He stared into the closet.He was very particular with the way things stayed in there.Somehow,he wasn't satisfied with its present state and decided to get rid of a few things he didn't need now… scribbled papers,empty boxes with gift wrappers, rusty looking pens,two trousers and three shirts…

    He stepped out of the room with a large box in hand and put it adjacent to the door.Then he unwrapped the kerchief around his nostrils and walked across the corridor for some fresh air.He looked up in the sky.It was a quiet afternoon in a remote town.Six months had passed by since he'd been there for higher studies,but he couldn't accustom himself to the quietness and serenity of the place.He walked back to his room and gave the box another glimpse.Two trousers and three shirts… he kept staring until he regained his thoughts.Then suddenly his hands reached out for them and he took them into the room.He neatly folded each of them and put them in two plastic bags,which now rested upon his table.

    He set out for his task with the bags in the evening.He had to find someone worthy enough to give those clothes to… someone who'd really need them.So he walked across the campus towards the town to accomplish his task.It was a cold evening and the breeze stung over the tip of his nose and his earlobes.But that didn't dither him.He walked.

     It must've been about two kilometers since he'd begun his search,when he sighted a man sitting beneath a tree.There was a bicycle parked just ahead which at first instance didn't seem to be his.Yes,this might be the person i'm looking for,he thought.As he approached the tree,a faint tinge of pungent odour stained the air.He took a few steps closer and realized that the man was drunk.That didn't fit his scheme of things.So he walked.

    He saw two not-very-well dressed boys,fighting,ten steps later…A woman with an infant in one hand, and a copper plate with some vermilion and photographs of some deities in the other…An old man smoking a beedi in the far corner… But he couldn't part with his treasure.It was too precious to squander it away on someone unworthy.He walked.

   The evening was getting colder.His quest had indeed turned into an obsession.He'd walked seven kilometers into wilderness to fulfill a paranoid thought,when he wanted to turn back.But something had gotten over him that night.He felt like GOD's messenger and that he was almost near his destination.He walked.

    A frail man,as dark as the night,lay in rags,motionless,in one corner of the bus station.There was a cardboard beneath half his body.His hair covered his face and neck.There was a dirty 'potli' by his side.His stink didnt allow anybody in the radius of ten steps,to walk further.He walked.

    He covered his nose with the kerchief and stood staring at the man below.Maybe he's dead,he thought.He wanted to walk back but stood his ground.Then suddenly his hand reached out to touch that person.He hesitated and then shook the man's shoulder.There wasn't any response.He shook him again,with more force and a yell…

"Wake up… wake up…"

His fingers moved and he whispered something inaudible.

"Wake up.Look,I've got something for you.Look here…"

His timid eyes barely opened and he slowly moved his hand above them.He hadn't seen light for quite some time.He collapsed again.

      People started noticing what was going on.A policeman was watching from a distance.chewing pan and spitting it over his boots.Some more people gathered.Everyone watched.Nobody walked.

"Wake up…" he continued relentlessly paying no heed to others.

The dirt over his shoulders was now all over his hand.

     He rose slowly,first with the support of one hand,then with the other.He looked across and instantly grabbed his potli. He pressed the potli over his chest.He blabbered something which was undecipherable. He was trying to talk but words were disarticulated.He hadn't spoken for a long time.

    He showed him the clothes…two trousers and three shirts.

     His face showed no ex-pressions.He was fighting to keep his eyes open.

     He put the clothes back into the plastic bag and left it besides him. He began to walk back but his face wouldn't leave his eyes.He looked up into the sky and said, "I need to do more."

He ran.He got food,some vadapavs,bhajiya's,a bottle of water, and confronted the man again.

    "This is food." He said very slowly and curled his fingers towards his mouth. "Eat it."

    He put his potli down and stared into the food.His eyes went moist,a gulp went down his throat.He looked up,as if asking for permission.Then he ate.He hardly chewed.After consuming a little bit,he looked up and signaled for him to join.

   He just smiled back.He'd chosen the right person.He looked up in the sky and thanked God.

  He ate half the food and folded it.Then he gulped down a lot of water.Then for the first time, he spoke something understandable.

"I loved my wife.She commited suicide.I didn't want to live anymore.I stay far off in another state.I don't know how I reached this place.I cant recollect since when I'm lying here.I wanted to die because without her, life didn't mean anything to me.I pleaded to God to take me but he kept asking me to hold on.I was sure,I'd die here because nobody cared whether I lived or not.You walked across to me and brought me back from obscurity.You've given me hope to go on with life. God chose you to meet me here,it was destined.I accept God's wish and will certainly try to do what he asks of me.Thank you,you're GOD's messenger."

Then he pulled out a something from beneath the cardboard.A banana leaf. "This is for you" he said.

 He walked.He was feeling satisfied.Maybe the man was bluffing,maybe he was telling the truth,but I've done what God asked me to do,he thought.And he walked…

[ He works with the preventive medicine dept. at present(tis his b'day today)

  He has worked hard in the past year and is a fruit vendor at the same bus station.

  I've had the privilege of knowing them both.]

