EXCUSE ME
(07/11/2006)
I came today to the office... and was sipping my cup of fresh coffee and started my day with the routine browsing of some news websites... thats when i got a feel of THE ACTION... I also depict MY REACTION at a run time basis... and what I feel of my reaction today...

THE ACTION -- BAM!!! the first news i see is that of "a bomb blasts in a train in khar"...
MY REACTION -- Okay !!! this is nothing new... nowadays, bomb blasts in mumbai are like a burp... u burp, u say a routine "EXCUSE ME" and continue with your life... for me, it really did not matter coz i know my near and dear ones do not venture near the railway stations at this time of the day... so ? I dont care !!!
EXCUSE ME -- So, this city nurtured you for 22 long yrs... your home is a burn victim... and you dont care coz u arent charred... talk abt loyalty and deserting someone in the time of need...

THE ACTION -- Then, after some time, the details started trickling in... "the blast occurred in a first class bogey... the bogey was ripped apart... atleast 7 dead"...
MY REACTION -- Crap!!! the first class compartment has atleast 200 ppl at that time... and if the bogey is ripped apart, then for sure, atleast 70 are dead... tell me that more ppl are dead...
EXCUSE ME -- So, 7 ppl are killed... 7 families are crushed... 7 wives lost their husbands... 7 mothers lost their sons... some kids lost their papa... And what did i ask for? tell me that is 70 !!! Probably, i should enroll in one of those terror outfits who would be celebrating their "triumph"...

THE ACTION -- Atleast 4 blasts, in places far away from my home...
MY REACTION -- Good for me... my folks are safe...
EXCUSE ME -- Good for you? How do u know for sure that none of ur close ones were there... And does Mumbai for u mean only 5 ppl (Father, Mother, Sister, Bro-In-Law and nephew)... so if they are alive, then all is well in Mumbai?

THE ACTION -- One more blast... this time in Santacruz, the place where I stay...
MY REACTION -- Hell has broken loose in Mumbai... Let me call up my parents asap... Let me check if all is well with them... But lines are jammed... why, some less important ppl are using those phone lines to inform their close ones abt their safety... What the hell... for me, my folks are imp... I should have atleast 1 line totally reserved for me, so that I can reach my folks in such a situation... i dont care abt anyone else...
EXCUSE ME -- Hello Mr. All-Of-A-Sudden-Terror-Victim? Suddenly, you are one of the panic stricken helpless mumbai-ite who is totally shattered...

THE ACTION -- All lines jammed, but my wife intelligently manages to meet my parents online on the internet and ensure that they are safe... Sis and Bro-In-Law are unreachable and untraceable though... Soon after, I am able to make sure that Sis, Bro-In-Law and nephew are safe too...
MY REACTION -- So, its not that bad... Just a regular burp... Okay!!! a SERIES of burps... But all's well that ends well...
Atleast I can have stuffed capsicum for lunch and kulfi for dessert.... Its fine in Mumbai... now lets see how many have died... Only 120? Crap... Tell me atleast 500 have died...
EXCUSE ME -- Google for the terror organization enrollment forms... Get lost!!!

THE ACTION -- A general appeal to everyone to donate blood, so that the injured get a chance to live...
MY REACTION -- Only if I was in mumbai, i would have donated blood and helped one mother save her son... help one wife save her husband... help one small kid save her papa...
EXCUSE ME -- You chose to stay in this land of Uncle Sam, where even if u volunteer to donate blood, you are sent back coz u come from the land of Malaria and Encaphilitis... from the land of blood sucking insects... But today, humans in Mumbai await to "suck" your blood and you cant be of any help...

THE ACTION -- Life limps back to normal... by Thursday morning Mumbai will be back on its feet...
THE REACTION -- Thats the spirit of Mumbai... we will never kneel... No other country in the world can boast of such a grit and determination and courage... blah!!! blah!!! blah!!!
EXCUSE ME -- Grit? Courage? Determination? My foot.... It just means, you are not brave enough to hit back at the guy who has just slapped you right in front of the whole world... who has knocked you out in a never ending bout... You are just saying, I am ready to take another blow... Come and hit me... Knock me out again...

THE ACTION -- The death numbers are still increasing...
THE REACTION -- Oh!!! numbers are increasing... well, they were bound to increase... let me check some other numbers for a change... Let me check Infosys Quarterly results... oh... here too the numbers are on the increase... well, they were bound to increase...
EXCUSE ME -- Come and Hit me... Knock me out again...