Flu is in the air ..

Aaj ki taaza Khabar. Janta ke liye chetavni.

Flu ek khatarnak Bhimari hain. Yeh cheekne se, choone se aur choomne se fehalta hai. Flu peedith logon se door rahe. Unko aapke pyaar aur lagaav ki abhi zaroorat nahin hain. Apne aapko pehle bachayiye.

But yeh mumbai hain meri jaan. The average mumbaikar reads Economic Times on the weekdays and Times Of India only on weekends just to stay in touch. So he is either unaware of the dangers of flu or deliberately chooses to ignore the threat.

But today morning, Dadar station was a different. Flu or no flu, there was definitely an air of suspicion. Anyone wearing mask is either an infected person or trying to protect himself from infection.

Now whoever designed the surgical mask, definitely has a very poor sense of fashion. Its so ugly. yuck!. Now trendy mumbai women have to find ways to overcome this problem. Obviously, they can't everyday pull out the light green salwar kameez and matching sandals to go with the mask. Off with the masks, instead they turn out in their most colourful duppatas, wrapped tightly around the face. My friend Alex from Moscow, finally was contended seeing the quintessential Indian woman, all coyness, all traditional and all that, if only for oneday atleast. Just like Aishwarya in Jodha Akbar!. Wah!.

Compared to the pretty women, Men were definitely an eyesore. Out were the dirtiest hand kerchiefs tied around the neck, Which I am sure even the most unhygienic H1N1 virus would want to avoid. But the good thing was on board the train, everyone was suprisingly well behaved, no pushing or shoving. That was just the lull before the storm.

All hell broke loose, when Rashesh bhai let out the sneeze he had been holding tight ever since he boarded the train at Dahisar. Every one ran for cover in all directions. The younger ones uttering the choicest of four letter words cursing their fate. The older ones started humming the Hanuman chalisa. Just one prayer on everybody's lips, "Hey Prabhu, Meri Raksha Karo". Any amount of "Sorry bhai, Amne flu nahin che" from Rashesh Bhai could not console the now scared junta. The journey ended and off we went our separate ways.

To conclude, a short romantic song dedicated to flu by Sir John Paul Young

(Singalong)

Flu is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Flu is in the air
Every sight and every sound

(Chorus)
Flu is in the air
Flu is in the air
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

Flu is in the air
In the whisper of the breeze
Flu is in the air
In the thunder of the sneeze

And I don't know if I'm just scheming
Don't know if I feel sane
But it's something that I must believe in
When everyone has got a mask across their mane

(Chorus)
Flu is in the air
Flu is in the air
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh