Yesternight. Bookstore at Chicago Midway. 8.35 PM CT.
Random Guy(RG): Do you know what this is about?
Me: No. (If you don't know that, do NOT touch that book.)
RG: I have never heard of this guy. Is he good?
Me: You have never heard of Philip Roth?
RG: No, Is he good?
Me: Have you heard of the Nobel Prize?
RG: What? Of course. Did he win the Nobel?
Me: No, but he will.
RG: Oh okay. Thanks.
Puts Everyman back on the shelf.
Me: And btw, he is also the script writer for Desperate Housewives.
RG: Really? I didn't know that.
Takes book back from shelf and walks to cashier. It is moments like this when I know that I am capable of murder.
9:05 PM CT. Gate waiting area.
Rrrnnnng.
Me: Hello?
BM: Hey. What are you upto?
Me: At airport. Waiting for flight to Pittsburgh.
BM: You are going to Pittsburgh?
Me: Yeah, quite unplanned. Got sick of work today and wanted to get away. So bought a ticket this evening.
BM: What?
Me: Yeah, getting AR to pick me up. Bill doesn't know.
BM: Ha ha. This is so funny.
Me: What's funny?
BM: First of all, it is so out of character. Bill will ask you who you are and what have you done with Veena when he sees you. And wasn't it just yesterday that you were making some tall claims on Falsie's blog? Here you are now, all pining for husband dear that you catch a last minute flight to go see him. You think this is not funny?
Me: Yeah whatever. Can't a girl decide where she wants to go?
BM: She sure can. Dude, is everything alright?
Me: Yeah, don't panic. I can't believe this myself okay? But what the hell? Spring is beautiful in Squirrel Hill.
BM: Yeah, of course thats why you are going. To enjoy spring in Squirrel Hill and Schenely Park. Spring there is so much better than at the shores of Lake Michigan.
Me: Enough alright? I need to board now. Talk to you later.
In flight. 11.20 PM ET.
Guy in Plane(GP): Pardon me, but did you say the name Arjunan while you were on the phone?
Me: Yes, he is the friend who is supposed to pick me up.
GP: Arjunan is actually one of my favorite characters in the Mahabharata. The story of him and Krishna is one of the best ever.
Me: Oh, okay.
GP: Have you see the movie The Legend of Bagger Vance?
Me: Might have. I don't remember very well. Wasn't it about a drunk golfer and his mentor?
GP: Yes, the golfer name was Raymond Juno. R Juno, it is supposed to be Arjun.
Me: Really?
GP: Oh yes, The story of Arjun and Krishna was what they were trying to potray in that movie.
Me: Interesting, I never knew that.
(To be fair, the rest of my in-flight conversation was actually very interesting. The man happened to be a school teacher who teaches world history to high school students in Chicago and I had a wonderful time chatting with him. When he finally said that he has never met anyone (esp in flights) who is so enthu about history, I told him that he lives in the wrong country. He agreed.)
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6 comments:
please, please, don't tell me you went to pitt because some lightbulbs needed to be replaced. ;)
Dude, It is slightly more complicated than that. Actually, am still in Pitt and will not get back home until tomorrow.
nice. Reminds me of the time I got a bunch of very frustrated college batchmates to read Portnoy by telling them it was the most exciting sex book of the century. I don't think they realised till it was too late that it was the book that was exciting, not the sex.
neela: You've only read Plot against America??!! Really? Right. Feel free to kill yourself at any convenient time.
Neela: Touristing in Newark? Awesome. Really can't think of a better place to visit.
Desperate Housewives is a stretch but agree DaVinci code is pretty cool thriller movie type entertainment. As long as no one calls it literature can't complain.
You got a number for that guy in the plane who talked of history? Would like to hob-nob with him one of these days.
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