Arvind sips on his Coke in his Maruti zen, as he breezes through the Bombay Pune highway, that, surprisingly, looks fairly empty at 8:30 on a Tuesday morning. Arvind Mahajane, a mid 30, not too dark not that fair either, not too short not too tall, makes it difficult for eyes around him to decide his origin! Fortunately, their city of Bombay, makes it convenient for those eyes not to care about his origin! The eyes have no time from their too busy routine, of reaching themselves to their specific bus/train stations before getting stranded into their city’s mad traffic, that could make it impossible for them to reach their respective work places at those workplace’s respective certain sharp am’s. While they try to make it to their respective specific certain a.m’s, of their respective workplaces, Arvind sips on his coke in his Maruti, on the Bombay Pune highway.
Arvind drives away, he is happy, he always has been happy for 30 odd years, he can’t remember, even if he racked his brain, a day when something “bad” has happened.
As he drives, the highway seems empty. Arvind feels a thrill through and through his spine, he thinks “wow what luck!” He drives carefree, with cool breeze rushing through his black thick hair, making him look even more dashing then he already was.
All off a sudden the few cars which drove by his sides, disappear. Arvind feels a very eerie feel trickle through his spine, he consoles himself by thinking that its because he cared about others and does not wish the highway all for himself. But gradually he starts enjoying the “good fortune”! He can’t think of any other word for what is happening. Arvind starts to feel elated. He thinks to himself:, “an empty high way in a city like Bombay! common man that has got to be a stroke of fortune” “But then I don’t believe in any unseen power so is it?”
Arvind suddenly realizes he is thinking weird. He looks at the Coke can. He takes it to his nose, he sniffs the coke, he shrugs his shoulders and once again turns carefree. He looks at the sky running his fingers through his hair. This time a feel of elation tricles and runs through his spine.
Suddenly a body appears standing in the middle of the highway. Arvind steps hard on his breaks. Arvind clutches the steering wheel with both his hands. The coke can topples over, spilling the coke all over the front seat.
The car comes to a screeching stop. A body like figure wrapped in a dull Blackish Gray blanket is stacked there just a few steps away from the car. There are no cars passing by.
Arvind hurriedly gets out of the car. He walks to the body. He feels curious, hesitant, inquisit and more as he sets his inquiring thought only on the appearance of that ‘blanket shaped body’’, but still thinks, “I hope the car did not hit.”
The blanket shaped body moves a little.
Arvind speaking gently: Are you okay? The body turns, Arvind, feels an elated sensation throughout his body. He shrugs it off. He comes close to the body. He says, in a clearer and louder voice: Are you O.K? The body turns. Arvind impulsively closes his eyes as it suddenly becomes too bright. Arvind rubs his eyes. The body within the blanket said “I’m sorry.”
For a second Arvid feels strange in his stomach.
Hurriedly Arvind takes his attention off of the strange feeling in his stomach. He looks at the eyes as the body wrapped in the blanket turns around.
Arvind hears “Don’t worry the car did not hit.”
Arvind feels relieved. He is just happily relived. He thinks, “oh wow, what a save!”
The body suddenly says, laughing: Yeah what a save!
Arvind looks surprisingly at the body wrapped in the Blackish Gray blanket. The body turns towards him. Arvind sees the face which is not covered in that dull Blackish Gray blanket.
Arvind looks at the face. He is just looking at it. He forgets everything else. The face is as delicate as though almost unreal. “It has a glow to it”, or “coming out of it”, Arvind Mahajane thinks.
The face speaks: Feel a glow coming out?
Arvind is tickled. He is tickled that she is flirting right in the middle of a highway. He is tickled that the highway is empty with only his car on it.
He says, smilingly
Arvind smiling: Yeah, seems you read my mind!
She smiles.
The girl- smiling quietly but being polite: And you like it?
Arvind almost instinctively: Yeah!
Then as he has just realized as to where he is, in the middle of a highway, talking to a girl whom he saw just a few seconds ago, he says stepping little to his left side, stepping a little away from the girl
Avind: I mean I like the fact that my car did not hit you.
The girl looks displeased, she says, with an attitude: “oh I see.”
Arvind looks at the beautiful face, he thinks “o shit, I messed up.”
Arvind fumbles. The girl looks casual innocence. Arvind getting a grip,
Arvind- in a nice polite yet firm tone: It is getting warmer outside, should we atleast try to get somewhere before the heat and mugginess increases?
