Without my luggage, I was travelling along with a few unknown people. It was an evening with warm wind, blowing yellow ochre sand dust in the air.

On my left plane I could still see my country, green grass blown left and right by soft breeze going away from me. I realised that I am getting into a new territory of dry grass and dust rose from the sands.

We were watching the check post from a distance, sitting inside a typical Mexican/ American rather Indian ambassador car, driving towards the new country.

The gate opened at the entrance while regret of leaving my home country started to haunt me in front of my vision, going away from me.

Men who wore a huge Mexican hat and cowboy outfit were waiting to attend us. I suppose they are cops. Cops sarcastic smile casted spell on remains of my confidence. A male voice next to me instructed me to be aware of these boundary riders.

I was the first target of these cops who giggled at my skin. A cop who wore a green jacket asked me to come forward to show my identity proof. I felt the warmth of the green jeans jacket in the dusk and suddenly felt that the cop could be feeling the piercing sun under his jacket. Even though I have necessary identity proof, I was scared enough to believe it myself. I was afraid that my driver’s license could be verified and I will be caught.

For certain time you can stay here till we verify your documents said the cop again with a sarcastic smile. His fellow cops started to follow him to make me more nervous. He turned to his left to reach a wooden piece which actually was a designed sculpture. I thought the piece is replica of Christ but with stiff stance. He gave the doll to me saying that it could save me, other cops started laughing.

 I was wondering about the wooden piece and turned its head gently with a click sound. The moment I turned I was manifested into a giant male looked similar to mosses of Michael Angelo. My fellow traveller was nude and carrying a bride in his arms, walked away from me into a green landscape. I was walking toward a red sharp edged car in the dark night……….

                                                                                                II

I entered a busy market but not crowded enough to entertain large number of customers. This market had lot of corners and small streets or passage to create enormous directions to get lost.

I bent down to get out of the hung silky green curtain reminded me of any sub-continent. By the time I started to look around, the male voice is replaced with a dark, strong, short male who was very much to himself. He accompanied me for quite some time later.

I turned next to the big brown table on my right hand side. I saw a coffee shop and its display board which reads “coffee beku”. The logo of this shop was very similar to cotha’s coffee powder. The green and red struck me to stop for a bit to know more about this place. The guy who makes coffee said something in kannada. I was amazed to have heard kannada in a foreign land. We both enjoyed the moment in awe and moved on to another street.

People were selling provisions and I could recognise them. These vendors were busy and talking over the mobile phone in telugu. The smell of oil and dry coconut brought me back to shetty angadi for a while.

I asked “ are there colonies here of migrants?” an old man rubbing his hand came out of  his house and said yes with a cordial smile.  I was not concerned about my disappeared co traveller.

I started to figure out the directions from closed white distempered walls of an old Indian house of pillars and red floor. I met another old man, lying and chewing his pan in the verandah said “you have to rest”; affirmation followed from inside one of the rooms by an old married lady. Even before I asked him the old man said “do you see the white building next to another building? “Without waiting for my reply he continued “you have to climb that white wall with small windows to the roof and join the guys who are resting there”. The roof which he mentioned was made of iron sheets cut into long strips weaved together and left unfinished toward the posterior end.

I neither answered the old man nor thanked him.

I was carefully holding the iron strips to hang on to powdered distemper wall. I looked into the groove to see a few young men like the one who travelled with me earlier was lying down and enjoying the music.

I didn’t wish to disturb them but I was hanging on one foot to hold the iron strip at my fingertips.     

                                                                                                III

Quite a busy evening, earth getting warmer by the evening with sun had exhausted from his heat. I was waiting for the carton box to be passed from my fellow worker so that I can arrange and keep them tidy in the place next to me.