Phhhu

It’s quite a pretty sight as one takes a dip in the water,

Dim lit side row bulbs, a dark sky with half bright moon.

Smooth laps take the misery out of your mind and body.

Last few days that I have been swimming, usually I am alone, and I like it that way,

But yesterday, I had a visitor,

Young stout guy, fair, looked like software or a techie guy,

The moment I got into the shower he smiled,

So I smiled back and greeted (in Patna, one usually stays bland to such niceties)

Then he forwarded his hand for a shake, while I was in the shower,

Strange, he could have waited for me to come out, as he was dressed, and I was dressed for a shower.

“No instructor” he said.

I frowned with a raised shoulder, “so”

I jumped in the pool,

Mid-way, I heard some one shouting, when I put my head out, I saw this guy, running the parallels of the pool with tube in his hand, he was about to throw at me, and shouting, “here, here”

“I can swim” I smiled back at him.

I finished my first four laps, and all this while, he was walking the length with my strokes.

I was in no mood to talk, but his strange behavior, made me stop and chat with this creature.

“You swim very well” he said even before I could start a conversation.

“Thanks, but I am no Phelps”

“You have a good body, were you in the army?”

I choked, looked at my protruding paunch,

“Police- would have been closer”

A compliment is a compliment, I felt good.

Oh No!..dont tell me. He must be gay.

First thing in my mind, that went through.

But his insistence, even if he was gay, left me no choice but to talk to him,

Software guy, he was, working with ABB, just quit and was on a holiday with his parents, would be joining Oracle soon, wanted to do something in Bihar, but realized that he would be wasted here.

Like me I thought.

“What will happen to all the people who have lost their property in floods?” he enquired.

“Well I am sure ABB will place some of them”, I was trying to be funny.

“Rest will find placements at the sidewalks of NCR and Mumbai.”

As I was changing again in the men’s room, he came along talking and watching my Army body.

“Will you be coming tomorrow?”

“No”

I felt bad being so curt.

Hooopphh.