Thursday, September 25, 2008

Reflecting illusion

My friend was in need of household furniture for revamping his house. Someone told him to glance through the classifieds section of newspapers, as there are sparingly used secondhand furniture advertisements and the prices were cheap. Thinking of the money he might save, he tried to take a chance.
He called up a guy who had advertised in the Sharjah classifieds section. The person told him the location was behind the Millennium Hotel. They fixed an appointment to meet the same evening.
My friend on reaching the area called the other person to alert his arrival. He asked my friend whether he could see the mosque nearby. My friend turned around and saw it.
“ And there is a small restaurant opposite to the mosque. Can u see it?”
“Yeah, I can,” answered my friend.
“There is a new tower building next to that restaurant and I’m staying on the fourth floor,” guided the advertiser guy. But my friend couldn’t find the tower building.
After long talks over the phone, unable to locate, the guy asked my friend to stand at the entrance of Millennium Hotel. He came over there but couldn’t find my friend.
Two and half hours they tried locating each other with no positive result. At last, my friend asked him, “There is only one millennium Hotel in Sharjah, right?”
“Sharjah??!!! I’m in Abu Dhabi,” was the answer. For a moment there was utter silence. Both of then didn’t want to talk anything.
Who was it to blame? The people at the classified section who misplaced the Abu Dhabi advertisement in the Sharjah section? Or both the people involved for not communicating properly? Or the location that was almost similar?
Thinking in retrospection, all that happened to my friend was the reflection of illusion’s vision.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Dialogue mania

The other day I was chatting in the car with a friend when he pointed out to a couple walking through Sharjah Buheira Corniche. My friend who was a screenwriter as well as a director asked me to watch their actions. I could see the husband pointing out to the flyover and the wife pointing to the other side of the road. It was obvious that they were talking something seriously. My friend started scripting dialogues to their actions. Here is his version of the couple’s talk.
Husband: The flyover has not been made properly. It should’ve been connected to the other road.
Wife: But it eases the traffic from this road. I think it is apt. There is no problem at all with the flyover.
Husband: Too ease the traffic, another road must’ve been made. They should’ve not used the flyover to ease the traffic.
Wife: So, r u planning to demolish the flyover?
Husband: Yeah, that has to be done.
Wife: Oh! Don’t tell me…!!!
Husband: Why not?
Wife: Please don’t do that. Then the traffic conditions will get worse.
Husband: I don’t care about the traffic. I know what to do… You don’t have to tell me, better accept what I do…
Wife: (on the verge of tears) you are such an awful person. How will I bear this? I have no one who understands me. You are the worst person I ever met. I wonder how I got married to you.
Husband: Don’t try to fight or cry and make me accept the way you want to…
I couldn’t help laughing. Watching their actions, dialogues were perfect. I couldn’t help wondering about the couple that became the subject of our conversation. Will they ever know that they were responsible for the creativity of my director friend? Or at least they were the ones who made my day with their actions?
I also became conscious about my actions while I am at a public place. You can’t be sure that a creative guy watching you, far away from you, is making a character out of you.