Transcript

When I visit Mysore, the zoo is one of the must see places. Even if I have seen the same animals time and again, I just can’t seem to miss a trip to the zoo when I am in Mysore. It’s official name is Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, and my guess is that if you ask a thousand people in Mysore about the name of the zoo, 999 of them will simply call it the zoo and would not have heard of its official name. The other person works for the zoo.

Well, there is something intriguing about animals. The way they are, with all the wonderful colors they wear and its style and persona that they never lose, even if they live far away from home, away from their natural habitats. Genetics is a topic that man could never wrap his head around, no matter the scientific discovery heights we reach.

I cannot help but question keeping animals in captivity. A tiger or a lion is a naturally fierce animal, and born to kill other animals for food. If we are going to keep them in captivity and feed them cold meat, will it still wear its stripes and be a tiger that it should be. Think about us. Most of us work and earn our keeps. Some don’t. They live off their ancestors’ wealth. What’s the difference between the two of us? These are some things to ponder over. How do we change if we don’t have what it takes to live life on our terms, to be dependent on somebody else. I am not saying that I have an answer but at times, pity the super rich who have nothing else to do but spend money.

I have a sinking feeling that these animals are like prisoners and cannot do what they please. But on the other side of the argument, it’s not like they have been captured from the jungle and brought here. They are very likely to be born in a zoo and will spend the rest of the lives here. We destroy forests, and keep them here in the name of education, saving the species and maybe entertainment too. While I understand that we would not have the opportunity to see all these beautiful animals in wilderness if zoos did not exist, I half heartedly question the right that we humans have given ourselves to cage the animals and make them be seen by paying visitors. This just feels wrong. Like I said, this is a half hearted attempt and possibly hypocrisy because I love to go to the zoo and watch the animals. I don’t have the right to judge but the thoughts linger around.

I want to share a story which my mom tells me every chance she gets, especially when we talk about the Mysore Zoo. My parents had taken me to the zoo when I was about 5 years old and while they were showing around near the tiger cage, a crow flew past me. My mother tells me that I was super excited to see the crow over the beast, that’s the tiger that stood five feet away from me. I was happy and glee to see a crow that I get to see everyday than a tiger which I was possibly seeing for the first time face to face. Can you believe that?

The Mysore Zoo is clean and there are a number of measures that the management undertakes to keep it that way. Mysore was the cleanest city a few years back and I hope to see a fierce competition for this title between all our cities. How wonderful it would be if cities competed against one other for the cleanliness award!

If you are planning to visit the Mysore zoo, do know that there is a buggy available for a nominal cost. What you normally cover by foot in about 4 hours, you can do that in under an hour. Talk about our fast paced lives! Zoo should definitely be seen on foot, to observe the animals and learn a trick or two from them.

A trip to the Mysore invokes thoughts, ideas and reminisces the past stories. Such a wonderful place! A must visit place if you are in Mysore.

Do let me know your thoughts on the questions that I have raised in this video.

Subsequently, the company claimed that the press release was accidentally published.

The following day, the company’s America CEO Scott Keogh confirmed the name change. The change was attributed to the company’s diametric shift to electric vehicles and Voltswagen would be a step in the right direction.

Well, it turns out that the company was playing a poor April Fool’s joke and they had no intention to change the name to reflect the company’s shift towards electric vehicles after all.

Besides the ill timed press release and the CEO’s role in the playing up the ruse of a name change, an unintended consequence was at play.

When the name change was confirmed by the CEO, the company stocks on NASDAQ rose by 12.5%, which is the kind of growth most companies would kill to achieve in a year’s time. This, we are talking about the company’s worth going up by a few billions.

When a joke turns into a serious situation with the company gaining undue benefits, it is time for the regulatory authorities to step in. The SEC has taken interest in this fiasco and have opened an investigation to check if any of the securities’ law had been breached.

If found guilty, the German auto giant would be losing a whole lot more than it momentarily gained. A joke, no matter how innocent, is now in the underbelly of law. And, it is not like Volkswagen have not played with fire earlier. They have been found guilty of breaches in the securities act in the past, and that would not hold them in good stead when their lawyers appear in defense of the company.

