The Teacher

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.”

The Definitions

“Don't patronize me, you know I would shoot”

“I don't, I just don't understand why I can't be allowed to try?”

This was a dilemma that Romeo didn't have an answer to.

He is invisible to practically all man-kind, yet the Indian Army spots him many times an year trying to scale the India Gate in Lutyen's Delhi. One of the best guarded places in the world. This is where the political hob-bobs sleep, while men in uniform guard their homes. The India Gate is a symbol of what Delhi could have been, they guard it with their lives.

Each vampire has a place where he is allowed to rest. They don't sleep, they don't eat, they don't sweat, they don't cry. Romeo remembered the words told to him, “There!!! Shall you rest” and his father pointed to the top of India Gate. He was spotted trying to climb on his way up home. If these men didn't know enough they would have shot him a million times already. In their eyes he was a weirdo trying to scale yet again. They even had a name for him. “Romeo” Fate as it seems isn't without a sense of irony.

He would have to fly again. He hates flying. Teleporting was an option that he didn't want to use. Each time vampires teleport they lose a bit of time. They lose themselves. It's the only real power they have and they have to pay dearly each time they use it. He shall have to fly. It hurts to fly in Delhi. There are moths all around, the velocity is way too high and sand practically fill your lungs while trying. There was no place to go. It would be some time before he can find another Djinn.

A little walk to the bus stop and he boarded bus number 460. The bus conductor was shouting out the places where the bus would go. He didn't need to go far. Four stops down and he shall do it. He got down near 'All India Radio' and slipped in the worm-holes that were only known to him. Climbing on the broadcasting tower, he cursed his father. “Why couldn't you point out to this tower and say 'There!!! Shall you rest' “ All India Road is one of the few places where you find bureaucracy is misplaced. It's controlled by an army of men who believe radio is powerful than YouTube. Their misplaced ego-trips have resulted in the degrading infrastructure and the tower was one of them.

He jumped. Free-falling he counted the seconds. 20-19-18------------------9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 and recited:

For I fly there shall be one who falls,
For I try there shall be one who stalls

Up in the air, he knew it would take him exactly 6 seconds to reach the top of his home. 5-4-3-2-1. Covered with polluted air-silt he lay back on the top of his home, while the world below gazed at the marvel monument.

He had time now. To think for the cause, to think for the answers, to think of deceit. There is time, the Djinn has said. All he had was time, he couldn't stop it. Vampires don't play with their fate. Humans are allowed to do that. They just have time to let each-one play out their part.

Talking about them

My longing lingers

My tresses twist

But in my isolation

All truth is empty: Azam Ali

'I know! I know!' 'Haven't been valued for a while' 'Should come sooner, this isn't something mortals do' 'Admitting, your tantra is fine'

Romeo kept his hand down, the weathered man had his eyes closed. It wasn't just mortals who needed taking care of. Jinns and Vampires will live the distance together, though rarely calling of each other. They are the proof of eternity. Jinns were hard to surround in these times. There were many faking their identity. Who wanted to live scrubbing the brain when their when playing with mortals was so fun. It was a humor to them, the mortals couldn't observe the obvious.

'When was the last hunt?' 'Did she cry?' 

Romeo couldn't say anymore, he knew it well to know. She didn't ask 'why'.

'Not a second lower' 'u have long before it pains' 'use the time well'

Jinn let him have his sense back. The hand was still glowing. He was lucky to see the light tonight, the hunt needed to be measured, there wasn't much time for the cycle to end. This Djinn will soon be on road again. He had had earned his time in bargain of peace. He reasoned before asking his last question to Djinn. He is a vampire, his needs couldn't be bought or won. Barely gasping breath, Romeo whispered 'Why don't they love u as much as me?'

Djinn has quick 'Because u can disappear from their lives, nobody hates the mystery. We Djinns on the other hand live in their bottles, now dear lad, my fees, the tear'

*The photograph is the impression at http://ranonus.com/djinn2.jpg 

The First Calling

There isn't much to do at night really. 

Spider man and Batman don't cover much of Delhi, they went international couple of centuries back. They didn't like the British troops. Costumes was supposed to be their thing. He sits among the simpleton humans tonight. 

