Encounters in kolkata

encounter 1 april 7, 2007

this happened just a few days before i met with the accident:

like every evening i walked out of my ofc, bought a lil pack of jhalmuri... and waited for the bus...the bus stop being right in front of crescent towers....
i hear someone saying- 'excuse me'
i turn around to see a man..may be in his mid 30's looking straight at me..i assumed he was talking to me

stranger- are u in anyway doing your graduation or your post grads?
me- no
stranger- are u working somewhere?
me-yes
stranger- would you be interested if i invited you on one the number one channels for a talk show on women's issues?
me- can i see your card?
stranger- would you be interested?
me- yes, can i see your card
starnger- actually im notworking fo any group..but there would be an adv in ht soon...btw its too loud here and i am screaming...can we walk to the next bus stop and talk the way?
me- no i get empty seats from this stop
stranger- u seem have quite an attitude.do u always speak to people like that?
me- yes
stranger- why
me- mommy said not to talk to strangers
stranger- what sector of the industry do u work in?
me- design
stranger- so u are a creative person?
me- am designer
stranger- im finding it a challenge to speak to..and im trying to know you
so what kind of a person are u?
me- as in?
stranger- conventonal, unconventional, radical..bla bla..
me- radical
stranger- in words or deeds?
me -both
stranger- im still screaming..can we walk to the next bus stop?
me- no
stranger-so ur radical...are u for sex or against sex
me- theres nothing to be or not to be for...my bus is here....


well....i knew the man was a fraud right when i asked for his card and he didnt produce one...
i kept talking till he took a wrong turn..i wanted to observe him..
one big itch that i got from him was that....after i told i design he said ....so u have studied in ahmedabad...that got me for a second...
his first choice should have had been kolkata...anywhere ..but how did he say ahmedabad....strange.....and why did he pick a topic where i wud agree to speak for women's issues....
never got to understand that....

encounter-2

this happened two days ago:

i was meeting krishanu and his friends in park street that evening for dinner..
his friend would come for coffee, go in their own directions and get back for dinner again...that was the plan...
and so it happened that way...
when his friends went off..
i and krish went for a small walk and some chai hunting by the streets...somewhere aa lil away frpm park street...
as we walked and talked..we passed by a young couple....walking too on the same side of the pavement...
something was definitely not right there as i crossed the two...
thus i kept turning back to look off and on to check the two...
the fouth time i look..this woman was trying to walk away from the guy and he was pulling her by her her....
by instinct.. i turned and started walking towards themmm...krishanu probably was startled....
they saw me and quitened down
half way i stopped...just because the girl wasnt asking for help...
i would have called the police but realized it would be of no use,,she would let him off....
the night and the morning next it bothered me too much....
i couldnt do anything.....i should have...
how could i not.....???? how could i could i not????
i was angry on the girl...very very angry.......
how could she let that happen to herself.....
may be i was more angry on myself than ever......