End Of Days......

it's 1999..... the much hyped about 'end of the millennium' was finally here!!!....
everyone's talking about the end of the world.... how weird!!!....
is the world just gonna melt down???.... or blow up or something???.... how stupid can these people get???....
if in case the Guy above actually decided to blow up the earth, then at which time zone's midnight would he choose to do it???.... hmmmm.... perhaps America's!!!!.... or maybe Dubai!!!!.... people think the universe goes around these two places!!!!....
i start the engine of my car and start driving towards the amphitheatre where my show was due in a few hours...
at 42, i'd not done much in life, of which i could really be proud.... a business that managed to barely last for a meagre three years, a consequent failed marriage.... i'd lost a lot in life.... all i have now with me were my three good friends from college days... they're also more or less in the same life situation as mine....
three years back, we managed to form a rock band... we did pretty well in the beginning... preforming at local gigs, we even managed to release an album.... but then, all that didn't last for long.... after all, in this age of discos and punk rock, who'd even bother to listen to a bunch of oldies doing something so not their age!!!....
as these thoughts ran through my mind, i finally reached the arena... the show was to start in two hours, at two hours to midnight....
since we were putting up a free show, the turnout was good... the arena was almost full....
Sid, Mike and Pete were already there....
at sharp 10, we started the show... it went pretty well....
at 5mins to midnite, we started playing our fav number....
by the last minute, the countdown for the new millennium began...
5.... 4.... 3.... 2.... and then.... something real strange happened... people started collapsing one by one....
the numbers were increasing rapidly.... i looked at my friends.... even they're down.... it's almost like as if a poisonous gas had engulfed the entire area... my arms were getting numb.... my brain's freezing.... i couldn't move... even i dropped to the ground....
no wait a minute.... i wasn't dropping like the others.... i still have energy in me.... i ran over to check on my friends.... no pulse... all of them dead.... i couldn't stand the horror..... i ran to my car and started fer home.... as i drove through the streets, i noticed more and more dead bodies....
there's not a single living soul on the streets... there's no one left alive except for me!!!!..
'Why me Lord????.... take me too!!!.... i wanna friggin' die!!!!'.....
i ran home and switched on the television.... all blank.... there's no sign of life anywhere.... my head started spinning.... i ran to my room and took a shot of cocaine... i started sweating heavily....
i walked over to my gun cabinet and took out my gun.... BANG!!!.... i blew a bullet into my brains....
finally!!!!.... i collapsed onto the floor.... i lay there with my eyes open... i lay for sometime....
i could still see around my room.... how long was i gonna take to die????....
i put my hand to my head where i'd shot myself.... unbelievable!!!!.... my head was intact and there was not a sign of even a small drop of blood.... i picked up the gun and shot myself again.... twice at the chest and once at my stomach.... the result was still the same.... there was not even a sign of a single bullet wound.... i threw the gun in despair....
i didn't know what to do.... i was not only the last person on the earth, i was also immortal!!!!....
i knelt down, put my hands to my face and wept like a cannibal................

THE TRIP TO PURG- part V

........'i ain't dead! i ain't dead! i ain't dead!'
'This is a miracle!!!! we've got him back!!!', i heard someone say...
i open my eyes and look around....
i'm lying on a stretcher next to my apartment building...
and around the bed is a team of paramedics....
i see some of my neighbours around me...
i'd just survived a fall from a 32-storey building!!!!...
'You were lucky you fell into the heap of garbage bags!!... but you've got a fractured leg and a broken shoulder Mister!... keep a check on the drinks the next time!', the doctor told me smiling....


MORAL OF THE STORY: never drink n fly...

THE TRIP TO PURG- part IV

R: how tha heck did you land up here???
V: this is where dead people end up man....
R: what's with this 'dead people' thing man???.... i ain't dead!!!!....
V: that's what everyone here thinks when they first come here... don't worry... you'll get used to this place... by the way, d'ya recognise her??? (and he points to a woman behind him)
R: Gina!! of course!!!.... who else but Gina!!!...
V: see??... i told you we'd be together foreva!!!
R: lucky you man!!...
V: so... what does it feel like to be dead???..
R: i ain't friggin' dead man... why can't you get that into your thick head???...
V: you are dead man.... stop being a kid!!!...
R: i ain't dead!.. i ain't dead!.. i ain't dead.. i ain't....................

