Vicky bhaiya seems lonely or is it a figment of my imagination? He is happy for his parents. They have an excellent support system back home. People who are always willing to help them, friends who celebrate diwali with them, relatives who stick by his parents through thick and thin. It lessens his worries, especially after the tragedy the whole family faced a few years ago. The tragedy has put an extra burden on the only son. He asks me to visit them more often.
Captain saheb is worried that he might be wasting his life in the army. Once an avid reader, he has stopped reading books. He is trying out new hobbies. Previously it was photography and now it is star gazing. Where do you live? Are you happy? A shack, rather a thatched hut – with a fixed steel fixture used as a table. I didn’t delve too much into the detail, for fear of not liking what I might have to hear. He asks me for a list of books he can read during his free time, which he has in plenty. Do I hear frustration in his voice? He complains about his job which doesn’t have much to offer in terms of variety. His mind keeps wandering off to various things, various issues. He discusses a couple of them with me and then suddenly goes silent. What gibberish am I talking? I encourage him, but the moment has transformed into something else, he has transformed into someone else. I can’t bring it back and probably neither can he. We chat for a while about general things people talk about on phone. I ask him to call me again and more frequently. He might and then again he might not. Should I be worried?
Singapore awaits me… and so does loneliness!
