanted to meet him. It wasn't long since he had last seen him. The man never ceased to amuse him. Romeo loved asking him questions, the answers came in hypothesis that he could never imagine. He was the closest thing Romeo could have as a father. Till date Romeo wasn't sure if vampires actually have parents or not. When asked for the first time “Why no mother?” his reply baffled Romeo for years to come “Do you want one?” Romeo was 5.
Romeo always knew he was different. He couldn't cry when he fell. The swings were stupid from the day he knew what swings are. He seemed to enjoy stories more than sweets. He was never hungry. He never hid it from Romeo.
“Yes you are dear boy, very very different”
“It's incorrect usage of English, 'Very Very Different', different cannot be quantified”
“Exactly my point dear boy”
The conversation Romeo and his father had in later years would best be described as a war of thoughts. Both trying to convey the same amount of passion in so many words, an outsider would perceive as weird. The debates went on for 12 hours straight with no particular topic in mind. In a cacophony of imagination, they were always trying to convince each other of their's was better. His father knew. He knew what he had to do to 'live'. After the awakening he had to let Romeo go. He was about 19 then.
“HOLLA my dear boy, I see you flew, why don't you simply take a bus, it's always more fun watching the busy-without-work crowd. Did u say bye to those army guys before leaving?”
“No I didn't, they gave me a hard time last night. Wouldn't allow me up. I had to fly across the AIR. It's not fun Papa. What have u been upto?”
“Oh nothing important or new. I live on the stupid time. So everything is timed as ever. There are a few more movies I have lined up. Would you be staying long?”
“I don't know. Let's see what we discuss this time”
“Ass-clown, did u see a Djinn yet? How is she? Visited yet?”
“Papa!!!”
“Sorry, doesn't work for me that way, it's in my genes to make stupid conversation”
“She's fine, it's me who has a hole in the head, had to spend a lot of 'time' to find the Djinn, he told me I have enough time for the next one.”
“It's all right, you'll know your purpose too, soon”
The man-child his father is, Romeo scanned the house, there was always something new about the house he seemed to have missed before. There was always a new toy around that his father bought. The latest one was PlayStation 7.
“I can't fly boy, I use these that to escape” A quick smile.
“It's overrated I have told you, sometimes you should just trust me with these”
“Indeed!!! You still have human traits, nothing is enough”
“PAPA!!!”
“Apologies boy, missed you, so tell me all about the Djinn, probably I can help to interpret”
“I know what he meant. Another soul to feed Papa. But there is time.”