The girl grins in a yes, suggesting a ‘’no harm done sign’ through the wide grin.
Arvind walks a brisk confident short walk to the Maruti.
He opens the front right side door of the Maruti for the girl.
Arvind with firm gentleness: I hope you will be comfortable.
The girl sits on the comfortably seated seat of that Maruti.
The girl says, in a tone flirtish: “And No permanent damage done.”
Arvind for a second looked at her in a confused astonishment which naturally slipped out of him.
Arvind- judging the situation hence politely: I’m sorry?
The girl completely ignorant of Arvind’s presence, starts fidgeting with the door, trying to open it;
The girl in a child like innocent complaining tone: My blanket got stuck in between the door when you shut it, now the door seems jammed, and it caught my blanket inbetween it
Arvind understands what was going on. He now felt alert as he helped her retrieve the edge of the blanket.
She looks at him, suddenly smiles, she says in an innocent voice,
: Oh I’m such a klutz, I should have asked you first.
She looks directly at Arvind. Her tone of voice now turns into a scared child’s tone.
: I’m lost.
Arvind: Oh…I can drop you somewhere. Where are you headed to?
She almost demanding, looking directly at Arvind
: Where are you going?
She adds immediately hesitantly, in an utterly innocent and helpless tone
: “I’m lost.”
Arvind trying to comfort her, in an enthusiastic tone
: Oh don’t worry, I’ll drop you wherever you like.
He paused, he thought, “oh shit, hope there’s enough gas.”
The girl suddenly
: Will you have enough gas? My place is a bit far.
Arvind’s spine feels weird for a second, but then regaining composure, spoke looking directly at her, with a faint but confident smile in his eye and bringing in a positive authority in his tone
: Don’t worry I’ll fill her up on the way.
Arvind feels cheerful, he likes her, “she’s my kind” he thinks. She looks at him, smiling.
Arvind did not avoid smile directed towards her, as he shuts the Maruti’s door once again on the side of the girl, to be on a safe side he thought.
Arvind feels happy. Suddenly his stomach feels weird. Arvind thought, “It must be the coffee I drank at home, perhaps aai forgot to check the milk before putting it in the coffee, it was bad I guess? must’ve spoilt in this heat.” He thought further “Never leave for anywhere this early, ever again. Really the milk wasn’t fresh.”
Suddenly she said
: I wonder if I put the milk in the fridge or left it on the counter, it was too early in the morning.
Arvind stopped thinking, he looked at her with a serious surprise and suddenly a word came out of his mouth,
Arvind swinging between surprised and purplexity
: What??
She said calmly
: I just truly hate being out of the house, in the wee hours of the morning.
Arvind feels a little enthusiastic only as she now spoke normally or rather naturally…he says
: Mind blowing! I was thinking the same thing, just a second ago!
She speaks, her voice turned mysterious
: “I know.”
Arvind confused
Arvind: What?
She, once again in a child like tone:
:I mean the milk has to be fresh for coffee. I just wondered if the milk in my kitchen will still be fresh?
Arvind smiles, he says in a positive happy but with a certain poise
With a poise: We can just hope for the best.
She looks confused, she says
In a confused tone: I’m sorry I don’t follow you.
Arvind looks puzzled. He intently thinks for a second, “The milk on your kitchen counter”
She smiled satisfied.
Arvind does not pay attention to her smile, he speaks
Plainly: The milk on your kitchen counter
She speaks, smiling,
Chirpily: Yea I read it.
Arvind looks at her, he instantly, being driven by instinct, asks-
Confused but plainly curious: Read what?
She wears a plain straightforward expression-
Plain straightforwardly: Your thought.
Arvind looked at her, slightly confused but plainly speaks-
Plainly: My thought?
She continues to be plain
Plainly: Yeah, your thought.
Arvind looks at her. He laughs confused.
Arvind starts the car. He drives.
Arvind gathers his confusion, gives it a prop of smartness-
Smartly but cautiously: Boy you are funny!
Suddenly her entire demeanor transforms into a child
Childish squeaky inquiring tone : Where is boy so funny?
Arvind laughs,
Arvind looks at her with affection.
: I like it, (he looks directly at her.) You are my kinda girl.
She looks at him with a blank expression.
Straight forward blank bluntly: I don’t understand what you are speaking.
Arvind smirks. He thinks, “Playing hard to get?”
