Random musings

It was a fine September early morning. I'd crashed into the bed very early the previous night and so couldn't keep myself awake past 5 am.. I usually schedule my daily gym workout for 5am and then return and take my dog for an hour's walk at 6.15 am till 7.15 am. Just for today, I decided to swap those 2 schedules for a change, to explore a different walking route too; and so I departed on my early morning walk with my trusted canine companion right behind, wondering what on earth was wrong with me to step into the darkness when she could curl up and sleep for some more time like regular days! It had rained heavily the previous night. As I got out of the house and walked steadily up along the crossroad, the monsoon fog gripping me with its jaws, I ignored the chilly feeling and my thoughts wandered to what errands were supposed to be done that day. Hardly 100 meters from my house and a sudden doubt crept into my mind- whether I had locked the main door or not. Quickly reassuring myself that nothing much could happen even if I hadn't (given the density of houses in my residential area), I continued. As I passed Jayadeva flyover and crossed over into what is called 'Mini Forest' (a cluster of parks with roads running through them), pedestrian traffic grew denser, predominantly morning walkers and joggers.

I decided I would just do a leisurely morning walk near the greenery-enriched parks to enjoy the after-shower aromas . That would be a refreshing change. I was taken aback by the large turnout of fellow walkers and joggers, considering that it was a chilly Saturday morning. I thought others would have been more sensible than me, and would have preferred to snuggle into their blankets and stay cozy for a few more hours.

Old men in their 60s, dressed in shorts and jerseys walking like soldiers were a common sight. Most of them seemed to walk with a purpose and do it in a hurry. I thought they would have liked to be more relaxed in their retired days. Young dog walkers with ill-behaved labradors and german shepherds were a common sight, with the dogs taking the owners for a walk rather than the other way round, dragging them while the hapless owners had no option but to stumble along behind their 'pets'! High school kids and college kids scrambled illegally on their parents' mopeds and scooters with heavy bags, presumably on their way to the oh-so-common tuition classes for board exams I guessed. I had passed 1km from my house. The fog was beginning to thin now. The darkness was still lingering around, forcing me to watch my step lest i put my foot into a muddy puddle leftover after the heavy downpour. Scores of milkmen whizzed by busily on their mopeds, honking nineteen to the dozen at anyone who dared delay their delivery schedule. I marveled at the talented, young newspaper boys on their bicycles who could roll-up and throw that seemingly shapeless morning newspaper to fall accurately at any door on multi-storey buildings.

As I completed half my planned distance, I came across the more crowded parks among the cluster. Dozens of aged women with their trademark henna-dyed-hair adorned the benches and seats, discussions varying from that day's breakfast menu to bragging about their grandchild's first rank at school, to topics even as weird as cribbing about their daughters-in-law, straight out of a hindi saas bahu serial. The walkway and jogging track had a lot more variety. Middle aged women chattering non-stop with their 'walking friends', fat young children struggling to balance the iPod earphones falling out and doing a namesake jog reluctantly, as though just to please their parents. They seemed more preoccupied with their iPods than walking! Middle aged (perhaps rich) men with pot bellies walked in groups, loudly talking about each one's club memberships, investment methods or about the current real estate prices, occasionally also bragging about their latest property acquisitions. A few solitary men and women took up the space between the pathways and exercised religiously, while some slim and pretty women jogged like there was no tomorrow, all in the name of fitness!

Perhaps the most amusing thing I saw next was this large group of senior citizens with a banner tied amongst the trees proudly proclaiming "Mini-Forest Laughter Club (morning batch only)". They were all huddled together. One of them said something I couldn't perceive, and all the rest made a loud "hoo-haa-hoo-haa" sound. They went on to repeat that ritual a few more times. The scene vaguely reminded me of the feasting rituals of native tribes in the Amazon rain-forest, straight out of a National Geographic channel documentary. As they went on to make more funny fake laughing sounds, my bewildered golden retriever stared at them alertly and wondered if these were some kind of crazy aliens. I decided to make a beeline for the main road again, just in case she decided to bark at them. The last thing I wanted was to create a scene there :)

Roadside hawkers sold 'Masala Tea' made from different flavours, even customized for the visitors with an extra tinge of any chosen spice. Tender coconut sellers made hay even before the sun shone, as thirsty walkers stopped by for a drink. I settled for one too. Vegetable vendors, fruit vendors and flower vendors adorned the pavements outside the parks. Relieved aunties and uncles purchased things for their daily pooja and cooking, remarking to their friends about how conveniently located everything was at mini-forest so they wouldn't need to go to any store again that day.

It was almost an hour now since I had started from home, the sun had started to rise and the rays beamed down directly. Already feeling quite warm and uncomfortable, I preferred to return home by another shorter route. The traffic had increased four fold, and I quickened my pace. Within an hour I was back to the safe confines of my home, gulping cold water glass after glass. The visuals of the past hour were still fresh in my mind, that of a different Bangalore to what we usually see during the day. This was a picture of modern Bangalore waking up to a morning and getting on with the day's activities. I still go along that route sometimes, and it is still the same as what I saw the first time. The same aunties and pot-bellied uncles grace those pathways, the same iPod brandishing young and (still) obese kids, the same cheerful grandmas and grandpas gossiping, and yes the laughter clubs seem to have grown in size every time I visit there. Maybe they haven't managed to lose their weight. Maybe their fitness level didn't improve as much as they would have thought. But that one hour of entertainment, interaction and gossip for them is perhaps what motivates them to come there everyday with the rest of their mates. I keep changing my dog-walk route frequently and among the ones that I use, this mini-forest one has to be the best one undoubtedly. Unlimited masala and entertainment for me as an observer? You bet!

Cheers
Karthik