A city lies in wait..

Raj Thackrey was arrested early today morning. I was about to leave for office in the morning when i got a call from a colleague advising me to switch on the tube. Fascinating shots of the 30 car long convoy carrying him from Ratnagiri to Bandra with an "embedded" reporter held my attention for long. Of course this meant no office and the fact that i'd have to cook lunch on my own. Oh bugger!

Around noon, decided to step out instead and try out the restaurants in the neighbourhood. The fact that something was wrong struck me from within the gates itself. They were locked from within and the two security guards (who'd normally be dozing) were on their feet. "Saab, sub dukane-mandi band hai." I stepped out nonetheless. Hunger and the horror of self cooking is a powerful deterrent. I should not have.

What i felt (saw?) was disturbing. I felt fear. I saw gates-locked and bolted in broad daylight. Worried shopkeepers peeping through downed shutters. Youth, gathered in small groups chatting in a purposeful manner. Bored servants loitering in the courtyards watching them. Anticipating things to happen. Sometimes it is this anticipation which loiterers decide to oblige. Worried passengers on bus from Pune, staring wide-eyed to verify what they would have seen on onroute in wayside hotels. All presenting a perfect audience for mischief mongers. One loud cry, one stone thrown at a windowpane, one parked vehicle attacked was perhaps all it took for the situation to snowball.

I have seen plenty of such situations in my childhood growing up in the days of ULFA insurgency in Guwahati. Eerily, Mumbai today closely resembled Guwahati of the 90's. Not a sign of good things to come.