It was a hot, humid afternoon typical of most places in Jharkhand and I’ve been sitting in the veranda for a while now coaxing a cup of tea down my throat. Extremely still and lazy, the afternoon lull has hit everything around. The place I sit overlooks an open area that is home to cows, ducks, chickens and dogs, most of them using the afternoon lull as an excuse for their lethargy. As I sat watching, a pair of ducks start racing around in front of me, one chasing the other. The chaser is the bigger of the two, and eventually succeeds in catching the other and pins it to the floor with its beak. It hoists itself on top, raises one leg and then it happens, its penis appears, a bright, wet pink thing as long as a thumbnail. The chap flaps his tail feathers for a while and then tumbles off, a baffled look on its face. I had had no idea ducks had penises and vaginas. I happen to look up and see Siraj standing in the doorway watching me. He starts laughing.
“Tum toh film jaise dekh rahe ho yaar vaibhav. Pehle kabhi nahin dekha hai kya.”
“No!” I shake my head.
The laughter grew louder and I try shrugging my embarrassment and join in. He takes my cup and leaves still laughing his head off.
When I’m leaving every worker in the house has a smirk on their face as they cross me.
