Not today

It's more than enough. I'm hoping to keep away from shooting pigeons for a while. Today isn't one of the days when I choose how time passes. I am a slave to what needs to be done. It's a good idea to wrap blip up, quick and early.

What began as a calm day yesterday, staring at the screen, changed after a phone call. I was happily postponing my lunch and then suddenly there was no time for it. I had to make a move. The location was more than 20 km away through the heart of Delhi and public transport would delay me. The car wasn't there. Thought about all the possibilities and even the more expensive ones, including all logistics would take me about an hour. But I am a rider and now I would be racing. I would be racing against time, because this was the fastest way. Even if it means to ride against strong headwinds, which in combination with heavy trucks coming in the opposite direction rattle the bike. Not having a backpack made it easier. Shouting at the winds doesn't stop them. I hoped for trucks, not too slow and not too fast either for me to tail. I found one for about a kilometer before it changed direction. Giving up in a physically demanding situation can happen in two ways: the mind can give up before the body reaches its threshold. As a rider, the possibility of the former is eliminated. With the latter you hit a wall. So all you think of is the ride, just in a way you would, about other tasks. You break it up into smaller parts and find a good way to tackle each bit. The traffic on these roads can be unnerving. You are always at grazing distance of much bigger vehicles.

The office had fans that hummed. In this weather they do fine, but a couple of weeks later the story will be different. Thin corridors were made thinner by rusting metallic cupboards packed in with files and paper. Lizards emerged from orifices meant for bulbs, which had only a few wires dangling. The man in the air-conditioned room wasn't within reach. He was an outsider, the boss, not accustomed to the ways places like these work. The general lethargy and a search for ways to loot, make efficiency a forgotten idea. But what got accomplished in a few hours was almost a miracle. I can't recall it ever being so quick. I have only the two Ss to thank.