Rahul Gandhi, the only tourist in the Indian parliament had stood up yesterday and had called PM Modi as a coward who couldn’t stand up to China. For a moment, he put his lineage behind, the PMs in his family who had surrendered land to China, and pointed fingers at Modi having lost thousands of square miles. His statements were refuted strongly by the ministry of defense and the official statement said that everything that the tourist had said had no iota of truth in it.

Then Rahul Gandhi had targeted the farm laws. It was the budget session but the debates he indulged in was purely political.

He claimed without taking names that Modi and Shah combine did everything in their power to buttress their cronies – Ambani and Adani. He used the phrase hum do, hamare do, a famous phrase from the nineties government advertisement pertaining to family planning.

In chaste English, Nirmala Sithraman said, “He is constantly indulging in the politics of the fringe and insulting constitutional authorities. He is perhaps becoming the ‘Doomsday Man of India’. I have apprehensions for the Opposition that is in the clutches of this Doomsday Man of India,”

She said that Rahul Gandhi has been demeaning the country and has been making up fake narratives.

She put him in place for sinister narratives rather than debating on the budget.

“In the entire history of free India, discussions on the Budget have taken place every year. What does this Opposition leader want to state by refusing to speak on the Budget?”

She said that the Congress under Rahul Gandhi was doing a U-turn with the farm reforms. What they had stated in their election manifesto, they were protesting against it now because it suited their narrative to stand against the government and the country.

When it came to farm loan waivers, the Congress state governments which has the power to waive loans had decided not to do it, but instead has been protesting for farm loan waivers.

The minister tore into Rahul Gandhi by showing the mirror of hum do hamare do, which is Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as hum do and Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra as their hamare do.

Rahul Gandhi has been called the Doomsday Man of India because he has always sided against India and the Indian government over a number of issues. When India conducted a surgical strike in Balakote in Pakistan, he sided with Pakistan to state that nothing as such had taken place. When the nation came together to fight covid, he sided with other doomsdayers who stated that India will see crores of deaths and half its population will come under the covid umbrella.

Indians were confused. They scrambled to check what had changed since they were last awake for somebody like Rihanna to post on something as trivial as the farmer protests.

While the Indian opposition led by the Congress celebrated the idea of Rihanna and put her up on the pedestal, hoping that someday she would succeed Sonia Gandhi to take over the Congress president, there were a barrage of tweets from global celebrities. All made news but none like Greta Thunberg.

Greta’s tweet was a highlight not because of who she is but due to a faux pas.

Instead of parroting what she was supposed to tweet, she had attached the documents that were sent to her in the tweet. It was on twitter momentarily and then she immediately deleted it. The documents were already in circulation.

The document lays out a neatly worded plan to attack India and its government. And it is clear as day that the left liberals have combined their efforts into maligning India. The presence of Ambani and Adani also wreaks of Congress’ hand in maligning India’s name.

There are news reports that have pinned billionaire George Soros as the sponsor and the invisible hand behind this move. His hatred towards Modi and the RSS is well known and the latest attack using a Nobel Peace Prize wannabe-winner is not surprising.

In the celebrity circles, every tweet that is put out costs a certain sum. For something that is as big as this, imagine the money that would have been doled out.

Nevertheless, the silver lining is that the common and celeb Indians rallied behind India and its democratically elected government. The move to engage global left celebs has backfired and has riled an emotional India to put their weight behind the government to deal with the Punjab farmers in a rightful way.

Rajdeep was in top gear during the Delhi violence by criminals who roamed the streets and destroyed everything in their wake. While one of the rioters lost his life due to his tractor turning turtle, Rajdeep breathed fire on Twitter.

One person, 45-year-old Navneet, was killed allegedly in police firing at ITO. Farmers tell me: the ‘sacrifice’ will not go in vain.

source: twitter.com

CCTV footage clearly showed that the cause of death was due to the tractor wreck rather than a bullet being fired. In fact, no bullets were fired during the farmer riots.

Rajdeep Sardesai’s tweet incited more violence and reports suggest that farmers were enraged that their brethren was shot during the riots.