The girl’s entire demeanor turns cheerful, her eyes speak cheerfulness-
Cheerful chirpily: Are we going to play a game?!
Arvind smirks with confidence-
Smirkily: Ah! so the cat’s out of the bag!
The girl looks over and around in the back seats of the car
Cheerfully: Oh you have a cat? But why do you put her in a bag? You know she can suffocate and maybe die?
Arvind roars into a laughter.
The girl looks at him with her big innocent eyes.
Arvind looks at her. He stares in her eyes.
Arvind turns romantic
Softly : Wow! I can look at them all day without blinking.
The girl looks confused.
Simingly confused: I don’t follow you.
Arvind thinks, “Really? You’re going to continue with the game?? Gosh she kills me!”
The girl appears startled
Startled scared: Oh no who wants to kill you?
Surprised flirtatiously: Yeah you! But wait a bit, how did you know this? I was just thinking it!
Arvind looks surprised- he once again feels carefreely happy- as he spoke those sentences-
The girl adjusts herself in her seat while speaking
With utmost innocence: Yeah I read it.
Arvind suddenly thrusts his feet with force on the break. The car suddenly comes to a sudden complete halt.
Arvind looks at her. He is still holding the steering wheel.
Arvind speaks clearly, looking straight at her-
With clear firm emphasis:You read what??
The girl turns disarm innocent about to cry
In a childish crying tone: Your mind…
Arvind just looks at her. He wants to change the mood urgently as he saw “the about to break into cry situation”, of which he was an expert in dealing, thanks to my dhaakti bahin, my dearest younger sis, the blackmail expert!
Arvind: That’s cute.
The girl turned even more innocent-
Bringing in all innocence that could be there : Is it? But they got scared and ran away.
Arvind feels relief on handling the though blackmail, but a stranger and that too a young attractive female, crying in his car, on a highway situation. With this new found ableness, he found within him, he decides that to, atleast give it a try to understand this strangely attractive young woman,
Trying to understand with an open mind and enthusiasm: Who?
The girl looks straight at Arvind with child like innocence
Childish complaining tone:Those three guys you know?
Arvind: Oh your exes?
The girl looks at him with big hazel eyes with cuteness and a lingering tone of an ernest inquiry
: What you mean by too much x’s?…there’s only an one x in the alphabet.
Arvind laughs, but then looks at her eyes. He suddenly grabs her and kisses her on the lips.
The girl lets him kiss her.
Arvind starts the car. They drive for a bit. The girl seems to be in deep thought. Suddenly she leans on Arvind. She grabs face, puts her lips on his lips and kisses him.
Arvind pushes his feet on the break. She continues to kiss him. The car stops.
She lets him go. Arvind sits back. He passes his fingers through his hair. He just sits there.
The girl looks at him. Her face is curious.
In a child like tone: You like?
Arvind looks at her. He grabs her. He kisses her lips.
The girl looks scared. She bends her head down with a jerk, with her lower lip in between her teeth, as she looks at him from the corner of her eyes
With child like slyness:I din’t do a good job?
Arvind looks at her and smiles.
Arvind: Where in the world did you learn that?
The girl looks cheerful as she looks at Arvind.
The girl: They taught me, in case I meet someone.
Arvind looks surprisingly at her.
Arvind thinks, “Don’t tell me this city has coaching classes to that too!”
The girl has a satisfactory innocent expression
With plain innocence: No they just taught me.
EDIT FROM HERE
Arvind looks at her half attention on her and half attention on thoughts of the kiss.
Arvind looking at her in a semi daze- alert state, his hands on the steering wheel
: What?
The girl doesn’t want to lose a fraction of second
She starts to speak quickly : Few seconds back before that kiss happened you thought about some classes yea?
Arvind is still in a daze- he answers
In dazed disbelief: Yeah and?
The girl goes on looking at Arvind with an examining glance.
She starts speaking steadily slow but uniformly broken speeches with long pauses between sentences
: And..(pauses steals a quick look of his face as to examine his state) so…(pause and repeats the same procedure ) I got…(pauses and repeats the examining of his face) only half educated. because they expelled me from the teaching room.
Arvind suddenly starts talking
Cutting her off: And so you are able understand only some my thoughts, right?
The girl smiles wide, as though she had managed achieving something long awaited.
In a secret victorious enthusiastic tone: Yes, now I got my first point!
