Out on the Roadside at Noon, Doing Nothing

Sid Padhi

No one but myself. Hardly any movement around and nobody is interested in me. I'm parked under a shady tree attaining Bodhisattva. It's exactly noon now. I have myself a half-hour window, without disturbance.

Reeta is visiting a relative-patient (a far off relative who's a patient) and I opted out of the morbid scenario.

I'm not inconvenienced. Not at all. I'm slouched against my car under the benign shade of a grown jackfruit. It stands staidly in an unruly garden dominated by flowering tagara shrubs. Nice green foliage.

There are clouds in the sky and the hot sun is obliging by going under clouds every once in a while. And driving those clouds is a cool breeze.

The car moves under me. I haven't put in gears. I haven't put it in hand-brakes. It has come under the influence of Newton. I put a brake to the matter.

To my left, a JCB machine is busy removing waste. Life seems back to normal. I am not wearing a mask.

To my right is my exit. I have to turn 180° to achieve that. It takes me to pick up Reeta.

My alibi: Mr Tridib Tripathi, Sahid Nagar, away from home at that time.

My window is closing. Hope you enjoyed.