When the CCTV footage was released by the Delhi police, the India Today group acted in a stringent manner against their own by asking him to retract the tweet. What more, Rajdeep was suspended off air for 2 weeks. And, one month salary was docked.

The trouble did not end there for Rajdeep.

The Noida police have filed FIRs under Indian Penal Code sections 124A (sedition), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 120B (criminal conspiracy), among others.

Rajdeep is not the only one who is facing the charges by the Noida police. Congress politician Shashi Tharoor too is facing similar charges along with five other reporters.

Rajdeep did a U-turn later by tweeting the truth and commending the Delhi police.

The two month long peaceful protest was to follow up with a circuitous tractor rally. The routes were designated by the Delhi police and the farmers had agreed. But what followed was heartbreaking.

The farmers broke through the barricades using tractors as war tanks, they not only mowed down steel barricades but also the policemen on duty. They wielded their swords and swung at whoever came in their way. They destroyed public property including buses and railings which is paid by the Indian tax payer. They used the rods to attack not only the policemen but also the media and general public.

A TV reporter from an irreputable channel walked with a few farmers as they destroyed property. They told him that their plan was always to enter Delhi and cause mayhem. The garb of a tractor rally was a ticket for a foot in the door.

The Punjab farmers who have committed criminal acts have brought disrepute to India and to their profession. Most Indian farmers are peaceful in nature but the farmers from the agrarian state that shown a penchance for violence, disregard for rules and policies, and have lost all credibility.

What started as a protest against farm laws for inclusion of minimum support price has been a moving goal post. Even with the government agreeing to their demands, they have only moved the goal post further in order to continue protesting and causing destruction along the way.

A criminal farmer died today and his tractor had toppled. Other farmers told India Today news channel that the police had shot him dead. In the next hour, the police released a CCTV footage which captured the killing. The farmer was driving the tractor at a high speed and wanted to topple the barricades placed on the road. The tractor which is not meant for such destructive behaviors turned turtle and the farmer was crushed during the impact. Lies and deception have been at the midst of the riots and this is further proof that the Punjabi farmers who are involved are criminals and rioters.

Indian opposition to the likes of Arvind Kejrival and Rahul Gandhi who have supported the farmers even after their criminal acts, blame the government for not having sufficient security. If the government had used rubber pellets and water canons, then the very same people would’ve blamed excessive force against hapless farmers.

The most shameful episode was the Indian farmer holding saffron and other religious flags broke through to the red fort and the Delhi police had to brace for cover. They rammed into red fort with ammunitions and swords and flags. They brought down the Indian flag and raised a religious flag in its place. This is sedition of the highest order.

Hapless is the furthest word you can use for these criminal farmers who have shamed India and left a scar so deep that the Indian public will no longer hold the farmers in high regard. Sadly though, majority of Indian farmers who are happy with the new farm laws are facing the brunt with its suspension and also their credibility has taken a irreparable hit.

It is time for the Indian government to act stringently against these criminal farmers who have taken law into their own hands. What difference is there between the Punjabi farmers and the stone throwing Kashmiri youngsters. Both should be treated equally and with force.

The poll was conducted between 3rd and 13th of January, 2021. A total of 12,232 respondents were interviewed – half through face to face and the remaining over a telephone. About 8000 respondents are from rural India while the rest from urban regions.

The respondents were spread across 19 states representing 97 parliamentary seats.

Now let us get into the analysis of the Indian opinion in January 2021.

Best Prime Minister

On the question posed on the best prime minister India has ever had, the opinion was overwhelming with 38% of Indians rooting for Narendra Modi.

The next best is not surprising with AB Vajapayee at 18%. The next three prime ministers are Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi.

Narendra Modi has risen above politics and has taken a position of a statesman and it is not surprising that many Indians view him as the best of the lot. The next reason would likely be attributed to our memories which are fresh and the current prime ministers are generally judged – and it can go both ways.

With the nation backing Hindutva and saffron, it is not surprising that AB Vajapayee, who was considered as the best PM until Modi assumed office is at the second spot.

What is on the expected lines is the non-feature of Manmohan Singh. With his own party vice-president, Rahul Gandhi discrediting him publicly, Manmohan has been regarded as one of the weakest prime ministers India had ever had – somebody who took orders from the Gandhis.

