Bomb Scare

The Tuesday bombings have managed to turn the reclusive Bombayite into an alert citizen. I was in the middle of devouring Brandon Routh when someone in the row behind me shouted “Someone’s left a bag here”. There were some 40-50 people in that large auditorium. I turned around to see a fat bag sitting on its own two rows behind me. The guy who raised the alarm started picking up his stuff and making a move. It didn’t take a second for all the others to follow suit. Somebody started shouting “Be Calm! Walk out slowly, do not rush”. My heart was fighting to leap out of my throat. I joined the thick line making its way out of the theatre. By the time I reached the doors of the auditorium, the theatre administration had reached there in full attendance. The lights were turned on in the auditorium and the big doors were being closed, when a guy came running from the toilets shouting “What Happened? Wait, let me get my bag!”

All of us who were still loitering there hoping it to be a false alarm laughed and cursed at the same time. So, it was a false alarm. The guy was saved much embarrassment by the darkness in the theatre.

There was this wiry lady in her spaghetti top, super tight jeans and silver manolos, carrying a Louis Vuitton pouch who was complaining about allowing bags in the auditorium. The lady forgot that unlike her some of us carry our stuff with us or are returning from college/school/work or just finished shopping.

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Bags have become carriers of trouble now. I wonder if people standing in the train are offering to put someone else’s bag on the over head rack anymore. You never know who might get off without taking his bag.

I wonder a lot.