“Puttuswamy parked my car behind his red, C-class Mercedes. And at that moment, I got a nagging feeling that today is not going to be my day,” Swami told us at the café when we met a few days later. Swami narrated the happenings of the meeting day. “You know how good my hunches are, … Read more
“It is quite extraordinary,” Swami said as Puttuswamy drove past Town Hall, “that whenever I do some research on a medical problem before going to a doctor, the symptoms I read about suggest that I have got all the diseases listed in their most malicious form.” Jigneshbhai realised that Swami and his Google doctor had … Read more
Swami woke up the following day counting his blessings and realised that the tally did add to something that was not insubstantial by any means. “We have each other for company first,” he told Jigneshbhai and me. “And I have a boss like Raichand who gave me a week of leave on his own,” he … Read more
“Today is Friday, so let me wear casuals to work,” Swami thought while having his breakfast. The sun was bright in the sky and Ghatembur had risen to a pleasant Friday. Like most mornings, it was a hurried one for Swami, though being a Friday, it was slower than normal. “There’s nothing new in the … Read more
I have never woken up a single day of my life thinking that today I am going to protest. Actually, there haven’t been many things in life that I have felt like protesting about. The same holds true for Jigneshbhai. He likes a quiet life and doesn’t have much to complain about. So, that makes … Read more
“Swaminathan, Swaminathan,” the shrill voice said. Everyone, even those not named Swaminathan, looked in the direction of the voice. It appeared to have come from somewhere outside the café. “Jigneshbhai, Jigneshbhai,” the howler shrieked at the top of his voice. When we turned to our right, we saw a man waving his hands about twenty-five … Read more
“Does anybody win anything in a lucky draw?” Swami asked Jigneshbhai and me over a coffee at the café. I knew why this question was troubling him today. It was because of an episode that happened last week that I must tell you about. It was on a cool evening sometime last week that Swami … Read more
The cinema experience did not leave Swami unscathed. His already insecure existence became more insecure. “Society today is turning dangerous,” he called Jigneshbhai and said. “First they don’t stand for the national anthem. Then they attack you, threaten you and if not for friends, beat you up!” Jigneshbhai said, “Instead of blaming society, why not … Read more
I am very much alive to the fact that my friend Swami is full of life and his penchant for activity does add spice to the lives of Jigneshbhai and me. But I cannot overlook the fact that he still has some things that he needs to improve upon. Especially when he more than just … Read more