The Movie Show in Patna

I still remember that day when i had gone to Patna, my hometown, to meet my parents. It was then Farhan Akhtar's Don was released and I had planned to give it a try as a timepass. After reaching the institute where mom worked, i realised it was too early to accompany her back to home, as it was just quarter to three post meridian. So i was wondering what to do, when it struck me that if i somehow managed a rickshaw, i could go to a nearby hall to watch the movie, which looked promising, and anyways, mom could go back by herself if i was late enough. Having explained this to my conscience, i got a rickshaw and reached there.

Veena movie theatre is a busy area, a hub of all second-hand-book-lover's paradise, movie fanatics like me and the rest of the disorder was caused by the autorickshaws who were maneuvering around to trap more passengers from the exodus of the show which was just over.

Today was the first day of Don and it seemed to be going houseful with very big crowd in front of the gate. It is unnatural for the people here to be disciplined enough to form a queue (and respect the one which is formed), but this crowd was way too big. Almost when i paid the rickshaw, i turned to see the crowd move away and a person emerging from it, badly bruised. As soon as he emerged, he started shouting "10 wala 40 mein" (meaning tickets worth 10 in 40 now). He was peddling the tickets at a higher rate, he was a blackey. I reached him, out of sheer sympathy that he had to do this thing even after being severely beaten by the crowd.

After some 5 minutes of aggressive bargaining, he sold me the tickets in 20 only. I was happy to buy the tickets at a price double the actual. I read once
"The glass is half empty, it could be said that it is half full too."
"Two people look out of window, one sees the mud, the other sees the stars"
Combining these two sentences, i was prilog-ically happy that i got the tickets at half the price, who cared if it was actually double the price.

As soon as i started scrutinising the tickets, i could see that beaten shadow move away from me as if he was slipping by. I smelled something fishy in his behaviour, stopped my scrutiny and shouted "oye ruk!" and he started running away from me. I lunged after him and so did the crowd which had again gathered to bash him up.

Left to the crowd to bash him up, i was again scrutinising the whole thing again, and found that the date was wrong, 26th it was. I was happy to see him thrashed for his misdeed, my heart felt pure and pious now. I asked someone standing beside me the date, and he said 26th.

As if i was thrown back to the ground from the air, i felt pain and pity for the poor soul who was being bashed.

To nihilate that emotion, i silently entered into the hall to watch Don.