AMOK

SAPIENT It is the 10th of February 2019 6 PM, a 2-hour walk from home completing my monthly drill of getting a book to be read for the month. The routine is to walk 8 km to the bookstore and back. I spend the first week contemplating what I should be fed this month, but I did not disappoint myself this time either I took off to stroll the entire bookstore and find the right one like always. When I left the store, the evening was meek with a cool breeze, last night it poured cats and dogs and I wished the same for today like a final goodbye to mark the end of winter. While I walk back each time with any book in hand I try to wonder what the author holds to deliver, it could sometimes be a vast new outlook, food to feed my thoughts. Few have gone astray, never to be finished, one which I never did, because it was too good to be called finished. Like I said I was drifting away in thought I don’t remember anything that crossed my thought that held my attention to progress, any idea that stuck, because the book that I carried this time is something has a very specific purpose to be served and to be honest I have bought a book I have never planned to buy, so I had very vague thoughts running as I walked from CMH road to Thippasandra main road, it is a very pleasant walk until you turn towards Thippasandra to BEML gate road it is a crowded route, I see it like a ship going into a Warp jump in Star Trek, the lights coming into life, faces passing, aroma, stench, shops, temples, bars, butcher shops, street vendors, you name it, unbelievable stretch, you cannot walk a meter in a completely straight line you’ll run into someone or end up in hole dug out for maintenance at the beginning of time. Subconsciously what you would never mind here is the traffic, it is a one-way road towards BEML Gate, the road is hardly 50 meters wide with vehicles parked on either side of the road, a pedestrian is packed with vendors, vehicles has to the funnel it's way through the narrow opening on the road escaping the acrobats driving bikes from the opposite side of the traffic, I’d like to believe that he is up to something very important, or it would be the hunger saviors beating all odds to serve food on time, traffic simply becomes a part of you. 1hr 15min to reach home and I reached the watch shop just after the temple on the main road, I had asked for an HMT Piolet watch I have a special interest in this watch because of the retro looks and the mechanical winding but all I ever came close to the fake copies, this must be the hundredth time am visiting the shop to ask if he had any luck finding it, yet again disappointed I walked past, just then a thought crossed my mind, I have never been to that temple that I just came by, I hesitated to think any further about it, after all, God is the creator of time and it is important to have a watch – Period. Gripped the book a bit tight when the thought of God passed my mind. This stretch of road has a lot of memories for me since 2011, the time I moved from KGF to Bangalore, I did my Apprentice training in a firm down this road, and though not famous for food, I am inclined to the

street food here ran into old friends, got drunk, bought groceries, and walked with my loved ones I have my friends here I believe there cannot be an exhaustive list of what I have in relation to this stretch. It is lively here, and I love it here. There comes the second temple and I fast forward my life. Twilight has faded giving way to the streetlights and the lights from the shop, especially the electrical shops which display their whole variety When there is a crowd all around you, can you walk with peace? I become a judgmental predator with an innocent face. People throwing glances at you makes you feel they found something interesting in me like I have some distinctive smart look. Look for the pretty girls who may check you out!! Are there any girls that are even looking at you? I guess these girls take attitude for Breakfast and lunch and a stroll to digest it, oh she I guess she glanced at me “and smiles” well I guess she might even look at the guy coming behind me, OMG girls these days! I guess my stomach is a big time turn down, girl is not to be blamed. I wonder about the street vendors, especially the flower vendors, and how beautifully they work around flowers, just then a lady was bargaining the price for a bunch of Mallige huva, like in the share market the price fluctuated between the tongue of the vendor, and the customer, there are variables that determine this, such are customer frequency, tone, bargaining ability, time of the day, gender, prying competitor and so on, so on did I moved on.

Ah, there it is… Gou matha on the streets– no comments. Let her rest, vehicles can find another route or wait it out. Happy as I seemed I was nearing another temple, Ganesha temple right under the Kalyana mantapa, which was hosting a marriage that evening and next to the petrol bunk. I paced towards the temple just when the Mobile and the footwear store were visible and as soon as I thought of how displeased I was by the Mobile and the footwear I bought from this place, just as I was thinking that I am no more getting into those stores anymore, just as I was jumping over the wooden platform laid to cover the huge pothole right between the pedestrian and the road, the trees that covered the road gives way to the dark sky, for a small opening of about a 100 meters, Just then. AMOK There was a loud sound of some calling out in Kannada, in this hustle it was hard to make out who it was, but I could make out by the way the people were giving way for him, frantically a man emerged out of the crowd running through the traffic, slipping through the space between cars and hurrying, what I could see was a faint figure coming my way clearing from the ill-lit patch of the road towards street light and he carried something in his right hand I felt it was a long blunt object aimed to hit someone. He, as he came charging towards my direction, I could make out the shabby dress he wore, constantly adjusting the towel over his shoulder as he closed in he, had a dark wrinkled face and it was a stick that he was carrying wore a round neck