Best Chief Minister

With Narendra Modi with an all time high popularity as the best PM, the best chief minister post goes to another hindutva icon Yogi Adityanath.

He is followed by Arvind Kejrival, Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar, Uddhav Thackeray, Naveen Patnaik and Jagan Reddy.

Yogi has dug his heels into the management of Uttar Pradesh state and has been the posterboy of innovative governance and no-holds-barred administration.

While the poll tells a story of who is considered as the best CM in India, there is a lopside to this poll. A respondent who resides in a particular state would generally vote for his respective chief minister. So in this case, the number of respondents who were picked coming through from states would make their chief ministers seem popular than others.

How else would anybody explain Mamata Banerjee and Uddhav Thackerary on the list of best CMs?

If Elections are Held Today!

If there were general elections held in January 2021, then the National Democratic Alliance will bag 321 seats. Two years back in 2019, they had 350+ seats.

With allies like Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal leaving the NDA, the numbers were expected to come down. There is no sign of anti-incumbency the numbers project. This is in line with the prime minister’s personal approval and the BJP’s overall popularity.

Congress on the other hand seems to be a diminishing force. It is projected to get 51 seats which is less than what it bagged 2 years back. Without an able captain, no ship can reach its destination and Congress is not an exception.

Modi’s Report Card

When asked to rate Narendra Modi’s performance, the results overwhelming favored the statesman.

A third rated him as outstanding and another 44% as good. So, in essence, about 75% of the respondents shared positive reviews. Compare this to any other leader won democratically across other countries, it is doubtful for them to reach the 40-50% range.

However, it is also true that in difficult times, citizens rally behind their leader and support unequivocally. This is visible in the MOTN polls held in August 2020 and January 2021 – the times of corona. Earlier, the range was still good, but not as it is now.

Modi 2.0 Greatest Achievement

When asked about what they felt was the greatest achievement of Modi’s second innings, Ram Janmabhoomi resolution was on top of list followed by Article 370 revocation and then covid.

We can read two things from this study. 1. India is turning saffron with hindutva leading the general conscience. 2. Ram janmabhoomi is a conflict that has garnered public’s imagination as an irresolvable conflict. So a permanent judgement to construct the Ram temple, although delivered by the supreme court, gets attributed to Modi, as he is seen as the torch bearer of the Hindu religion.

The top most achievement for Indians, the Hindu icon getting restored, next the state of Jammu and Kashmir’s rejoinder into the Indian state without special autonomy and then finally came a pandemic that has raged across countries. It is interesting to note that although India has managed the pandemic better than most western countries, the matter is not considered as the greatest achievement by Indians. It tells us that Indians have disregarded covid as a threat, given the low numbers and religion and state comes before natural disasters.

Should Congress Kick the Gandhis Out?

When asked about the role of Gandhis and if the Congress is better off without the Gandhis, overwhelming majority of said yes and a third sided with the dynasty.

Congressmen should note the mood of the nation where they can see the Gandhis dragging the age old party down to the dumps. Sadly enough, Congressmen who can effect the change are holding onto the Gandhi tails for their own survival.

There have been several TV debates and opinions by political analysts that for the Indian opposition to grow any teeth, it must have a strong leadership that has an alternate vision, and this leadership is clearly not visible in the Gandhis. The people have spoken election after election that they do not trust the Gandhi clan and now the opinion poll favors the same sentiment too. It is said that by June this year, the Congress would have a new president. In all likelihood, it is going to be Rahul Gandhi, who is probably destined to take the party into the drains.

via India Today Mood of the Nation

Here are the most frequently asked questions on the covid-19 vaccine program in India.

Updated on 24th Jan, 2021

Is it mandatory for all citizens to get the vaccine jab?

No. It is completely voluntary. Every citizen/resident has a choice to either opt for vaccination or not.

Do I need to register for the covid-19 vaccine?

Yes. You are required to register using the CoWIN (Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network) app.

Where should I download the CoWIN app?

The CoWIN app is currently unavailable for public download yet. It is currently being used by the vaccinators and the administration for backend activities such as supply and demand management only.

