beard!

Treebeard: You must understand, young Hobbit, it takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say.

This was a phenomenon that began slowly and sporadically just like an epidemic and spread like wildfire. It was the great beard and perhaps it succeeded in bringing out latent (or dormant) emotions from people around (without saying anything of course!)like a certain impatience to life (when is this going off? How long more for this naatak? Aren’t there better things to life than growing this shit? Why this atrociousness?)Perhaps it also brought out the unused colourful vocabulary.
But the beard had stranger tales to tell. Reminded one of those countless characters of the irani chai café frequenter whose only motive in life is to puff away to glory with the one hand and keep picking up the stained white tip broken to the mouth in between immaculately measured puffs with the other hand. And of course not to forget the sudden reach outs to the plate for the chota samosa. Perhaps the thickening black ‘forest of disgust’ completed the picture perfectly.

Treebeard: 'Beneath the roof of sleeping... leaves and dreams of trees untold, When woodland halls are... green... and cool, and the wind is in the west, Come back to me... Come... back... to me, And say my land is... best.'

Although, wherever black beard went he was greeted with one of two extreme expressions – either an expression of absolute disgust (including at his own place) or an expression of absolute indifference (anywhere but his own place!). The clean shaven evolved into the bearded gradually just like the evolving moss on the water tank(this was one of the descriptions for the appearance, by the way!!) – a moss that reflected the true unwilled wandering of the mind beyond ‘established boundaries of wisdom and so called well being’. Or a moss that is perhaps caught in two worlds as the beard discovered on a rainy Sunday night. How do you explain being able to sit leisurely (nawabi style) at one of India’s oldest heritage structures for a glorious cup of tea amidst buzzing crowds of activity and bright lights and a steady pattering of the drizzle on the plastic roofshade and ever encircling clouds of tobacco. Into the new city-barricaded from all forms of ‘threats’ including the 3-man strong innocent tourist mob that wants to enjoy a cool breeze and probably a hot cuppa at 11pm with a lakeside view that is gloriously reflecting the city lights. You are greeted by a stoic – “matter ye hai ki 11 bhaje ye food court bandh ho jaata hai” “Atleast can we take some pictures of the lake?” “Sorry boss, pictures bilkul allowed nahin hai”. Is it a mindset problem or just a security problem? why no such security in the old city? Don’t they need security? Or the new city has too much expenditure sunk in that needs constant attention of the Grey guards! The point here is did only appearance have a role to play in this seemingly dichotomous situation.

What is in an appearance? Strange are the world’s ways of making perceptions based on outward appearances. Did a change in appearance transport the beard-bearer to unknown territory? It did help him fit in snugly into circles which would have scoffed at an otherwise appearance. Does a change in appearance automatically guarantee you ‘special access’? Definitely not. Perhaps it only succeeds in people outside your inner circle looking at you from a totally different perspective.

And by the way, did the beard bring out the much awaited slap right across the jaw? Did it learn a lesson and disappear? Hmmmmm…..! Guess! Guess!!!


PS: All Treebeard quotes are courtesy ‘The Lord of the Rings’