THE TRIP TO PURG- part III

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Vic had been my roomie for more than 6yrs... the perfect roomie....
life had been just too good back then... the weekend booze... the frequent disco visits... the occasional marijuana smoke-ups...
over the years Vic had come to know me better than anyone else...
everything was perfect... except for one person... Gina... Vic's gurl...

a week before the fateful day, Vic and me were at our place making plans for a roadtrip to Mumbai...
a three-day drive...
everything had been perfectly planned out...
we were going to have the time of our lives...
just as we were done with the planning out, Vic's fone rang...
V: it's gina...
R: (irritated)

15mins later Vic comes in...

V: she's also coming along...
R: WHATTTT???!!!.... what tha heck is wrong with you???!!!!... you out of your mind???....
V: dude... c'mon man... what's tha big deal???... why d'ya hate her so much???...
R: it's not just her man... i hate all women... all they do is dig a hole in your pocket, and when the hole is big enough, they ditch you for another guy... just like mine did 5yrs back... women are nothing but bad luck...
V: dude... all gurls are not the same man... gina and me are meant to be together foreva....
R: wadeva man... i'm calling off tha whole friggin' thing... the two of you can go wherever tha hell you want...

we din't talk till next day evening... after the day at work, it hit me again that i really needed a change... screw it, i thought, let him bring her... so long as she doesn't bother me... i went home, confronted with Vic and the dream roadtrip was back on.... with that bitch coming along...

weekend arrived... early morning, Vic fished out one of the many Vodka bottles we were supposed to take along... 'We're not leaving till we're out of our senses!!!', he said with a beaming smile...
in an hour, we hit the road...
we went to Gina's place to pick her up...
at her place, we had to wait for ten whole minutes for her to get her ass out of her house and into the car...
and then... she appeared!!!..
'God!!!... she's hot...', i thought to myself...
but i still hated her... all women were meant to be hated....
i started hating women ever since my girlfriend of two years walked out on me for another jerk she found online...
'Hey RJ', Gina's voice brought me back to reality...
'Hi', i said with disinterest...
the drive did turn out to be fun... Gina wasn't that bad after all... we kept drinking and driving...

we had driven for more than a day by then... Vic and me were totally sloshed... and that is when i had to hand over the wheel to Gina... i hate it when anyone else other than me drives my car... and now, it was someone i hated a lot, behind the wheel.... 'Bah... life!!!....', i thought to myself...

it was an uphill drive... Victor was in the passenger seat, and i was slumped across the rear seat....
R: female! drive slowly... there're hairpin curves... dangerous...
V: don't worry man... Gina can drive with her eyes closed!!!...

CRASHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

after hearing a loud crash, all i remember was being rushed into a hospital by a team of paramedics... after coming to, i managed to gather some voice and asked about the other two...
'Sorry... those two weren't as lucky... they din't make it...'
a huge lump formed in my throat...
suddenly i realized i was alone in this world and the only person i knew was gone...
'I told you Vic!!!!... i told you not to bring her... THE BITCH KILLED YOU!!!!!....'

two months after Vic passed away, i had had enough of life in India...
i migrated to Perth....
i never went back to India again....

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THE TRIP TO PURG- part II

'Ouch!!!....'
that really hurt!!!...
its getting really hot.... i open my eyes and put my hand to my head trying to feel for any bumps...
surprisingly there arn't any!!!...
'Where tha heck am i???!!!!'...... i'm in someone's house....
'Hello??? anyone here???', i call out.... no reply....
i look around the house....
its empty... there's not a single piece of furniture in the house....
and there's something weird about the house too!!.... there are no windows!!!!!!!.......
its a square room with just two doors on opposite facing walls.... strange!
i get up from the corner and walk toward one of the doors... i turn the knob and the door swings open...
a very bright light blinds me for a few seconds... then i get adjusted to it...
i see a small room with a couple in it...
the lady is in bed and is holding a baby....
both of them have their backs to me...
'Hey!', i call out... they don't seem to be listening... i look around...
looks like a hospital room to me....
the man moves away from the bed and walks towards a small table....
on the table is a small flask...
i see the man's face...
i recognise him!... it's my father!!!....
'Dad!!!', i call out... still no response...
i look at the bed.... and as i'd guessed, my mother was the lady on the bed....
i call out to her and wave at her.... again no response...
i wonder who the baby in her arms is...

