I was waiting for a micro bus to Ratna Park. All the tempos and vehicles that came were full of people - some of them sticking out as well. Not a single seat was empty. I waited for another twenty minutes, and finally when I've had enough of the wait, I decided to call a taxi. Just as I was about to leave the parking station, a small-blue microbus stops right in front of me. The back is full - but in the front, by the driver's seat - only one guy is sitting. Two people are supposed to fit in there - and so I decided to open the door and get in. So I did.
It didn't take me long to figure out that the guy beside me was drunk. Then I realized that was the reason why people in the back preferred to stand, or sit in a really awkward posture rather than sit beside this drunk man. The man had torn clothes, and his mouth smelt really bad. He was speaking all the time. I was, by the window, and really afraid that the drunk guy might puke, and that my clothes would be spoiled as a result. I tried my best to look outside the window and not listen to him. For some reason he was blaming Bamdev Gautam - This guy is the greatest idiot. I thought of arguing with him, but soon I
The bus stops in Ratna Park and I move on. Wow! I become engulfed by a sea of people in the pavements of Ratna Park. People all around. Small temporary Footpath shops making the passage difficult. It must have taken me about three minutes or more to cover the normally 20-second distance. I do and I cross that place and am in the pavements by the Rani Pokhari. I wondered if the place was still called Rani Pokhari. It must have been changed to something like LokPokhari or Sahid Pokhari, but I wasn't sure about it. I ponder on for a while and then move on glancing at Rani Pokhari all the time.
The overhead bridges - they usually show a multicultural Nepal I think. You just have to pass one of these, and you come across a lot of people of different traits and kinds. If you don't, you can always stand and look from the top of these bridges and see all kinds of people and whatnot! I did that. I saw a few tourists, a few beggars, women, men, old men, children, an image channel vj, some laborers, and the footpath vendors. I expected that. What I didn't expect was the huge - colossal might be the better word - crowd of people in the street that takes you into Asan from Jamal. The tourists, who might have been more awed than me, started taking out their cameras and shooting pictures. I wanted to do that - but then I felt that the other Nepalese around would think that I was just imitating this foreigner so I walked away ontoThamel.
Thamel is a wonderful place. It has always been. It's diverse. You can find almost everything you need here. I was walking with a camera bag on my shoulders and a Hawaii tshirt. That might have made a few weed and hash dealers whisper to me - "Weeeeed. Hyaaashh. Magick Mushroom. Berry Chip." A smile and a "Ma Nepali Ho Dai" (I am a Nepali, brother) was sufficient for them to turn around and walk away. They didn't even bother to say anything else.
I finished my stuff over in Thamel and was walking back. I think I encountered six-seven similar kind of people on the street from nearby Chettraparti to Hot Breads area. They all had a common character - all of them were handicapped - some had no legs, some no fingers and some no hands. And, they were blocking the paths of the tourists, who were walking infront of me. It looked like a setup indeed. For some reason, I thought so many similar people couldn't have come together by simple coincidence.
My friend called me when I was somewhere around the Bowling Boulevard. I had to go to New Road to meet them. I took the inner route from Ason. It was a bad choice. That was the biggest jam I'd ever gotten myself into. At this moment, I felt how stupid it was of some people to complain that more vehicles were responsible for creating traffic jams. If there were none of these vehicles, and you had all these people walking on the streets, then you would see your father's marriage (your father's marriage is a Nepali catch phrase) - I thought. That was a stupid thought, but wasn't the only one. I had many similar silly thoughts while I was walking through that crowd of people. Solace lied in thinking whatever came to your brain.
I should also be quite proud of my achievement that day. I learnt how to navigate through a crowd. I think the trick I found out helped me walk faster. I am not sure if it was a coincidence on that day - I'm yet to test the trick again. The idea is - you choose a corner and stick to it. And then move fast along the corner by using your hands to create a gap between the person in front and the corner of the street. Try this idea out sometime - if it's a success I would be glad to hear back. If not, I know I'm a madman.
That was it. I was tired. I took a tempo infront of RNAC (R doesn't stand for anything, if you're someone who gets upset by the use of R). That was the hardest moment of my life. There was a fellow female schoolmate - and she had 4-5 of her relatives along with her. I'm not that good at talking with people, and I was really tired to talk. That was the most embarrasing moment of my life. If I looked straight, I would see the girl. I did that and we talked for a while. Then every topic I could think of finished, and I couldn't gather extra energy to even talk. So, I looked out of the tempo from my seat (the last one) into the streets outside. That was an equally difficult task - I had to twist my head to look at the street and keep on doing that to prevent looking at her - so I had a small neckache at the end of the journey.
That was it. An end to my whole day of moving nowhere. I guess I saw glimpses of New Kathmandu.
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