MR. NOBODY, MR. SOMEBODY AND EVERYBODY
CHAPTER 1 - MR. NOBODY
Like most of the year, it’s yet another hot and humid day in Chennai. It is 1.20 pm, the sun is right above the head with no shadow to lean on. Walking alone, a slender young man sporting well combed hair parted on the left side, thin tanned face with a young mustache thicker at both ends and thinner in the middle, a few strands of hair on his chin not thick enough to have a regular trim and shave. He looked maybe 19 or 20 year old. He was wearing a sky-blue full sleeve shirt, neatly tucked in an elephant gray coloured trouser and had folded his cuffs up to his elbows. His black wrinkled formal shoes were dusty.
The boy was dragging himself taking short steps, his shoulders stupping, bearing the weight of his backpack which looked quite bulky like that of a 7th grade student. His back was soaked with perspiration turning the sky-blue colored shirt to a denim blue colour which was slowly spreading to the tucked in part around his waist line and under the straps of his backpack, sweat trickled from his temple, he raised his arm to his face dabbing the sweat which created another denim coloured patch on his shirt however his face was drained out of color due to weariness and hunger.
The boy was treading slowly along the 4th Avenue link road in Besant nagar, a quiet narrow lane canopied with tall tropical trees. The right side of the lane is blanketed with thick foliage of lush green trees, shrubs and tall grass, on the left is a stone walled animal dispensary, this lane was way cooler, breaking away from the concrete spaces.
Although surrounded by such serenity the boy’s mind was lost in the unfortunate times that had befallen him lately. Drowned deeply in thought, he neither heard the symphony of the birds nor the dogs chatting away at the animal dispensary.
The boy is a college student, engaged in a part time job as a door to door salesman of children’s books. The pandemic had drawn a blank on his sales consequently diminishing his earnings which is helping him support his education as well as his livelihood. His savings were running out too, the disruptive college schedules were threatening his future. Impoverished and hungry, he walked unaware of how long he had been walking or where his legs were taking him.
Unobservant, he reached the 4th avenue, which is a broader avenue with apartments lining the right side and a high rise compound wall that housed a school stood on the left. Along the wall stood a long row of small trees and shrubs. Dividing the foliage and the avenue road was a green fence with creepers having fine stems with heart shaped leaves that were warping and wefting interweaving themselves all over the fence creating beautiful patterns. A foot high with a half feet width platform ran along the fence, thus making the long broad avenue looking like a beautiful dark gray saree with a green border rolled out lengthwise.
(to be continued)