Arvind is getting more attracted to her as she talked in her child like tone.
Arvind holds her hand.
The girl, again smiles wide.
In a tone ringing with a sly satisfaction: Now I can be your girl-friend.
Arvind re- settles in his seat,
He- in a mischievous tone: Wo ho slow down slow down!
The girl, in a child like innocence : But I’m not running.
Arvind looks at her intensely
He- Intensely and with a ring of slight affection: What are you?
She looks blankly at him.
The girl in a simple tone: A girl.
Arvind thinks, “What are you?mmm…truly?”
The girl: (In an innocent tone): A girl…truly a girl
Arvind (startled): Ummh?
The girl: (trying to explain in a tone of a 8 year old with the help of her hands gestures.): You thought “Woho slow down slow down”, so I thought and then you thought..what are you? umm.. truly? AND THEN LAST words you said were ummh? an..
Arvind interrupts her in the mid sentence.
Arvind: (holding up both his palms in mid air):Wai wai wai wai… you said this before. So you say you read my thoughts?
She looked closely at Arvind’s mouth as he spoke
Arvind looked at her examining stare on him.
Arvind: What are you doing?
The girl: I’m trying to read your lips.
Arvind, now getting a little edgy
With slight exasperated: What? Why? You were understanding me perfect
She tries earnestly-
The Girl: Because I still have not learned to listen fully.
Arvind thinks, “what listen?”
The Girl: (looking happy) To speech.
Arvind: What?
The girl: Yes I can do that much only.
Arvind just looks at her with a blank face. He thinks, “What speech? What the fuck is she talking now?…”
The girl: Ah I know that word. People think it all the time in your city.
Arvind gets a bit irritated): hey what are (He stops points one finger indicating that she should wait. He thinks) What are you talking about? Speech? Are you deaf you mean?
Arvind suddenly stops pointing the finger and says
Arvind: Do you have hearing
The girl: (Not listening to him) No I’m not deaf. I just don’t hear words. I read them as you adjust them in your mind.
Arvind: you on hashish or something of that kind?
The girl: I’m sorr…
Arvind thinks, looking directly at her, “don’t follow you, right?’’
The girl: (Smiles shyly) Right.
Arvind shakes his head. He thinks, “I better get rid of her’’
The girl: (Suddenly clasps both her palms together and kneels on the seat): Please don’t do that? Please let me be your girl-friend? Please?
Arvind just looks at her. Arvind: You have..(The girl looks completely blank and helpless.
Arvind stops speaking. Now he thinks. “Do you have any idea of what a girl-friend is.”
Arvind: (Suddenly looks around to see if anyone saw him think.) Arvind thinks, Oh shit what am I doing??
The girl: (smiling wide) Yes of course. The girl-friend- your kind- goes out eating and shopping with her boy friend. (she points out a finger-like an excited kid who knows the answer that her teacher just asked the class.) And (she emphasizes each word) They (she pauses and looks at Arnold) have (she looks down shyly) have babies!
Arvind just looks at her, without saying thinking anything.
The girl: (looks at him intently): You are not thinking anything, so what’s up with that??
Arvind simply just looks at her. He is sitting facing her.
The girl: (Smiling wide) Do you want to know how I make a boy-friend?
Arvind keeps looking at her with a mixed expressions of disbelief, confusion but with his head and heart at right place. He has his chin rested on his palms. He has rested his elbow on his thighs and his face, on and cupped in between his two palms.
Arvind:, (still resting his face on his palms, his elbows still resting on his thighs): You’ll tell me I’m sure.
( He looks at her,) : Ah! (He points his finger to his temple part of his head) (He thinks) “Yeah mind talk… sure go ahead.”
She jumps with excitement. She sits up right. She too, raises one finger-
The girl: See (she points at her side of the seat) The girl-friend (She smiles shyly) sits here. (She points her finger to where Arnold is sitting) The boy friend sits there.
Arvind is sitting still with his elbow on his right thigh and his face rested on his palms.
The Girl: Then the girl thinks, no no (she moves her hands like a 7 year old would move when excited) The boy thinks that he is
(she scratches her head. Then suddenly smiles a big exited smile)
The Girl:The (speaks very clearly putting a lot of emphasis on the next word) boy…thinks of opening the girls pants. (She shyly looks at Arvind)
(Arvind is sitting in the same position. He doesn’t say anything.)
