Small Talk

“Nice weather today. I just love Mumbai. The only problem with it is that there is no winter. How nice would it be if we had a month of the Delhi kind of winter. To drive in the fog. To sit in the sun and eat peanuts. Mutter Paneer and gajar ka halwa. My mother makes awesome halwa. Mom‘s food is mom‘s food. What are you reading? Who is this Sartre? One must read good books. Just read one by Paulo Coelho. You must try it.”
“JetLite flight S2 473 flying to Delhi has been delayed by an hour. The delay is due to late arrival of the aircraft because of bad weather at Delhi airport. The flight will now leave at 1:30 pm. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused.”
“This flight is again late. Why don’t they shut it down? It has been late daily for the whole week. Look at that child. ‘How are you son? Come to uncle. Where is your mother?’ You know why we all like kids. Its because at heart we all can identify innocence and we love it. You know, I have not seen a single tap for drinking water in this huge airport. Even water has to be bought. Rs.20 for 250ml. All conspiracy. The government is all sold out to these big companies. How would the poor live! Only these foreigners will thrive. Look at that American girl in shorts, exposing her thighs. Could she not cover up well. She wants people to look at her, and if someone would rape her they would demean our country. You don’t talk much. Young people like you cant even show courtesy to your elders. You going home from college?”
“No. I completed my term in prison. Going to Delhi to do something.”
“What did you do to land up in jail”
“I killed a man.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Just like that. To kill for a reason would have been petty. I thought how nice would it be to kill someone without any reason or justification. To break open a skull with one stroke of an iron rod and then watch the blood flow unstopped. And then see the lifeless body lying on floor and wonder what has left the body that stopped its motion. Only the event should not be marred by any kind of excuse. I did it just for the thrill of it.”
“I should go and check on the flight.”