I met a freshman from a local college
on the way to a corporate office,
where I was supposed to submit
a study on FMCGs.
My report had all the dull statistics:
pie charts, histograms and dumb numbers,
which I was supposed to animate
in a few hours in front of experts.
I got introduced to this kid,
partly to overcome the tension,
and partly to know how much
the days have changed in ten years.

The boy greeted me with a smile,
and proudly mentioned that he is
in his first year bachelors, and that
he hasn’t yet decided upon his specialization.
Soon he unzipped his bag, which smelled
of ladies perfume and deodorants, and felt
velvety soft, when touched.
He opened Kafka’s “collection of short stories”,
and showed me the concise notes he made on the preface,
which read like Auden’s translations of Faust.
I had to encourage the kid so I said, “you have
a brilliant mind, dude!” before getting down.

I was tired and weary, while coming back,
the same bus number! And by coincidence
same boy was seated on the seat
in front of me. After the meeting
with the experts I changed my clothes.
Understandably this guy couldn’t
recognize me, while I was seated
right behind. He was bragging
about his new found interests for poetry,
and was reading out a few lines
from a famous e.e.cummings poem
which he later on claimed to have
written three years back, at McDonalds.

His friend, who appeared to be more concerned
about his new jacket, jeans and girlfriend gossips,
was getting bored. He took out his classnotes,
a pencil and a pack of cigarettes,
though it was a no smoking zone,
the conductor allowed them to smoke.
Now it was his turn, he started reading
Faust, Goethe’s original work!

Copyright© 2005, Debashish Haar, All Rights Reserved