Banjaara

 The Grinch has been unrealistically quiet for about two hours. Last time he spoke was due to an inquisition about the nature of his relationship to his father. He said it was good. Then characteristically refused to elaborate. I haven't slept in 24 hours. I need to get these words out of me before I forget them.

My mother kicked me out of the house on Friday saying she needed to clean up. Long before I knew I'd called the Driver and asked him to pick me up. So me, the Driver and his girlfriend went to Nehru's house. We picked the twins and drove through a water-logged street breaking the suspensions on the car. After an hour of bitching about Nehru's twin, we still haven't found her name. Being lost is easy, but being unaware that you're lost is plain dull. Soon we dropped the Driver's girlfriend - the Teacher to her class. She had lectures till 9 PM. He promised to pick her up. Meanwhile, we went over to Nehru's house to eat his mother's famous Dal dhokli. I'm realsing the sleeplessness is affecting my brain function; I should stop.

We ate lunch; watched Inception; went out for tea. What I didn't know is that I'd be spending the night at Nehru's new home because the Driver refused to drop me home. Ironic; I know. Spending the night at twins place; the Driver and I converse with their parents. It's about the twin who couldn't find her name and how she should join a class. She can't do any studies on her own. In my honest opinion, I hate the culture of tuitions and classes. Mostly because recreating the classroom environment twice does not make it easier to get what you're studying into your head. Why is it so widely accepted that teachers just suck at their jobs in general so badly that a student has to study externally to get even the basic concepts into their minds. The average student goes through the class lecture twice before he begins to learn. 

I ask her what she wants, she tells me when she was 15; she studied hard to get away from the KES crowd: the chappris and retards. Now she's expected to study with them and she can't digest that. I agreed that it was a valid point and good enough grounds to not attend a certain classes. 

We went to pick up the Teacher and sat there for an hour. I got bored and sat on the gearbox. Much to the Driver's discomfort but he didn't mind it until he was asked to drive. The Teacher ditched us since her mother was picking her up and she didn't want us to be seen. We sped away. Then we had tea. The place was cozy with middle-aged and old men drinking tea and talking life. Between them we discussed how we should travel to Lonavla and enjoy the rains. The cold air from the rains pleases your feet. And the tea you gulp down warms your soul. In true Mumbaikar fashion with vadapav, we feasted.

We ate dinner and slept. In the morning, the Driver and Nehru drove me back home before they left for IKEA. They went there to hide closets, so they could jumpscare customers telling them they were back from Narnia. I cleaned my room, changed sheets and napped for an hour.

Then the guests came. AN UNCLE told ME that tribes weren't involved in Manipur violence and how it was instigated by the PM. I didn't disagree with him. At night, my sister poured vodka into a bottle of Limca and asked me to hide it in her closet. I did as she asked. Little did I know my father had observed my every move. He opens her closet, chugs a sip and leaves it out on the table. An indicator that he's discovered our scheme. He's a bit passive aggressive like that.

I steal a bottle of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange and Amul Kool to drink for the night. My father warns me that I've gone out too often. I say okay and leave. the Grinch sniggers about there not being enough space in the car. There's one of the Aryans with us tonight. He sits quietly and greets Grinch and ignores me. They begin to talk about relationships and I'm silent. I bought Nehru my philosophy books yesterday but he has forgotten about them.

There's a certain disquiet about loneliness. I love framing my sentences like this. A certain disquiet is such an uncertain phrase. We drove from Dahisar to Marine Lines. A cop stopped us suggesting a 2000 rupee fine for taking a wrong way. The Aryan and Nehru step out to check for missed signs (there weren't any) the cop tells the Driver that he'd agree to lessen the fine to a No-Entry for 500. The Driver shows his empty wallet saying there wasn't any sign and that all he had was 20 rupees to his name. Me and the Grinch murmur quietly "A CORRUPT ONE" Finally, he looks to me and says he must have some money, I say all I have is 30 rupees. He doesn't look any forward since Nehru and the Aryan have prepped with the "no-missed-sign-angry-look you corrupt-bastard" look and the cop pats my shoulder digging his fingers into it saying "HEY YOU SURE YOU DONT HAVE ANY MONEY?" I just smile.

At Marine Lines, the Aryan's friend calls to tell him his crush's sister had a close shave to kissing him. He asks the cigarette guy for an Indimint and he tells him "YEH SAB NAHI RAKHTA MAIN". The slowburn of confidence in the guy since his girlfriend of six years left him of boredom.

We drive back to our part of the city; our tire falls flat. Meanwhile we've made a plan. The plan is to watch the sunset from the other part of town. The village side. So within 24 hours or considering the six hours we've seen most of Mumbai. The Sobo; the MaKaBo and finally Uttan (Mira-Bhayander) if that's considered Mumbai. We watch the sunrise. We throw rocks at the Sun. While coming home, Nehru takes away his scooter and me and the Aryan and Driver do a triple seat. The Aryan drove. He sat on my balls twice. Then I switched places with the Driver and he sat on his balls for most of the ride.

My brain can't formulate any more formal thought. Goodnight.