The reality of reality

A local train on the harbour line at 0015 hours is seldom expected to throw up rather surprising and eventful happenings.

More often than not, the train is filled with people with tired, droopy eyes. While some lean against the window and doze off, most others take the liberty of being in an empty train and treat the long seats as beds.

There is hardly going to be a chance that one would end up having an interesting conversation at this hour of the day (night?). Well, somethings are just meant to happen out of the ordinary.

The most common ice-breaker in a local train conversation is 'Boss, Kaunsa stop hai yeh?' Followed by questions on how far a particular stop would be.

In that sense, the start was quite normal. Across me, sat 3 young boys with 2 of them reading into a blue-covered pocked-sized book with transcripts in hindi.

I was intrigued by what they were reading but too exhausted to start a conversation and ask them about it. I continued staring out of the window, into the darkness when one of the boys asked me the standard question.

Kurla, was my response to which he replied asking when we'd reach a certain station. I spent the next 2 minutes explaining how the train wouldn't go through that particular station and gave them an alternative route to that place (yes, I gave directions! Accurate directions).

The conversation reached a point when I asked them, '' Aapko kahaan jaana hai?" It was the question that opened me upto something that I thought was astonishing and got me thinking.

My latest memory of one of the million reality shows on TV is not an amusing one. My mom's ability to follow each of those farcical shows amazed and annoyed me at the same time. She justified saying true talent was on display while I went on rambling about the fake melodrama that is induced to win the never-ending war of TRPs.

Even if I wasn't entirely wrong at rubbishing those shows, yesterday's conversation with those boys led me to put my extreme views aside and see a point in all of it.

As the conversation went on, I learnt that they were four school-going kids who were on their way to an audition for an upcoming dance reality show on star plus. Auditions at half past midnight? Fishy isnt it? Even I thought so before one of them told me that they were heading to the venue right now so that they get an opportunity to give an audition in the morning at 11. I was shocked at first listening to what these boys were about to do and was further appalled by the manner in which he made it sound so normal and went back to reading his little book. I asked them their names and what they were reading, "Yeh? Bible" was the prompt reply.

I was fascinated by their quest and probed further into their intent and preparation, only to be further amazed and find out that they were dance teachers themselves to younger kids in their locality.

I asked them if they attended such auditions on a regular basis and out came another response that left me with a smile. "Kal bhi tha par humara Maths exam tha. 10th class boards chal raha hai na?"

I smiled and questioned back like a probing old uncle (yes, age is unfortunately catching up) "kal exam nahi hai?" For which he said that they had a long break before the next exam.

It was heartening to see a bunch of school kids take such an effort to showcase their talent. No one does such things in Hyderabad (unfortunate but true).

I showed them where they could take a taxi from and wished them good luck before parting ways.

I still may not swear by any of those shows like my mom would, but looking purely at their intent I really wish they get a fare crack at it.