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Please Mind the Gap

The New Delhi Metro Co-operation is bringing people closer like never before. 

If 'Connecting People' was not a Nokia statement this mode of transport would surely have  associated with the line in terms of the how it carries people in it or into it. Even the unsuspecting ones, who stand near its doors at Rajiv Chowk trying to peek into the ladies compartment from the outside.

None the less, this post is not about the service or how it has efficiently transformed the city and its appeal to those who needed a much needed system in getting from Place A to Place B. Its about prediction. Yes, you read correctly - prediction. I am going to simplify and tell you the 5 kinds of specimen of the homo-sapien race that you are sure to find within the metallic canisters that have doors waiting to pinch the skin off that fat uncles rear. This, no matter how many layers of clothes he will pile on and no matter how far ahead he has to descend it his duty to stand near the door and sway to the burgeoning mass of the paratha bred race.

So here goes:
  • The Preeti: Do lay stress on the 'eeeeee' between the 'Pr' and the 'ti'. This name can also be interchanged with Shikha, Niharika or even Priyanka. If cylinders are being rationed now, a major bunch of  testosterone and oestrogen high couples in the early 90' had few names to select from. Not that they were recreating lifestyles in North Korea but still. (Okay, I am digressing) So this bunch of women will always have the brightest footwear that is horrifyingly matching the colour of their cellphones. Not only that. Wait. There is more. These kids have the amazing capability to have their headphones plugged in and yet be able to completely discuss how their madam did not explain a theorum or chapter correctly in class that day due to a possible marital issue which had her hurry out from the college premises that day. They make conversations like birds roosting at sunset with a frequency to switch conversations only to be rivalled by telephone operators in classics from the 70s. Also, they will always break the rare silence that may prevail in the metal can occupied by you with more giggles than a beep sound in an Eminem track on DD1 (if that were to happen).
  • Pole Uncle: Who cares how many contacts your father may have. This one has his body strung across the pole in more points that the number of contacts your father has. Meet the Pole uncle. The silver stands that are meant for the unfortunate shorter variety from our race but are always found supporting those with the crucial cell phone message or those stuck on Angry Birds stage 5 level 91. Now how they stand is a piece of art too. Since some son of a bitch invented the touch screen that needs one hand to hold the damn piece of technology and the other to engage in digital foreplay for it to produce sounds and hums, the crevices and crannies in the bodies of their beholders comes to their rescue. This may be graphic but the bear with me. The pole that you hold onto for your dear life may have reached into the far depths of (not what you are thinking) this uncles hairy cleavage or even his 85 day old chin stubble. Believe me, I once saw a Pole Uncle hug the god dammed pole with his neck and chin alone. He had to play Angry Bird level 4 stage 56 four times is a fact that we can ignore. But he did it. I am leaving this here. The other crevices that have been used to stand straight are not beyond you comprehension now.
  • Pappu Promisewala: This dude is a rock star. On the appearance of the Preeti type (refer point one) his appearance that is as expensive as the metro token in his sun bleached fingers and 'Nicky- Just Do It' tee on his size 18 chest will catapult beyond your least wild dreams. His depiction of how he told his Boss to 'go climb a tree' on being asked to come to work on time or even how he got his friends 'matter' solved at the cop house will make you think that the most worthwhile thing you ever did in your life was try and ride your scooter cross legged in that state of drunken stupor as a teenager. Not only does he speak about his claims to fame like kids trading WWE cards in the mid 90's but his eyeballs dart towards the women seeking the slightest form of attention about his half pound existence at 90 times a minute. And god help him if the 'Preeti' smiles. His day is made. He may even get off from the wrong side of the metro station and have to cross the busy street below twice over but still - his day is made.
  • Closet Couple: Nope. Not what you are thinking.Their love is out in the open but they do not think so. Forming a 90 degree angle with their bodies they face the corner of the door that wont open at any station to form a closet. Get it? Ahh Smart you are. Good. Now within this closet they discuss everything that they fantasise about doing in a closet or in a room that might have one. The girl giggles coyly or the guy may continue to look straight into her eyes like a goat at a slaughter market that knows that its screwed. So all it does is chews the grass in front of it staring in one dead direction. (What form of romance is this anyway) Never mind, moving along, the minor jerk from the starting or stopping of the train adds to this Yash Raj rom-com that is possibly being produced on a string less shoe budget. The incandescent blush on the faces of the two couples can bring to life a dead rat who has possibly passed away a week ago thanks to the fumes of sweat soaked passengers in the same metro wagon. Am not judging but the spotting of the couple such as this can save you 35 rupees of the hindi novels that sell at Wheeler & Co on a two platform railway station in India.
Needless to say, the characters in the above are purely non - fictional and can be encountered by you in any line on the metro. Be it red, blue or yellow, they are bound to leave you red in the face or green in envy. It depends if you see yourself in one of them. I truly haven't and ever wont.

Cheers.


Guess, Mario Miranda knew what I was talking about.
Long live the Metro - I love it.

Comments

Sheetal said…
This is brilliant stuff! I was literally ROFLing! Since I'm not a Metro user, I have not encountered the non-fictional characters but I shall definitely be on the lookout for any / next ride!

BTW the images of each are now and forever stamped in my brain... Pole uncle ... EWWWWWWWWWW!!
Akshay said…
Pole uncle is a menace you shall see each time you walk into the world of the silver tinted doors.
P. said…
Haha. 'Tis true. You must talk to the DMRC folks about a tagline haul!

I've spend so much time in the Metro the past few years, that what you're resonates clearly. Reminded me of this one by RB: http://fuchsiafunny.blogspot.com/2012/10/keeping-company.html

:D

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