My Morning Adventure

I think my life is definitely taking an adventurous turn. Otherwise, why would I have strange encounters with jungle inmates within the walls of my home?

Time 6.00 a.m; I have just stepped off a formula 1 morning auto-rickshaw ride from the station. Feeling rather dazed I stepped into my house, dumped my bags in the hall and rushed off to make my morning cup of filter coffee. Mission accomplished,changed and a bit less bleary, I step back into the hall where I have left my precious cuppa and I am confronted by King Kong. I rub my eyes a bit and stare - well, it is not King Kong, but there definitely is this very large monkey sitting in the middle of my hall. I wish I had taken my coffee inside while I changed; now the monkey will probably drink it and wander hyperactively all around my house while I cower in my bedroom and try to think of someone to rescue me. I realised then the importance of having Blue Cross number on my mobile list. And I also think of what will happen when my brother walks in and confronts the monkey. I would give a monkey to see his face, but dash it if I am going to get out of my bedroom.

10 minutes pass and there is no sound. Cursing myself for leaving my balcony door wide open for all sorts of creatures to come wandering in, I cautiously peer out hoping that the monkey has gone away through the same balcony. No such luck, the monkey is still sitting in the hall with a wondering look on its face. At least, it doesn't seem to have touched my coffee. I felt slightly indignant, I really make very good coffee and here is this monkey sitting there, not even attempting to reach for a nice strong cuppa, conveniently placed right there.

I was slowly backing off and realised that the monkey was doing the same. We had eye contact and it seemed to me that the monkey was as uncertain of my intentions as I was of its. Well, it went off into my brother's bedroom. I quickly grabbed my coffee and dashed back into my bedroom. I really am obsessed with coffee the first thing in the morning and it was just about the right temperature now. Fortified, I peek back to look for the monkey. It had by then finished its inspection of the bedroom and was back in position in the hall,looking none too impressed. Ha,ha! I just loved the thought of saying this to my brother.

Meanwhile, monkeybhai(we were now very familiar and calling it `the monkey' somehow seemed strange) was now meandering in the direction of the kitchen. I followed at a cautious distance, racking my brains to figure out a way of opening the door between the kitchen and the balcony for monkeybhai's exit, without being attacked myself of course. But evidently monkeybhai was unimpressed by my kitchen also. He(I assume it is a he) had rattled my dustbin and seemed disgusted with the silence. I felt like defending myself - really I hadn't been in town or else the bin would've been full of....ummm...junk. What was I saying? That I junk the dustbin? Or that I manage to generate masses of trash when I cook? I felt both defensive and indignant.

And meanwhile monkeybhai had got into the spare room. In a flash, I rushed and closed the door behind him. I realised there was no latch outside and all the monkey had to do was to rattle the doorhandle and he could get out. But anyways, I felt slightly braver, dashed into the kitchen balcony and shouted for the watchman.

``Yes,madam''.

``Watchman,zara upar aao. Ghar ke andar bandar hai'' (Watchman, come upstairs, there is a monkey in the house).

``Woh,kaise?'' (Howz that?)

I thought it was a singularly stupid question but since he was to be my rescuer,contented myself with ``Upar aake dekho'' (Come upstairs and see)

I peered through the window into the spare room. The monkey was sitting there with a bewildered look. It probably was one of those unfortunate creatures that had ventured out of the trees of Kalakshetra into the residential area behind and was as much at a loss being confronted by strange human beings.

The bell rang - two watchmen had come up. I couldn't suppress a slight grin. One of them stayed back to lecture me on the eating habits of monkeys, while the other more practical one cautiously opened the spare room door. The monkey dashed back to the hall and attempted to resume its post at the middle, but the watchman wasn't having any. Shoo,shoo and he managed to get the poor creature out at the balcony. It sat there on the parapet for a moment, watching with sad eyes and then jumped down. Thankful it had disappeared from my house, I quickly bolted the balcony and said encouragingly to the other watchman ``The monkey is probably in the house downstairs now. Why don't you check?'' Both of them went off downstairs to see but apparently ours was the only home to be graced with monkeybhai's visit.

My brother just then walked in and I told him about my morning adventure, slightly embellished to make me look much braver than I had been - till I realised I was actually narrating conversations between me and the monkey and my brother was grinning as I came to the last part. ``So the monkey came to visit you, is it?'' He was highly amused as was anyone else whom I narrated this story to.

Well, all I can say is that my life is taking an adventurous turn. Otherwise, why would I have strange encounters with jungle inmates within the walls of my home?