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THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A STORY ABOUT THREE GUYS.. THREE GUYS, AND ONE OF WHOM DECIDED TO REBEL.. WELL, HE ALMOST DID..

“You know what?? This….This is why I emphasize on the fact that it is important to be famous…I mean we are sitting here, the three of us, sipping this coffee that has been served to us cold and bad”…
“Well Ramu”, Dick argues with a sense of super-imposed irony in his voice,” I guess the coffee is cold coz we ordered ‘cold coffee’ and as far as it being bad is concerned I believe I am fine with its taste”…”
“See….this…this is wot I am talking about, we are just happy with what is being served to us… and its not just coffee.. it’s the same with a burger, a masala dosa, a piece of cake… and we don’t protest about it, coz we are not famous..coz we know we aren’t going to be heard beyond a certain longitude…that’s why this ramble. I rest my case”…

”So what’s stopping u from being famous Newton??”, Tom enquires…
” Coz I am not seeking the method.. but it’s the end-result that fascinates me…take for example if someone asks u two where do u guys live??…..i am sure Tom wud say ‘sandhya apartment’, two blocks to the left of MANGATRAM PETROL PUMP… dick would say ‘mariannne enclave’, three blocks to the right of MANGATRAM PETROL PUMP… but have u guys ever wondered why nobody asks mr.mangatram where the hell is his petrol pump located?? Coz the bloke is famous right??…..i have decided tat henceforth I am not giving out MANGATRAM PETROL PUMP as a landmark for tracing my house… I am done with that”…

” So Ramu”…Tom interjects ,”What is the point??”….

” The point is just finish that bloody coffee man..So we can leave”…

Out of the coffee house now, Ramakrishnan is still animated,” I am just saying, I am different from you two…What time is it Dick??i kind of forgot my watch”….

”Hmm its 3:40..”…
”yeah so I was saying I just don’t want to end up being an average joe bachelor of engineering guy. That guy in me has been long dead and I dont want to embalm”

…”And is that why u have since 6 months of your course-completion not attended a single job interview??”, Tom asks teasingly…

”No tommy its not abt a job anymore.. it’s the larger perspective of how I don’t see myself in an environment where someone’s ordering me to bring a file or re-boot the PC”…he continues,” I want to do something that surprises me..and everybody around me as well…I mean, we are 3 straight guys right??”

…”I am, I know that for sure”,Dick muses…
”Yeah,so do u still see us having a threesome..just for the heck of it..just for fun..just the three of us???”…..

”Dude..is that why you just brought us coffee??” Dick enquires suspiciously”…

”No man I was just trying to draw an analogy here…damn it..how do I put it??have u guys seen PULP FICTION??”…

”No but I do see an empty lane on this side of the road so lets cross now”,Dick states…

They cross the road and reach the other lane…

”So I was talking…wot time is it Dick??”,Ramu enquires for the second time…

”3:45″…

”Yeah ok..so pulp fiction… now its directed by this guy, Tarantino something…pulp fiction is such a cool but freaky movie.. Tarantino wud have faced such objections from his friends, his parents, his well-wishers when he would have read out the script of the movie to them..but he didn’t give it a damn…and eventually his conviction stood out… are you getting my point??”…

”Yeah I think so”,Tom replies…

”Don’t you mull over it. Forget it,lets have a gum”,Ramu suggests…

”Yeah why… just so that u can blabber over the lack of essence in the gum and stuff like that?? What’s happening to you of late?”,Tom asks…

”Religion my friend. Religion. I am trying to make it clear to you that this universe isn’t all about a set of amorphous solids floating endlessly. There is a reason and purpose behind everything. A calling, a sign, a larger truth. One strawberry flavoured gum for me please”…

They have a gum each and continue walking..

Ramu augurs on,”But u know what is the biggest hindrance for me achieving my sacred position?? The society… The god-damned society has such flawed modalities of working..and everyone knows its flawed.. its just that we have chose to live with it..take for example INSURANCE…Dick what do u think is insurance??”…

”Well it stands for security of our loved ones after we are gone”,Dick retorts…

”Yeah…. and pocket-money for the insurance agent ?? I mean an insurance agent walks into my house as a normal person, he sweet-talks me for like 15 minutes.. I am starting to enjoy his company… and suddenly he appraises me about this new policy that has been floated by his insurance company.. and as an individual it hurts me.. coz its like he was using me all this time, isn’t it?? I feel violated”…

Tom and Dick break into an incessant laughter .

Ramu smiles back and walks..” I am just reiterating.. no insurance for me..i am gonna die a non-insured person…hey Dick what is the time for the last time??”…

” For the last time…….its 3:55 buddy”…

”Thanks buddy”, Ramu acknowledges and takes the first turn to the right unaware of the black Scorpio approaching him at a raging speed…

”RAMU WATCH OUT!!!!!!!”, Tom and Dick cry out in unison….

“Ramu was genuinely different”, Dick says, his hands covering his face and a lump in his throat breaking his voice….

”Yeah he was, I cant believe just 3 days back we were having coffee at this same place together”….

“Hey btw, u saw the newspaper today??”,Tom asks………

”Why?”…..

”Well there is this memorial service for Ramu being organized by his family members… ‘chautha’ something…Whats chautha?”…..

”Yeah it’s some kind of function that takes place four days after a person’s death”….
Dick looks at the obituary and reads it out loud,” Chautha ceremony in the memory of our beloved son Ramakrishnan on the 17th of February 2006 at ‘meenaxi residency’…..behind MANGATRAM PETROL PUMP, mulund west, mumbai-80”….

”This is definitely not how Ramu wud have wanted it to be written”, Dick says dejectedly….

” Yeah I guess u r right”, Tom adds on,” maybe we should just finish our coffee and leave”…