When will CoWIN be available?

The application is being tested and once the user testing is completed, it will be rolled out to general public.

Is the vaccine rationed?

Currently, there will be a registration process where the vaccines will be prioritized. Yes, there is a rationing system in place as supply is low and demand is high. The expectation is that the vaccine is available over the open market in about 6 months.

Which are the vaccines that the government has approved?

The government has approved the emergency use of Covishield (Oxford-Astrazeneca) and Covaxin (Bharat Biotech).

What about Pfizer and Moderna vaccines?

Pfizer vaccine has not been approved as they have not conducted level 3 trials in India.

Moderna has not applied for an approval from the Indian government yet. Not sure if they are going to do it.

How many vaccine jabs do I need to get for maximum efficacy?

For both the vaccines, there are two shots that is recommended. A gap of 28 days is preferred for maximum efficacy.

What happens after registration?

When your turn arrives, you will be informed either by a SMS or an email regarding the time and place for the vaccine shots. A QR code will be sent as well.

What documents do I need to upload or produce during registration and vaccination?

Documents such as driving licence, health insurance, smart card issued by the Ministry of Labour, MNREGA guarantee card, MNREGA job card, official identity card issued by MPs, MLAs, PAN card, passbook of bank or post office, passport, pension documents, service identity card issued to employees by central/state government or public limited companies, and Voter ID cards can be used for registration.

Can I leave the vaccination site after getting the jab?

It is recommended that you rest in the vaccination site for at least 30 minutes. If you feel any discomfort, you need to inform the volunteers.

Is the vaccination safe for me?

Both the vaccines have either passed the level 3 tests or is undergoing level 3 tests satisfactorily. The vaccines are absolutely safe.

Is Covaxin safe?

Lancet study has found Covaxin to be safe. They assure that the vaccine is safe and the public shouldn’t worry about its safety.

What does a vaccine safe like water mean?

Disregard the statement made by Adar Poonawalla pertaining to Covaxin. The statement is regrettable.

Indian opposition parties say that the vaccine is not safe. Is it true?

Unfortunately the Indian opposition parties are playing politics with the life saving vaccine. The opinions are biased and regrettable.

Should a person who has recovered from covid-19 get the vaccine?

There are no proofs available that suggests that a person would not be reinfected by the corona virus. It is recommended that everybody gets the vaccine including the recovered persons.

Should a person suffering from covid-19 get the vaccine?

The person must self isolate and stay away from the vaccine sites to ensure that the virus does not spread at the vaccine site.

Should people with co-morbidities get the vaccine?

It is highly recommended people suffering from blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid and other co-morbidities get the vaccine and are prioritized over the general population.

Are there any side effects to expect from the vaccine?

All vaccines come with side effects but they are minor in nature. You might get fever, body aches and headaches during the initial 24 hours after getting the jab. Nothing to worry!

How long does it take for anti-bodies to develop after the jab?

It takes 2 weeks for anti-bodies to develop. It is possible that you might get infected between the two jabs and before completion of 14 days after the second jab.

Likewise, you might expect Imran chants in the Pakistan parliament. Not really. He does not come from the elected class nor his popularity reach the fandom in the parliament. Perhaps when he played cricket, he had a few fans in the pews jumping with his name on their lips. No more!

What is now heard in the Pakistan parliament is the Modi chant. Listen to the video below and you will hear nothing but the name of the Indian PM in the Pakistan parliament house.

You heard Modi chants as the speaker tried to calm the members.

The sloganeering with Indian PM’s name is sacrilegious in Pakistan and that too in the parliament reeks of the hatred for their own PM, isn’t it.

Not really. Because I asked you to hear the words Modi in the video, you heard it quite clearly. In fact, the members of the house were asking for voting to be conducted. The words they chanted was voting and not Modi. Poor chaps, no matter who the people vote for, the choice of the army becomes the PM, and they don’t get a decent chance to vote on bills. Even there, the puppet government takes matter into its own hands.

Nevertheless, the video in question happened on the 26th of October, 2020. There were murmurs of a debate based on Charlie Hebdo’s Mohammad cartoon. The parliament passed a resolution against it and then they wanted to vote on it, but the government apparently was in no mood for it. You can hear the speaker calming the opposition down.

