The Man With The Baseball Bat

31^st December 2011. The last sunset the year will ever see. Like all self-respecting cities around the world, Delhi dishes out hundreds of party goers ready to spend a night of wild revelry, dancing their way into the New Year in a haze of adrenalin, sweat and alcohol. A heady mix under the most tame of circumstances. Delhi’s corrupt police force pulls up its socks, tightens its belts and gears up to catch and punish the drunk drivers. TOI reports 484 drivers were challanned, of which 388 were drunk. There were no fatal accidents, which is something to be thankful for. Personally, I can’t grasp how this was accomplished. First-hand accounts from friends tell me there was no checking along routes which are usually policed rigorously on any other night. The drivers were not subjected to breathalyzer tests in a few cases, and in one particular case, one officer shamelessly demanded for his palms to be greased just because it was New Year’s. Perhaps it was his way of seeking retribution for having to spend the chilly night manning a barricade.

Either way, I was safely ensconced at a friend’s house, grilling chicken all night long with a few close friends and having a good time. Come morning, I started the short walk to my home, to see a man walking along the road swinging a baseball bat with a menacing look in his eyes. Giving him as wide a berth as possible at the same time trying to be inconspicuous was a tough task, but I managed. The obvious question arises, what would a man be doing with a baseball bat at 9am? Trust me, I discreetly looked to see if I could find any blood stains on it, but I couldn’t. It can be argued that we should believe in his good intentions and give him the benefit of doubt, perhaps he was heading out to play baseball in a country where almost nobody cares about any sport other than cricket. Or, perhaps he was out seeking revenge for some brawl from the last night, I’ll never know.

My new year began with an ominous sight of a man walking down the street dangerously swinging a baseball bat. I truly do hope it’s not a sign of things to come in the New Year.

Only In Delhi.