Oh, when the ants come marching in!
Yesterday in the flight from Delhi to Bangalore, I'd bought myself some breakfast - the (very pricey) vegetarian combo, which came with a pack of cookies among other things. I don't eat cookies really, and there was enough food in the box, so I wasn't going to eat them, but then thought of S, and decided I'd take them for her... somehow thinking she was bound to enjoy chocolate chip cookies :). I put them in my bag, but couldn't give them to her yesterday, since she only comes to the office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
This morning, I was supposed to be at (other) S's at 8.15, and I was ready to leave at 7.45 (had decided to walk to her place, which takes that long). When I came to pick up my backpack, I suddenly felt a prick on my foot. As my hand instinctively reached the spot, I realized I'd been stung by an ant - a red ant. I didn't think anything of it at first, but when I tried to lift the backpack off the ground, I realized it was absolutely teeming with ants! On further inspection, I noted a gigantic trail of ants leading to the main door. Indeed, the pack of cookies was the culprit. And the ants had penetrated down to the depths of my backpack - big, stinging, red ants were marching all over :). It was so astonishing, it was hilarious!
Finally, I decided I wanted help, so I called one of the guest house caretakers on the phone. He came with a broom, got the ants out for the most part, brushed them off the innards of my bag, ate the cookies :) (I asked him aap ye kyon kha rahe hain? - "why are you eating these?" - and he merrily replied Bhagwan ko uthana hoga to utha lega - "if the Lord wants me to die, I will die", adding a daane daane pe likha hai khaanewale ka naam... ispar zaroor mera naam likha tha - "On every grain is written the name of the person who will eat it, my name was definitely on these cookies" :)), and told me not to keep chocolate around any more. There was an open pack of Good-Day biscuits lying on the table, which I eat from daily with my tea, and I said to him isko bhi le jaiye nahi to ispar bhi cheentiyan aa jayengi - "take this too, else this too will get attacked by ants" but he replied with a nahi, woh sirf chocolate pasand karti hain - "no, they only like chocolates" :). I submitted to his (seeming) better judgment.
By this time I was quite delayed, since I couldn't have left without my backpack. Once it was cleaned out, it was already 8.20. In a flash I remembered that this caretaker had a motorbike, and asked if he could take me to S's (new found bike-confidence after Bikaner). He conceded, and took me. The Bangalore breeze for those few minutes on the motorbike was to die for. It was as if the wind was carrying me forth...
Of course, today was the day that the security at S's had to give me a rather long and hard time (they wrote down my life history, well, almost - phone number, address, purpose of visit, host's name, apartment number, building number, yada yada) (surprisingly they asked (still other) S none of this!). (I just realized that most of my coworkers have names that start with an S - strange!) Finally got to her place only at 8.40, but we sat and sang for a good pleasurable hour.
Anyway, so coming back to the point then. I walk back into my room this evening, and see my old friends - the ants again :). Amused, I look for the cause of the flurry, and find that the pack of Good-Day biscuits had been blown onto the floor by the wind (thanks to the window that had been left open), and the ants had attacked it. So much for them liking only chocolate :).
This morning, I was supposed to be at (other) S's at 8.15, and I was ready to leave at 7.45 (had decided to walk to her place, which takes that long). When I came to pick up my backpack, I suddenly felt a prick on my foot. As my hand instinctively reached the spot, I realized I'd been stung by an ant - a red ant. I didn't think anything of it at first, but when I tried to lift the backpack off the ground, I realized it was absolutely teeming with ants! On further inspection, I noted a gigantic trail of ants leading to the main door. Indeed, the pack of cookies was the culprit. And the ants had penetrated down to the depths of my backpack - big, stinging, red ants were marching all over :). It was so astonishing, it was hilarious!
Finally, I decided I wanted help, so I called one of the guest house caretakers on the phone. He came with a broom, got the ants out for the most part, brushed them off the innards of my bag, ate the cookies :) (I asked him aap ye kyon kha rahe hain? - "why are you eating these?" - and he merrily replied Bhagwan ko uthana hoga to utha lega - "if the Lord wants me to die, I will die", adding a daane daane pe likha hai khaanewale ka naam... ispar zaroor mera naam likha tha - "On every grain is written the name of the person who will eat it, my name was definitely on these cookies" :)), and told me not to keep chocolate around any more. There was an open pack of Good-Day biscuits lying on the table, which I eat from daily with my tea, and I said to him isko bhi le jaiye nahi to ispar bhi cheentiyan aa jayengi - "take this too, else this too will get attacked by ants" but he replied with a nahi, woh sirf chocolate pasand karti hain - "no, they only like chocolates" :). I submitted to his (seeming) better judgment.
By this time I was quite delayed, since I couldn't have left without my backpack. Once it was cleaned out, it was already 8.20. In a flash I remembered that this caretaker had a motorbike, and asked if he could take me to S's (new found bike-confidence after Bikaner). He conceded, and took me. The Bangalore breeze for those few minutes on the motorbike was to die for. It was as if the wind was carrying me forth...
Of course, today was the day that the security at S's had to give me a rather long and hard time (they wrote down my life history, well, almost - phone number, address, purpose of visit, host's name, apartment number, building number, yada yada) (surprisingly they asked (still other) S none of this!). (I just realized that most of my coworkers have names that start with an S - strange!) Finally got to her place only at 8.40, but we sat and sang for a good pleasurable hour.
Anyway, so coming back to the point then. I walk back into my room this evening, and see my old friends - the ants again :). Amused, I look for the cause of the flurry, and find that the pack of Good-Day biscuits had been blown onto the floor by the wind (thanks to the window that had been left open), and the ants had attacked it. So much for them liking only chocolate :).
1 comment:
funny story.thanks for sharing.
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