Metamorphosis

Kabir, 27, is living his dream. With his blue eyes, curly hair and his drop dead gorgeous looks, he has always managed to be a darling of professors and students alike, right through his student life at IIT Bombay, at New York university’s Stern school of business and now with the colleagues and seniors at the Barclays bank at Manhattan where he works as a successful investment banker.

He met Nishka at IIT Bombay when he was 20. Everyone said that they always look like they belong to each other. Winning the “cutest couple on campus” was like a routine affair for them year on year. After IIT, Nishka’s ambition took her to the space division at NASA. She always wanted to reach for the stars and here she was, literally doing that.

They plan to get married by the end of 2009 in India and they had a great future lying ahead of them. Everyone in their gang of friends across the globe is eagerly waiting for it to happen. Of course the most popular couple they know is finally getting hooked up officially and so for that they have a humongous rave party planned in Goa.

As it has traditionally been, Kabir makes it a point to call me once every week from New York. And for those 20-25 minutes our world revolves around a variety of topic of conversations, be it chicks, the stock market, or the English premier league (He being a die hard blues fan and me an Arsenal supporter).

That night of the 30th of November 2008, I was sleeping in my apartment when my cell phone rang. It was Kabir, typically him, and I was so sure he is sadistically enjoying the disturbance of my sleep.

But when he said “Hello”, he didn’t sound like anything I had expected. “Bol na be kameene saale , tu kabhi sudhrega nahi” I said . Kabir said “Sorry bhai , tujhe itni raat ko uthaaya” which was very unusual of him , he always sounded too excited and full of pranks and I always wished I saw such vibrant sparks of life in more people around me. World would have been a much better place. He was sounding very dazed and numb and I suddenly realized that something was wrong with him . He went on to tell me that he hasn’t slept in the last few days.

He said he had been glued to the TV set for the last 4 days and hasn’t even reported to work. He even switched off his cell phone. I knew that in the 4 years he stayed in Powai, he had grown to love every nook and corner of Bombay city. He always told me that Bombay was the best place in the world. It didn’t take much time for me to realize that he was gonna talk about the terror attacks that started in Mumbai on the evening of 26th and how those handful of outsiders had strategically injured both the heart and soul of Bombay city as well as of India. The Taj mahal hotel which was the central focus of these militants ,was where Kabir had taken Nishka on their first date. He never regretted spending his entire months pocket money at that place . It meant so much to him I guess. So I kinda figured out that Kabir was deeply hurt by the proceedings in south Mumbai as were all other Indians.

What I didn’t figure out then and did subsequently was that the last 4 days had turned Kabir’s life upside down . He told me that he finds everything around him meaningless and numb. He realized that the path he was trotting down was just a superficial ambition and that it appears very meaningless now. He said his heart has been shaken with every blast that he heard on the TV . He also admitted to have cried when he heard that the 26 year old wife of the Rabbi was brutally raped and then killed along with his 29 year old husband. “I have felt like a criminal for the last 4 days , for not doing anything about what was happening” …. “This guilt is gonna haunt me all my life and now I am very sure that I am coming back to India to do my bit” ….The rage in his voice was very apparent , I could visualize him on the other side of line scratching the receiver so hard that it was hurting my ears.

Yes Kabir left his plush life and is coming back to India next week . Indian homeland security is where he wants to be and he is already searching the internet for further information . According to what he told me , Nishka didn’t approve of his decision at all . She was worried about him and even threatened to end it all if Kabir was serious about what he was thinking . “How can u think of doing this to us Kabir, We have such brilliant days ahead together” she said to him …… Kabir just said “It all doesent matter”.

It was a goose bump moment for me. I hope the Shivraj Patil’s and RR Patil’s of the country grow up to be an iota of what Kabir is. Also , may all the “Fidayeens” know that every time now they come into our motherland , they will be greeted well with several Kabir’s , and make no mistake , this time they will be trained to spray bullets on these assholes till they throw out all their guts , literally.