“Hello… Peter to Charlie…Can you read me…over.”
“1…2…3 Check….check…. Charlie to Peter … Go on…over.”
“Did you figure out what was wrong…over.”
“There seems to have been a system failure.We couldve had a casualty but the system recovered n he’s ok.Over.”
“Which system,i repeat,which system…over.”
“The nervous system.over.”
“You mean there was no technical error,over.”
“No technical error…copy that.over”
“Did you identify the problem? Could you give me the details? over.”
“There was supposed to be a big bang.Something about a first anniversary in an iland.over.”
“A big band? over.”
“Got it wrong.B-A-N-G. G for Goof up.over”
“So whats the situation now? over.”
“He met the man from the other planet.That seems to have worked ..over.”
“Man from the other planet?? What was he like? over.”
“He says the man was well mannered,talkative,quite humourous infact.He loved reading ,drank coffee and had a woman by his side.Positive traits-jus like me,he added.over.”
“Did he identify the woman? over.”
“He says the woman possessed magical powers.She could look into A4 size paper sheets and tell whether the man was from outer planet.She could even read the menu.”
“Did he identify the woman,i repeat… over.”
“Negative.He says there was bright light when he first saw her n then it just faded away after some time.She’d vanished by then.over.”
“What about the man? Any other leads? over.”
“He says the man spoke a lot about some other woman.She goes by the name ‘wife’.He also spoke about a few aliens who’d met him in some other planet.The man vanished abruptly.He said he was missing his mother in law.”
“Ok Peter.Report to the control room immediately.We have more casualties.Ilanders cant understand whats going on…Over n out.”

“Apologies for the long absence. Ilanders Rajesh,Shweta n Vishal met in mumbai over a cuppa coffee without karan.”
                                                     -Peter n Charlie

We had decided not to speak to each other unless either of us managed to find 'Ms Perfect', and had something to say about a date with her. I was a bit surprised when he made that call. I never thought he'd be so fast with his endeavors. But then,I was really happy for my buddy

"Ok.You won.Who's she?"

"Hey vishy,I want you to come to pune right now."

"Right now? U're drunk?"

"You cant imagine what happened "

"Don't tell me that I've got good imagination powers "

"You idiot.Jaley pe namak chidakta hain. She's got a boyfriend bloody other than me!"

"What say? I mean she's two timing you? I never knew u were that dumb.How could she do this to my buddy?"

"Tell me,what should I do vish?"

"U're sure about the other guy? U still like that damn girl? U're nuts If its that serious I'll come down right now."

"Prof's coming too.Don't let out the secret."

 Mr.Professor(another of our pal) was also reaching there and had his story to tell too.In a picturesque background of chaotic proportions, we met at the station. Well, the journey had just begun. I,was somehow impregnated with Munnabhai's voice(courtesy the video I saw whilst traveling), professor was on the verge of going insane(courtesy Madam X) and lastly,my dear friend who's pumping in a lot of iron, had christened himself as James.(Inspired by that sick ramu movie or something else?)We met in fully 'phillum' style,coz it was after a long time.James stood at the other end of the road,with his bike.I ran towards him in slow-mo,dodged the crowds,and jumped onto his bike.He raced off. Professor had to board an auto. There was a time when it would've been the opposite.But professor has stopped dancing and I've started playing football.

         Eventually,we met again.This time I was cornered.Professor had put on 12 kgs since the last time I saw him.James sped off for some work and I was left to face the wrath of this man with dinosaurian proportions. Luckily,he wasn't spitting fire. He was going ga ga over this madam x. For the next two hours,I was listening,he was speaking. And the end of it, I embraced him and started crying.

"Boley toh, tu toh kaam se gaya re. Saala do ghante se apun tere saamney baitha hain aur tuney 'kaisa hain' bhi nahi pucha. Teri toh vaat lag gayeli hain."

 "You don't have to speak,ok.You just have to listen," he replied,as if I'd forgotten what a lecture was.

    Then he continued with his epic tale of blossoming love starring just two characters. There was no respite until the arrival of James.He gauged the situation,flexed his muscles n started a big fight.Finally it took the both of us to take the 'dinosaur in love' down to ground and then he promised he'd keep his mouth shut.

Soon we were out to cool our heels and chill. A bit later,the chill had gotten to our heads and we were in high spirits.What followed was a classic case of bike-stuntman's ghost exorcism by my two friends.I was on top of my voice singing 'M boley toh & yeh dosti' regretfully,I was on top of the bike too.Fortunately I'm a well balanced man n I don't ride bikes either,or else I would've been on top of the hospital bed for sure.

 That night when we returned,we spoke about a lot of things why the Yamaha was better than the CBZ,why beer was better than the hard drinks n why being single was better than being in a relationship.Professor just managed to nod his head which way I don't remember and then he dozed off.I wasn't gonna sleep until I heard James' story.

"Abey,u tell me her name.N how did you meet?"

"Angelina "

"No Christs sake no She's Christian? U'r pop would kill me . Don't do it And is that why you changed your name to James?N she's two timing you n has got a boyfriend "

He just smiled back at me and replied,

"He's Brad Brad Pitt."