suddenly, a light blinds me again...
and as i get adjusted, i see my school...
the school in which i spent my years growing up!...
i look at one side and i see myself!!!....
the young me is talking to someone...

again, out of nowhere, a light blinds me and this time i'm in front of my college...
it's graduation day...

the next thing i see is the lifeless body of Victor.... poor Victor.... he din't deserve to die....

i've had enough of this place... i get back into the room and shut the door...
i realise that i'd just seen my entire life... like as if something out of a movie....
i wonder what all this means....
i jus wanna get back home and get some sleep...
hoping to find some way out, i walk towards the other door....
i turn the knob, and it swings open in the same manner as the previous one...
outside the door is a vast field....
a field with no limits....
the place looks very pleasant... except for the dull n gloomy lightening....
it makes me feel uneasy....
there are people walking around all over the place....
i step into the field and start walking....
i take a few steps and i look back....
the house has disappeared!!!!....
'I'm stuck in here forever!!!!.... what place is this????.....'
i keep walking.... i walk for what seems eternity....

after walking for what seemed like many miles, i come face to face with a kindly looking lady.
i know her, but i just cant recollect.
after screwing my mind for a while, i suddenly remember.... my grandmother!!!!... she'd passed away when i was 4....
'Gramma!!!', i shout...
she looks at me, but doesn't recognise me...
'Gramma!!... It's me RJ!!!... it's me lil' Sonny!!!!...'
her face brightens up.....
Gramma:Sonny!!!... my lil' boy!!!... my my... look at you!!!.... what a fine young man you've become!!!....
Me: its been so long Gramma!!!
G: how's your dad doing???
i look down in shame... ever since the quarrel eight years back, my ego had never allowed me to contact or check on how my parents were doing....
i'd never heard from them after i split from my family....
G: Dont worry Sonny... i know about everything that's happened.... now your in purgatory... repent for everything you've done....
M: isn't purgatory a place where dead people go Gramma??....
G: yes of course!!!...
M: then why am i here????....
G: your dead Sonny... your time on earth is over....

those words hit me real hard... i dont believe what she said....
I'm not dead!!!!!!....
All this is just a dream... i turn away from her and continue walking...
there is no sun in this place...
all that is there is this gloomy lull...
i have no account of how many days i have been here for...
i continue walking....
in the distance i see someone waving at me...
he looks like a young man.... maybe around my age....
i walk towards him...
'RJ!!!!', he calls out...
i still dont recognise him.... i come close to him...
'RJ!!!.... Dont recognise me huh???....'
'Uhmmm.... no.... i'm sorry... but i don't exactly remember.....'
'Aite.... you got some weed on you????'
'Holy shit, Vic!!!!... Vic its you!!!!....'

THE TRIP TO PURG- part I

the year is 2020... or is it 2021???.... ah... who cares!!!....
as long as i'm enjoyin the solitude....
sitting on the roof of my 32-storey apartment building i stay in gives me an awesome view of entire Perth... i never imagined Perth to be so beautiful!!!...
i look at the time... it's quarter past two in the morning!!...
'Bah... i've been drinkin too much...', i think to myself, holding the empty bottle of Vodka in my hand...
a cool breeze blew into my face... i look up at the sky... it's filled with stars...
'Starry Starry Night'.. i start humming the Don Mclean song... (Ha!.. reminds me of mridula!...)
i start thinking about my college days... unincidental, but fun....
i always wanted to go sky diving when i was in college.... hmmm.... i wonder what its like to go sky diving...
i suddenly wish my friend Victor was with me... would have been fun... the guy was always full of ideas!!...
i walk over to the skirting of the terrace... i lean over to look how high up i am....
the bottom of the building is not even faintly visible in the darkness....
the light wind keeps blowing at my face...
i feel adventurous and feel a sudden surge of blood...
i climb up onto the skirting and stand there with my arms spread-eagled (with my clothes still on!!!... duh!)...
the booze is getting to my head now... i feel an urge to fly...
i spread my arms out and leap forward...
'Ah!.. finally!!!... so this is what sky diving is like!...'
i feel young again....

the wind is blowing much harder into my face now...
i suddenly feel some pain...
the force with which i'm falling is making my head split with pain...
my hands and legs are almost tearing apart....

'Oh God!!!... Am i gonna die?????????'.............


THUDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!............