I was supposed to go to Belgharia where my family owns a flat. I had to deposit some stuff at the flat and so got out early today morning. While going out, my neighbor who stays two stories up came and requested to have the keys to my place. His mother had died the previous week and this week he was supposed to perform the ritualistic pooja and other stuff as a part of the final rites of the departed soul. He needed the keys to keep the materials at my place. I stay alone and so more have space as compared to his place where they live as a family of four. And the death of a member has now added further to the numbers owing to the constant arrival of grieving relatives.
As I went out in a hurry, I rushed upstairs and deposited my keys with them so that they can keep the stuff they will buy for the ceremony at my place. If not for this little thing, what are neighbors for. I got out in a hurry and rushed to catch an auto that would take me to Nagerbazar . At Nagerbazar, I got down and was ready to jump onto the next auto but suddenly it passed my mind that the keys of my flat in belgharia were in bunch with the ring I left at my neighbor's.
And so I rushed to catch an auto back to my flat. But, how! Oh my god! Such a huge line for an auto. I tried to catch some vehicles passing on but everyone was filled to capacity. So watching I had no other option but to get back via the long queue of waiting fellow citizens, uneasy, I finally stood behind at the end of the long queue.
It was sunny and sun showered with all its glory. Hot and sweaty getting smeared by the dust blown up by the passing vehicles and smoke emanating from their rear, it seemed an apt punishment to my carelessness. Time seemed to pass rather slow. And then after it felt like a real long time as I took to the watch, I realized it was already more than 30 mins. Someone cursed the autos for not arriving on time while another reasoned that it was the result of the road jam as a result of which most of them were cutting short their trip and were returning from some place ahead of the stand, back to Dumdum.
Hearing this revelation was irritating and I want to go forward and investigate the truthfulness of the talk but then the ever growing queue was now out of proportion and I realized, the moment I'd jump out of the line, my place would be taken by someone standing behind me who was equally irritated as I was and there was no possible way for me to return to my old place on the queue once I came back after seeing the truth myself.
Any way I realized, I was either way not in a position to do anything. So better it was for me to stand and wait. I finally got into the auto to take me back to my flat in Dumdum after a period of 45 mins! Strange it is to let people know that the journey takes seven to ten minutes! I wondered, what if I had walked back home. That would killed a lot of time and so much of sun exposure and all that dust and smoke! Looks like I got them all while standing and waiting in the queue.
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