How many in India would have wished the words indeed were Modi and not voting. The right wing fans would have taken it to the streets celebrating. Why only the right wing, even the opposition Congress would have celebrated saying that the Indian PM is currying Pakistan favors, so they seem to be infatuated by him!

All such thoughts crept into my tired mind and it was like the red color to a bull. My mind started to chase after anything that would come flashing into my mind. I tried to defocus and concentrate on not concentrating on my thoughts, but I just had to give up this tactic after a while. As they say, things in the sub-conscious mind are the most difficult to control. I just couldn’t get a handle on how things went last night. 

I forgot to set my alarm last night. Actually, that’s not true. My crackhead sister changed the alarm time on my phone for the cake she was baking for her boyfriend. “Why don’t you use your phone or replace the battery on the oven timer?” I asked her. She smiled sheepishly and didn’t bother responding back to me. When I prodded her the second time, she faced the sink as she said, “my phone is upstairs in my room.” 

“Should I go and get it for you?” I said. 

“No don’t bother. I don’t like to tamper with my alarms. I might forget to change it back and you know how much I hate to be late to school,” she replied in a neutral tone, once again not facing me but rather the hot air swelled cake in the oven. I was too pissed off to give her a retort. I made a note to self to not leave my phone lying around anymore. 

I was woken up by the sputter of my neighbor’s motorcycle. I had woken up exactly twenty five minutes later when my alarm would normally go off. I snooze for five minutes once, so effectively I was twenty minutes late.  

Luckily the bathroom was free and I was so glad to see it so. Normally when things go bad, they go bad in pairs. Today was not such a day. I could still make up for the lost time. I just had to focus and not spend any extra minute than I have to. 

A client was scheduled to drop into our office and my manager makes me wear a suit on such days. I did not complain this time around as I know that I look sharp in a suit, although I hate formals, and looking good might just be the thing that I needed on my side for the evening. My date might just fall into my laps for my good looks, and then she would have a lot of undressing to do with my suit, one layer after another. Oh yes, I forgot to mention. I own a three-piece suit which my mom chose and I think her dad would have appreciated its style. I don’t and I never did. Since she paid for it, I decided to keep my opinion to myself. My mom is known to have a temper. When I was young, during dinner, my father commented that the chicken steaks were not marinated enough. She took all the steaks, including the one that was on my dad’s plate and threw it in the bin. We all stayed hungry that night. My father has not given voice to his thoughts after that night. So now you know why I didn’t tell her anything about the suit. 

I suited up as quickly as I could and I didn’t have the time to eat breakfast. So I threw in a couple of croissants into a box and headed out. It normally takes me about ten minutes to get to the train station and today I had eight. Oh well, with some speed walking and a bit of luck from the train delay gods, I still had hopes of making it. If I missed this one, the next one was forty five minutes later and it was a slow train which stopped and sputtered at every village between here and my office. 

The wind was howling today and the just-above zero temperature made me feel like I was sitting in an ice box. In the melee, I had forgotten to wear a scarf and a hat and I could feel the cold air passing from one ear and leaving the other, and on its way it gave me a runny nose and tearful eyes. I was glad that my brain was still intact, so far. I ran when the sidewalk sloped down and I was glad that my body was in a relatively good shape. But I was held up trying to cross the road on a generally not-a-busy road. I lost thirty seconds. I had completed half the walking distance in five minutes. Not good I thought. 

I was left with no option but to jog and with I think ladies with heels would probably be better off in their heels than me in those hard rigid shoes. As I ran, the laptop bag was momentarily thrown in the air and it came down hard on my back. I was so focused on reaching the station that the pain and discomfort from the bag and the shoes felt like sideshow. 

As I took the final turn, I could see the gates at the railway crossing come down and that was my train approaching. Although the station was in sight, the road to it was unfairly steep. My walking/jogging speed reduced by about half and my calves cried out in pain just as a kid who lost his candy. Normally the child’s mother would tend, soothe and provide the much-needed relief from the sadness, pain and loss. For me, I had to endure it. I was a soldier on a mission and heeding to pain would only come after job completion. 

