A Boat Ride

‘Crazy kiya re, oh crazy, crazy kiya re’ the ear-splitting music rolled on in the cruise, the Bhagmati, on the Hussainsagar lake, in Secunderabad as the streetlights reflected in the dark waters. The shadow fell steady and shone like mercury on the water. The vehicles on the ‘Necklace Road’ moved and from the cruise Vasudha felt as though a huge serpent was gliding stealthily with lamps on its . The entire area beyond the lake had gone up in lights. Big life size hoardings, the I Max theatre, huge Plasma TVs at the corner of the roads, laser sketched figures in the dark vibrated with life and color and Vasudha now moved her eyes to her co-riders. Mostly couples, married and unmarried, live-togethers and men with escorts occupied the seats. Some seemed unmindful of others’ presence on the cruise and started off with hugging and kissing their partners, as they did not want to miss out on anything while others bent and whispered some important things to each other across the table. The waiters made rounds with trays in hand. The air already became heavy with the smell of drinks. Vasudha sat with her husband at one table in the corner sipping a fruit juice. The dimly lit inside, sticky and greasy Neelkamal plastic tables and chairs, the red colored vinyl floor, loosely hung pictures of the Golconda Fort, the Charminar and the Tank Bund on the wooden walls to remind the tourists of the ‘must-see’ places in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Vasudha surveyed the area sitting quietly while her husband tried hard to talk on his cell phone in the middle of thunderous music.

The couple had come on an official duty to Hyderabad and in the evening since there was nothing substantial to do, they thought of a ride on the much-hyped cruise ‘Bhagmati’.

A young boy and a girl with their brows pierced and low waist jeans sat in a corner busily caressing each other and then, there seemed a newly married couple sitting in a corner trying to find the eternal truths in a dinghy, mosquito-infested stinky restaurant. The lady’s long black, beautiful hair wrapped in a ‘veni’ caught Vasudha’s eyes. ‘Difficult’, she thought ‘to manage such long hair. How does she comb it! Must be taking hours just to comb and then when she washes! My god!’ Halfway she left her thoughts about the lady’s hair and asked her husband, “Arnab, why don’t you order some munchies along with your drink? Some baked items. Let me find out.” And she waved at one of the waiters.

The cruise sailed noiselessly. The cool breeze carried in the unbearable stench of chemical wastes that got mercilessly dumped into the waters during the day from the city’s adjoining industries as the waiter brought some salted mushrooms and a soused cucumber (baked items not being available on menu).

Startled by a sudden, unbeatable thumping noise, Vasudha turned to find a few young boys and girls, dressed in shiny, cheap trousers with glittering tops dancing their way towards the elevated wooden portion, probably the dais, to entertain the boat riders.

Vasudha, now delighted to have found some food for her thought, looked happily at them. They straight away went, took their positions and started moving up, down, left and right making gestures typical to that of Bollywood and Tollywood cine actors. The pelvic thrusts, the magnanimous look on their faces, the greasy, unwashed hair and dirt at the nape of their necks spoke of their ground. ‘Not from much-well-to-do-families’ Vasudha thought. ‘Anyway they are at least not in to any crime or drugs and all. Must be studying in colleges during the day and earning in the night.’ Feeling satisfied about the youngsters, Vasudha moved her thoughts to the girl who danced right away happily in the center. A pale blue skimpy top on a dark blue miniskirt with silver glittering stars and each time she moved her tiny hips to the noise that played on the deck, they glowed. The movements were provocative but not vulgar. There was a restraint somewhere. The free movements, the eternal happiness on the face and the star status of her co-partners, she could not manipulate. She looked up to the man who stood near the green room for approval each time she tried new gestures. One pair of hazel eyes, a thin, small nose with a dangling nose ring, painfully violet painted pair of lips covering a series of not-so-white teeth and the slightly high rouged cheekbones made the girl look garish.

Who could she be? What probably the parents think and do of her? Is she running the house on her income or is she married?’ Absurd thoughts kept coming to Vasudha’s mind who now asked her husband, “Do you like the dance?”

“Not a bit. So filthy and noisy! So full of mosquitoes! They could have at least ensured a better ambience with better performers when they are charging so much!” Came the reply from the irritated man.

“We have to sit through the entire thing for another half hour before the cruise takes a turn and reaches ,” said Vasudha in a detached manner.

The tall standing, illumined monolithic statue of Gautam Buddha in the middle of the tank now could be visible through the windows. The hands raised to bless the humankind and humanity. Vasudha started to have a fresh look at the dancer girl. And she was gone and another group had come to perform in their place. Now, four boys and a girl stood up like statues showing their s to the audience.

Vasudha’s eyes searched for the girl who had just finished her dance and probably had retired to the area behind the bar.

Again there was a loud deafening music and heavy floor thumping. The dancers danced non-stop as the uninterested onlookers busied themselves with their nightly activities, the drunken ones unable to hold their drinks any more sat unhappily watching the dance with a caddish look on their faces. The half-drunks exchanged loving words with their partners. The brow-pierced boy and girl now hugged in tight embrace with their lips locked. The dancer girl now turned and faced the audience and Vasudha found that she was the same girl of the first dance number. Within no time she had changed her clothes. The top was the same blue one but instead of the mini now she wore a pair of shiny red trousers. Hair tied up in a bun. Her nose ring removed and the lips were painted red this time. Now she looked adorable. Her skin moistened from the sweat and the thin nose shone as her deep hazel eyes searched for something, somewhere beyond.

The popular number, “Jalayle, Bidi jalayle...” played full throttle and a few men rose up and tottered their way towards the dancers, unable to hide their feelings of joy and malice after drinks. The bar dancer did not know whether to continue amidst this chaos or run to the dress circle. She stopped and shuddered like a petrified fawn that rested after a flight on being chased by the beast.

There were no security men and no rescuers; only the dancer boys stopped those inebriated men from the assault as the girl sneaked away. There was a little bit of commotion after this and the boys put them into their chairs.

The Cruise was anchored and the passengers got up and rushed up to go out the very next minute. There was a lot more things they had to do once they were to the land.

Vasudha had a final search for the girl. And through the crowd she could find those deep hazel eyes now moist and darkened from smudged kohl, which she had applied for the performance.

A few riders were in the queue, the second shift moving in. Vasudha walked, spent and slow, her thoughts were heavy and muddled. Arnab pushed her a little and said, “Get in fast. I’m feeling hungry. We have to drive a long way.”