The top of India-Gate needs a sweep, they don't show the terrible dust in the movies. He gave a sigh on the ignorance of the mortals. Bored and hungry there is one place everyone went at nights. 

A little vush-vish-wam and suddenly the quite winds replace the food court at Nizammudin station. He met the sufi once, the wisest man he had known. Delhi survives the slow poison in his aura of faith in good. Romeo, knows he misses him. When u live for eternity, its that single enlightened moment that keeps u sane. Romeo the vampire of Hind. He defies physics but feels the burden of night. Dargah is the place to be, the winds never lie. He flaps his cigarette and shows himself in the crowd. They don't see it, but there is light at the end. 

There was nothing to do at night anyways.

Time Capsule

Got caught up in a metaphysical problem. Help me solve!

Consider any song with multiple beats per second. Listening to the song is an experience with skipped beats.

Now smoke to fly.

Consider the same song. Listening to the same song is a totally different experience now. The beats slow down. Each one can be counted on finger tips. Everything slows down. The same 'amount' of time passes on to listen to the complete song but it seems loooooooooooonger.

How?

If time is a physical in nature then shouldn't the song last longer than in sober time. The argument can go: "The song does seem longer. So whats the problem?"

The problem resides in the measuring device called clock. Both state experience different 'amount' of time, yet the clock shows the same count of seconds. How? I think the answer to the riddle lies in the attached link. Does it?

9 Lives, William Dalrymple

An ode to Krishna;

From the copper plates locked in a room in Tirupathi for centuries. Translated to English by poet A.K. Ramanujan.

You are handsome, aren’t you,
Adivaraha,
And quite skilled at it, too.

Stop these foolish games.
You hink there are no other men in these parts?
Asking for me on credit,
Adivaraha?
I told you even then
I won’t stand for your lies.
 

Handsome, aren’t you?

Prince of playboys, you may be,
But is it fair
To ask me to forget the money?
I earned it, after all,
By spending time with you.
Stop this trickery at once.
Put up the gold you owe me
And then you can talk
Avidaraha.
 

Handsome, aren’t you?

Young man:
Why are you trying to talk big,
As if you were Muvva Gopala?
You can make love like no one else,
But just don’t make promises
You can’t keep.
Pay up,
It’s wrong to break your word.

Handsome, aren’t you?

Vent Machine

You breathe in and click a photograph. Thoughts follow you behind.
 
He lost faith last week, he lost the purpose. He is one of those now.

You breathe in and click a photograph. Thoughts follow you behind.
 
Alone is a 5 letter short word he once said, 5 years is a long time.

You breathe in and click a photograph. Thoughts follow you behind.
 
There is a man down on the streets, he looks. There is an eye contact; ‘a man’ seeks help. It was an accident. The bike rear tire is still spinning. ‘A man’ is in pain. He looks closely; he is the only one who stood. ‘A man’ seeks help again. He takes him to a hospital. ‘A man’ loses him after the registration. He is in pain too.

You breathe in and click a photograph. Thoughts follow you behind.
 
“Wanna come for a smoke?” No answer. He disappears.
 
You breathe in and click a photograph. Thoughts follow you behind.

The art of rolling lies not in how strong ‘stuff’ you have. It lies in the crushing. He can go on about it for next half hour. He loves so many, materialistic is the word.

You breathe in and click a photograph. Thoughts follow you behind.

He is not really interested in what you have to say. The parallel universe keeps him focused on the needs.

You breathe in and click a photograph. Thoughts follow you behind.

He hates Sun! A glowing ball of fusion is no pretty sight for him. He wishes the dark to be the new dawn.

You breathe in and click a photograph. Thoughts follow you behind.

He bought everything that once he aspired. Did he mention: Angel!!!......*the beat kicks in now, the snare roll is being called*

You breathe in and click a photograph. Thoughts follow you behind.

He used to write, words keep him eluded now. It was 5 years.

You breathe in and click a photograph. Thoughts follow you behind.

He can turn simple/unwilling objects in ashtray. He is never out of light and smoke now. He smokes 10 times a day.

You breathe in and click a photograph. Thoughts follow you behind.