The Encounter Specialist

another train journey.
another story to tell.

Navy jerk Vs Dark Wader


almost missed the train.
this is going to be one sucky train ride.
lower birth in a kuntry-looking sleeper class bogey.
no laptop. no charge in phone. nothhing to read. not even an upper birth to sleep the whole thing in.
nothing but a deo in my bag(comes handy when you pass a gutter-river thingie on train, which ARE so common nowadays) to console me

It might not be so bad.
I can look at blackwaters of kerala and shit. oh, I meant backwaters, backwaters.
thought I, as I dozed off to oblivion.

shut the hell up, was my first thought as I was woken up by this huge baritone.
my god, do they still make people who talk this loud? wasnt that back in the 80's?

I got a glimpse of him.
shouting off for half an hour to his dad on the phone.
every 3rd word being interspersed with 'rear-admiral'(haha, REAR admiral)
and this huge effing card with indian navy personnel written on it.
trying every bit to raise his voice and flash that card. and act cool.

Interesting.
I recognised the signs.
he must be barely out of school.
attention seeking to the extreme.

the fish you dont seek, shall always be the one thats in the area around your boat.
but, its fish, nonetheless.
english speaking fish too.

hi there. he started it, as I expected.
hello.
Im Amit ******, blah blah blah(life history).
Im Deluded, no details yet.
nice to meet you.
aaah. so.......youre in the navy huh?(bait)
yeah. I just got recruited in it. 18 and now life's set huh?(in a conspiratory tone)
hmm. yeah.

he talks to me as if Im an equal, not recognising that I could well be much more than that.
thought a much ignored part of me, waking up. someone, who I like to call, dark wader(sooooo subtle, feh.)

hmmmm. it doesnt help that I DO look younger. bah.

as expected, he started to boast.

his, wasnt a college, it was an "academy" , a "commandant"

with that, it started on the usual course of conversation between 2 college guys.

Ragging.

oh, you guys know nothing. yours is just so simple and uncomplicated. OUR seniors beat the crap out of us
(proud your voice be. yes, our seniors are so disrespectful. they prefer not to hit. oh DAMN!)
they started us off by slapping us each hard a hundred times.
they even used hockey sticks.
they broke my leg, but I couldnt complain or go to a medic. that would be a bad thing to do.(he said that happily)
haha. I was lucky though.
at least my back's still in one piece, my poor poor roommate, he cant even walk straight now.

aaah. I see.

Boasting about the selection process.

oh, you guys can get into any college easily(he assumed, of course that I was one low low standard guy). but its hard to get into the academy.
we have to get 70 percent in boards to qualify for it.
70 percent! unbelievable na?
its even harder than my brother, who's taking his 3rd drop for medical entrances.

umm. yeah. pretty unbelievable.


Girls.

ah, it must be pretty hard on you, since there are no girls in the 'academy' huh? I ventured
oh. you guys make me sick. who needs girls? I can get any chick I want off the face of this planet(boast some more, you)
but, We're happy.
we get every physical stuff anyway, he winked

talk about extreme. I had HEARD about the rumours of homosexuality, but this.

he talked for hours.

and I realised.

he was like clay. easily molded. with utmost faith in whoever was molding him.
he'll be a good soldier, I admitted.

but, dark wader reigns.
I dreamt again. of dreams about power over others. ambitions.

I could see that shine in his eyes. If i was in that commandant, controlling him would be so easy.

people are easily influenced.
DW would make a good leader.

it was time to get off now.

wait, which course are you in?
3rd yr. MBBS.

dilatation of the pupils observed.
smirking of the face done.

and then, slept again, a part of me.

while the whiter side took an auto back to college.
thinking about how good it would feel, saving lives and helping people.