brown T-shirt evidently it was dirt that made it look brown and a towel tried around his waist with striped Bermuda shorts that crept out from underneath his towel, a thin man slipping through everything that came before him I thought to myself “I guess he has lost his mind and it is time to run or leave him the way” depending upon the severity. He had to struggle through a few vehicles which were slowing him down, he didn’t seem to be particularly interested in beating down any random person, he had a person of interest I felt. People all around looked upon them with the same comical eyes, there is some change in the wind tonight, ultimately he had to stop as there were just too many vehicles for him to run past and once the traffic took off he made a noise. KEEK KEEK… , HOOR HOOR…. Now I know that sound, back in KGF I’ve heard that a lot if you are from a suburb, it was just too easy to make out that this person was definitely behind something and it was not a person, I just had to turn to the opposite direction!!! He was chasing down a SHEEP, Sheep that was running amok, lost from his heard and the green pastures in the middle of the city, what was it trying to run from? A smile formed on my face, this was not happening, the guy a shepherd, was waving at people to get hold of the sheep, onlookers did try but they were more interested to see the hopping and jumping of the sheep, and so did I. What could cause a sheep to run, escaping its herd? Momentary freedom? Well, it looked too terrifying to have freedom, but who wouldn’tlike to go a little mad sometimes, and break some routine, isn’t that what creates a ripple of change, that made so many eyes rooted to their mobiles, road, signboards which shouted out offers to turn around, break their routine and look at a small glitch that disturbed their evening. Parents with toddlers were pointing at the sheep, and elders had a face of disgust wondering who can be so irresponsible enough to let the sheep wander off, after all, the shepherd has just one job, few teenagers tried chasing, but they wanted sheep to run towards them to avoid any trouble of running (nobody has to actually run while playing PUBG) and myself, I would stop and stare. Sheep were running wild, halting traffic momentarily and the shepherd ran parallelly on the pedestrian to keep pace, what possibly was going through his mind? A sheep going missing may not be an issue, unless he considers losing the worth of wool it produces, the debt he has to pay back or if he is herding someone else’s sheep, his short-tempered wife who would not be happy with the reduced count? it makes sense about the trouble he is going through chasing the sheep. Victory is not in sight; the sheep was hurrying to escape the traffic and humans and then joins the dogs. Well, who wouldn't like a new addition to the chasing team, except the dog, was actually chasing, shepherd aimlessly through the stick to chase the dogs, people around were visibly not happy with that act with hoo and aah’s going around. The dogs did not care but continued the chase, sheep took a left turn right by the shepherd and turned to a 3rd crossroad, shepherd this time wanted the dogs to be gone to get the sheep in one piece, he was looking for stone, stones were everywhere! He picked up the biggest that fitted in his gestured like a Greek God aiming to strike thunder at them, dogs felt the lightning and had to retreat, with a face that said:

“it’s over for now”. Soon as it ended the shepherd continued his job, I must say he was pushing his job to the extra mile now, he raced as the road was empty so did the target, I could feel the adrenaline in me cheering him to get hold of the sheep but luck seemed slipping from him, he needed hard work, bystanders tried helping but they only redirected the sheep back to the main road again, his challenge was only increasing and patience waning, anger getting on his nerves, as a responsible shepherd it was evident he was going to call it a day but one sheep is ruining it and this had to end, adjusting the towel that kept sliding off his shoulder, which had nothing more to get dirty even if it had to fall down, one last chase and I was pretty sure this is it, there are gestures which I believe in everyone that sends a chill into us re-assuring us upon the oncoming outcome. Sheep sprinted and took a left turn to the BEML gate, instantly adjusting his slippers which were worn out and now represented more of a thin line of rubber that stood between his cracked heels and the ruff tar. The turn the sheep took was into a dark stretch of about 100 yards, shepherd shouted his customary HOOR and KEEKS like anyone cared, and he rushed behind. I looked on as he dashed away, a man struggling for his lively hood, maybe on the worst day or the oddest place he had to chase sheep no matter what, he kept going, he did not have a choice, every other life there had nothing to do with it, except for the dogs who missed the fun, which now nowhere to be seen, maybe into their new assignment. 1hr 5min home am right in front of the Ganesha Temple,I haven’t moved much looked back atthe Mobile and the footwear store, it’s prettymuch the same for me. There is this

really good tea stall quite opposite the temple I changed my schedule and ordered a tea, what a pleasant evening, these were this traffic, people everywhere, lights, sale, and a determined, strong-headed shepherd and the sheep, how many times have I wondered sitting behind my desk about this treacherous world, work pressure, commute, credit card, movies, the dress that did not match on a day to the office, crowded Volvo buses and there goes this elderly man with the soiled dress, slippers that were thinner than paper, his attire that did not belong to any part of the city, yet he was there. A few minutes later as I finished my last sip and devoured the Gyan I attained and that I’d probably forget in the next few minutes, there came the gallant shepherd!! I would usually close my laptop when I call it a day, but he had his hunted-down sheep held right across his shoulder, from across the street I could make out his sweating face, he was pacing down the street probably to get the sheep back to the herd and finish the count, on the way he picked up the stick he threw at the dogs, he had nobody on the streets to be thankful for, pacing steadily, I don’t quite remember if anyone else noticed him, as he walked by we exchanged glances, he continued, no longer to be seen. I kept back the teacup and held on to the counter I still had the whole act behind my head everything just ceased and got back to normal, who does not like being normal, paid for the tea and turned to walk and then the first place I saw was the temple, gripped the book that bought even tighter and walked towards the home. Another 5min walk.

Oh yes, the book, the book that I bought that day was nothing like I ever read, I was not quite sure if I was doing good at my job, I wanted to raise my bars, feel motivated, and get along with ease in life, not to be supposed demotivated, be active and everything else good. Am motivated to read this book it even had a confident-looking man on the cover page which reassured me.

Holding it tight and I walked back home with the book: 5 EASY STEPS TO WIN IN LIFE AND WORK.