I could see the train’s nose as it peeked into my vision and it teased me – catch me if you can. The sight of train gave me extra wheels that I needed and unusually so there were a number of passengers alighting from the train so those waiting to get on were waiting for their turn. As people got onto the train, I knew that I could make it. In my peripheral vision I could see a couple of kids run towards the train and they were well behind me and I smirked knowing fully well that they will be the left behind ones. I don’t know why I felt happy, maybe because I put in the extra effort to be here on time and they didn’t. Or it was just the evil inside me that liked seeing projects fail or trains missed. 

I was about to board the train and I could feel somebody behind me and a hand riled up against me. I lost balance for a while but regained it quickly. I turned back to give him or her my nasty look. I was surprised to find the kids who were running and who I thought would miss the train right behind me. They were going to make it. Hallelujah! That’s the sarcasm in me. I was not really thrilled that they made it, much less they kind of pushed me. 

The train was fairly full and there were only a couple of vacant seats. I walked to the front of the train, a couple of bogies ahead without much luck. I finally chose an aisle seat where two pairs of seats faced each other. Nobody sat in front of me, and an attractive girl, may be in her late twenties sat next to the vacant seat and by the window. I turned slightly to find myself sitting next to an elderly person. I was bemused at my choosing a seat next to an old man as against an attractive young lady. To make matters worse, she did not even have her ear pods on and was not fiddling away on her phone. It was a situation made for people like me who were looking actively to entice the opposite gender, or more specifically the gender that’s attractive. I mentally smacked myself on my head for missing the most obvious trick in the book. My school friend who’s now married with kids found his wife on a train and I was so dumb to choose this greying man over a girl who had the perfect curves, tight skin and probably who’s eager to play. 

Then I started to justify. Maybe because I have loyalty in my character. Knowing that I will be going out on a date tonight made me committed to the date that I had chosen for the day. Yes, that was it, I thought. I later mentally patted myself and felt good. But I couldn’t stay away from not looking at her. Calling her attractive was the understatement of this train journey. In my eyes, she was like a Greek goddess who radiated sensuality but as I watched her eyes closely, I could see the sadness hiding behind those lids. She had gone through something traumatic recently and they were visible in plain sight. As I settled in on reading her, I could tell that she had lost somebody close. Her father or her mother perhaps! No. I could tell quite lucidly that it was somebody she had birthed – her kid. I felt sorry for her loss and wanted to console her. But who am I to do it? She hadn’t even turned her eyes towards me, and yet I had this out of body feeling to grieve with her. This was odd, I thought. For somebody who showed little emotion otherwise. And then I realized that the train had been stationary this whole time. As I turned to look, I could see a crowd disperse from the back of train and the voice over the speaker apologized for the hold-up. 

A day when I have so much going on couldn’t have been worse. I am bound to be late and I decided to not think on the consequences. Two seats ahead of me and sitting on the opposite aisle from me was this aged lady. She was probably in her sixties or seventies. I liked to play the guess the age game when I was with my college friends and it used to be our pass time rather than stare at our phone screens. We used to guess the age of people, mostly the ones older than us and one of us was dared to ask for the age. If we were lucky, we would get the age. Else a cold stare or worse, a verbal pounding. The one who guessed far off would buy the gang a round of drinks in the bar we frequented. 

This lady, according to me was sixty-eight I guessed. The wrinkles on her skin, the grey hair roots and the tired eyes gave me a backing. I wish the others were here I thought. As I trained my eyes towards her wallet held loosely in her hands, I could just about peek at a photo ID and it was her driving license card. Her birthdate was keyed in, and I was surprised to read it like I held the card in my hand. A quick mental calculation told me that I was on target and if I had seen her the following week and guessed her age, I would have been wrong. Her birthday was tomorrow. No wonder she is happy, she’s going out shopping. Just as I was completing my assessment of her, a Chinese kid sat in front of me and stared at me. 

“Having fun,” he said. 

“Sorry. Do I know you?” My confused face should have told him what I was thinking but I added the words anyways. 

“You will. I am Neill.” 

“Hi Neill. What do you want?” 

