Insanely sane… Surviving qualmless.

Insanely sane… Surviving qualmless.
I'm not a perfect person, But I never meant to do those things; And so I have to say before I go, That I just want myself to know. I've found out a reason for me,; To change who I used to be A reason to start over new, and the reason is you. I've found a reason to show, A side of me you didn't know; A reason for all that I do, Before I let you go...

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Queue up Please!


“Stand in the line [read queue]”, my class teacher snapped.

 She had heard this as a child in school, and the days had been so since. It was line and line and lines everywhere. Lines to the park entry, lines for shopping at the supermarket, lines in electric offices, line for submitting tax, line for admission in school, line for the toilet, line for college admission forms, now-a-days on-‘line’ application, lines in the bus stand, lines to the auto stand, lines for eye-check-up and last not the least lines to the funeral pyre!

 

It has been a hell of day. I had to stand in the queue on the road for submitting the bill in the office which was on the 1st floor of a tall building.

 

Had been to Presidency to submit brother’s application form. Just remembered the day when I had been here two years back for my admission. C had started shouting “it’s gone, it fell”, I suddenly saw an admit card bobbing up and down on the street. I was then wading through waist deep water with both my torn slippers slung over my shoulders through the streets of “College Street”. Now I was here again, preparing someone else for a similar test, hoping not in a similar situation!

 

Neither of the documents to be submitted was attested; so we had to run to Derozio hall to find some professor to attest them. Moreover their was some problem with the application form. The guy at the dispute settlement counter solved it and advised us to head for the Statistics department, where luckily forms were being attested by someone. Unassumingly we headed their, hoping to find some old professor helping the ‘Cows’ in need. ;)

Now begins… We entered and found a guy of our age fidgeting with some forms. I asked him, “Excuse me, can you please tell me where we can possibly get these attested?”. Without looking up he answered, “Give me the forms.”. He went through them and asked me for the originals. Then he asked me for a pen, checked everything out and started signing!

I was stunned, the guy seemed to be a Kid, and he was attesting! That meant he was a professor, and that too in Presidency, one of the heritage institutions! I was clean bowled, so was C. The guy had a deep voice and blue eyes and just of our age. C suffered bouts of “Oh God’s” from then. But I was thankful, “Thank God”, we did not have to stand in a queue to meet the guy :P

 

We returned to the long long form submission queue. Both of us were silent, possibly figuring out ways to return back to the office and talk to the guy ;) Ultimately, I suggested attesting some more documents, not because I needed them, but because they would be a fine pretext! We did that, and we talked even, this time gathering courage and taking deep breaths to stabilize ourselves before entering the office. :P

 

Even my headache vanished for the time being, nevertheless we were satisfied, what a cute guy, he couldn’t even make eye-contact, probably nervous in front of two girls; standing in a queue :P

 

It was a long day, with my head throbbing painfully.

 

 

I was in the auto stuck in “queue” in a traffic jam. A cab stopped by us. Their were three people inside, an aged man, an aged woman [probably the man’s wife] and a middle aged man [probably her son]. The old woman was slumped on the backseat with both of them on either sides. As the cab moved forward I saw the middle-aged man put something in her mouth, it was then I realized she was suffering from asthma, she seemed breathless.

 

Suddenly as the cab moved, an auto came up. A little baby looked up, his face contorted, became pink and he started crying.

 

Was he crying for the old woman who was on the verge of losing her life whereas he had just stepped in the world and was just next in the queue?

Please do read and comment on my efforts if you find this post popping up anywhere near you :P

16 comments:

Opaque said...

Ah, I can sense the frustration via your writing. Neatly written! A real world experience here! Well done!

Saim said...

some more queues...
to get ration/kerosene oil
to get a food packet in a bloody social :P
to meet the teacher on teacher's day:D

I tell u, these lines will never leave us:(

Anwesa said...

i was elated to read abt queues. coz i detest them.i just found this write-up beautiful,dun ask me y.

Arnab Majumdar said...

Well expressed feelings there... the contrast of the old woman and the little baby was very well brought out.

Liked it... keep writing... Cheers...

Aniket Thakkar said...

I read somewhere in a survey that an average Indian spends about 3% of his adult life in queues. Now 3% seems stretching a bit to me but still the thought is scary.

Remember those days of filling forms in college. Those are the moments I have no desires to relive.

a thought provoking end to an interesting post. Now am off to listen to the song "Jaane Queue...Jaane Queue...Jaane Queue..." :D

Anonymous said...

What's crappier still is the people who bloody disregard these queues and make it worse for those of us who are already fed up. :|

(Nice post!)

WritingsForLife said...

i think he is the next one in line. its the circle of life you know...
as for the Queue, i personally prefer them. Discipline gets things done :-)

Anonymous said...

Que!!! Aaaagggghhhh!!!

Diya said...

@ Brosreview
Yeah, itz really really frustrating! :X
Thanxx :)

Diya said...

@ Comfortably numb
Grrrr...! :X Yeah, they wont! :(
Kolkatans will know better :P ;)
thanxx :)

Diya said...

@ Anwesa
Me too with you :)
Thanxx :)

Diya said...

@ Arnab
Yeah, that was an abrupt realization that I had!
Thanxx :)

Diya said...

@ Aniket
Neither do I :(
Yeah, queue queue kyun? :P
Thanxx :)

Diya said...

@ Ki
Hey welcome to my blog :)
Yeah, thats still more disgusting! :X
Thanxx for visiting and commenting :)
Thanxx :)

Diya said...

@ Raaji
Then what about indiscipline in the queue?
Thanxx :)

Diya said...

@ Kido
:( :X
Thanxx :)