For once procrastination turned into a blessing!
Mum keeps telling me time and time again not to put off things. A stich in time save nine, Do today what you would put off till tomorrow ....repeated refrains from all quarters beg , entreat and threaten , hoping to cure my habit of putting off things.
But not yesterday.
Home alone , and tired of survivng on maggi, bread, upma and other delicious but instant food , I promised myself a homecooked dinner and was readying to walk across to the local market to buy some veggies.
Hello
"ARe you ok?"
Apart from a lazy temprament,everything else seems ok
"Which world do you live in. Switch on the TV immediately. There has been a series of bomb blasts. Several people injured and dead. Where are you? Get back immediately. There is a red alert on in Delhi."
PCR vanswith flashing lights race down the otherwise quite neighbourhood, fire brigades and ambulances follow in tow. The lazy Saturday evening atmosphere is shaken up. Neighbours start filtering out, forming huddles, gesticulating, talking whispering.
Friends, colleagues, nodding term acquaintainces, a frien who had stoppd talking to me, four months ago,All call up.
I have NEVERfelt so important in my life.
Every pore of my journo body wanted to be where the scene of action was. Forget the story! Somebody was already taking care of that. What happened ?
Nothing doing, You get back inside right now.!!
Yes! I scurried inside. but I can sulk can't I?
My phone keeps ringing. I reassure them all. With a prayer on my lips, I finally crash at 12 pm.
Untill Sunday when I get to see TV footage and the pictures in the newspaper.
The grief, terror, helplessness, vulnerability. The wounded, the panic-stricken, they definetly do not deserve this!