“Well. What can I say? I have been feeling lonely for a long time, and I am so glad to see you.” 

I raised my voice and said, “Hey! You are mistaken. I am not into guys and I am not looking out.” I turned towards my other neighbors, the old man and the attractive girl. They didn’t seem to care that I had raised my voice. They were in their worlds, and I knew that freaks often board trains and try to get into your skin, into pants would be more correct I guessed. 

The Chinese guy smiled. I hoped he would leave me alone and not make me feel more awkward that I already am. He said, “You stared at that girl for such a long time.” I shushed him but he continued. I could now see her truly wireless ear phones through the mist of blonde hair. I am saved, I thought. He continued, “You stared at her and you could read her thoughts.” I was surprised. My eyes brightened and my head involuntarily started to nod. “And then you looked up that lady and you could tell her age, and confirm it by reading her driving license which is hidden away in one of the deep pockets of her wallet.” 

“No. I guessed her age, that’s right. But the card was kind of sticking out. That’s how I read it.” He smiled and turned his head towards the lady. I followed the gaze and I could still see the card and it was not deep in her wallet. 

I came back to my senses and questioned him, “Hey. How the hell do you know what I am thinking and what I am seeing?” 

He gave me this quirky smile that could be interpreted as I am the master of what I am saying, and I just played you for a fool. He leaned back and said, “Welcome to your abode. This train. You and I are the only ghost inhabitants.” I let out a shriek and quickly glanced towards my neighbors and they didn’t seem bothered. “What are you talking about?” I said sternly. 

“Don’t worry. Nobody can see you or hear you or even feel you. As I said earlier, you and I are here on this train. We will remain on this train. We are ghosts.” 

“I am not a ghost you crackpot.” As I said it, I wanted to prove by poking at the old man but my hand went through him. And a moment later a school kid sat on me. Another school kid sat on Neill. My head started to spin and eyes started to water. I had an important meeting and a date later tonight and now this guy Neill was telling me that I was a ghost. I wanted to shout with all the fierce power that I had in my lungs but I held back. Maybe this is a dream I thought and shook myself from sleep. The old guy and the girl were gone and so was Neill. I didn’t see anyone on the train. I stood and turned and to my horror, Neill sat on the floor and laughed his ass of. “I told you that you are a ghost but you wouldn’t believe me.” 

I still couldn’t trust him. I started to run towards the door. It was locked. The train was dark and the station’s light snuck through the windows. I started to run towards the next bogie and tried the next door and the next. All were locked. I was locked up with a crazy man, a crazy ghost perhaps. 

Neill walked up towards me and patted my shoulder. I gasped and took a couple of steps back. “Don’t touch me.” I shouted. He was not smiling anymore. He was calm. “I am telling you the truth man. You died when you were boarding the train. The kid pushed you and you fell through the train and the platform. Bumped your head somewhere hard and you died instantly. I saw it happen.” 

No words came out of my mouth although they were open. 

“I died on this train too. Seven years back. A crazy guy knifed a lot of people. Many sustained injuries but only I died. He cut my neck and I can still remember the blood gushing out.” 

I didn’t believe him still although the kid pushing me while getting into the train did happen. I also remembered reading about the knifing incident when I was in college. I didn’t know who had died but right now I was devastated at my situation. I still didn’t have any words to say. I stood haplessly as he narrated, “I have been all alone on this train mate for so many years. A few people have almost died, the most occurring is clutching their chests. You know heart attacks. But to my bad luck, they did not die on the train. Help arrived and they were moved out. One of them was carried out of the train for medical help but died in the station. I see him when the train passes the station and we wave. We can never talk because this train does not stop in that station.” 

My thoughts went to my reading of the girl’s situation and the old lady’s age, and as if powered by telepathy, Neill continued, “We have the ability to read people’s minds. Find out everything there is to know about people. Read things that are generally hidden from human view. This was fun for me at first but it gets boring. Stuff repeats. You know. Wife cheats. Mother dies. Promotion underway. Marriage. On and on. I have given up on reading and pass time by running and up and down the train. Need to keep up my health though to live longer.” He smiled and winked as he said it. For the first time since boarding the train, I smiled.