The girl: (putting emphasis on each word) Then (she plays with her fingers looking shy) the boy thinks …(suddenly looks straight at Arvind) Don’t you know what a boy does?
Arvind (still looking at her says without making any movement): Yes (he stops and thinks in a calm tone) “Yes I know what we, I mean the boy does.”
Arvind:Then?
Immediately he thinks, “Then?”, to not waist time incase she decides to turn deaf on demand.
The girl: (Making a straight face) Then? You don’t know? (she smiles) Don’t worry, I’ll tell you. (She raises her arms) Then they have a (She claps her hands. She shouts. ) a baby!
Arvind just looks at her.
The girl: (In a sweet voice. Bends her head to the side like a 4 year.) Now can I be your girl-friend?
Arvind sits there in the same position for a few seconds.
The girl looks at Arvind. She tries to read his lips in order to guess as to what is he saying.
The girl: I’m sorry I don’t follow you.
Arvind starts to say something, looks at her and smiles)
Arvind thinks, “Before we do that”
The girl interrupts him. She claps her hands)
The girl: You mean have a (she claps and shouts): Have a baby?
Arvind Thinks, “yes. Before that I need to buy something “
The girl: (shouts in happy tone): A gift for me I know!
Arvind: Yes. He looks at her. He thinks: “Yes, a gift”
The girl: I’ll go with you.
Arvind firmly flatley: No.
She looks at him. She looks scared.
The girl: (in a scared tone): I’m sorry I don’t follow you.
Arvind looks at her. He slowly dawns a smile. He puts his hand on her hand. He thinks, “I wish I could surprise you, but my bad luck this is a car in the middle of somewhere god knows where and with no shops around.”
She looks at him. She smiles nodding her head.
The girl: O.K. I’ll wait for you here. She points at the little pavement. Arvind now used to her reading his thoughts casually reaches stretching his arm over across her and with perfect calm unlocks the car door. The girl opens the door. She gets out.
Arvind closes the door after her. He sees the blanket, he lowers the window. He touches her hand. She turns. She looks at him with some eagerness. He hands the Grey dusty blanket to her. She takes it. He rolls up the window. He gets out of the Maruti. walks up to where she is standing.
She wraps the blanket around her. He stands examining the area, as if searching for something.
They stand on the side of Maruti. Arvind can’t help but gaze at the scenario stretched out before him
The girl has returned to her seat of Maruti Suzuki. She fallen asleep, wrapped wound inside the reddish Grey blanket. Arvind sits next seat to hers, with headphones of a C.D. Player covering his ears, He seems pleased with something, his next seated company or the songs flowing in his ears, noone will know.
Scene inside could be sketched as this: The girl, wrapped in the brown rough but warm thagged blanket seems to be fast asleep, resting her head on the opaque glass window of right hand side car door. Her face shows a without a care expression.
After an hour or so the girl stirs, the girl wakes up.
EDIT FROM HERE Friday 24 January 2025
Arvind, exists the Maruti suzuki, walks around it, walks up to the car door, on the girl’s side. He opens the door, she slides swiftly out of the car, gathering the brown thagged rough blanket closely, wraps it around her own self.
Arvind lockes doors on both sides of the car from outside.
They are right on an outskirt of a village.
ADD GIRL ENTERING THE TENT SCENE
Backdrop of the scene: An outskirt, of a village near Satara, Maharashtra
Scene: Place Same outskirts of same town near Satara Maharashtra.
Backdrop of the scene: A open rugged ground, tents set in a circular shape all around edges of that ground. One bullock cart parked next to each tent. It is a nomad tribal group base,
a green bordered lantern hangs outside wooden pole, of each tent.
The girl’s body language wears shear confidence now as she carries the brown thagged blanket on her folded arm.
The girl knowing exactly where to go, walks straight to a tent with a blue framed lantern. Suddenly she turns towards Arvind who has been walking quietly all this way, at a step’s distance, right behind her.
The girl in a clearcut no nonsense tone: You can go now.
The girl walks straight into the tent.
Last scene:
Backdrop to scene: A inside of a tent. The walls carefully covered by thick layers of cow dung.
Scene: A girl, appearing of 8 years, with brown skin, wearing green petticoat like long skirt and same colored blouse with gold thin border on the border of the sleeves.
She is sleeping deep sleep, like a new born on the thagged brown blanket.
The blanket is brown rough but warm and thagged.
Still Dead 
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