Tripped, am I?

Sometime in 2050 and somewhere in the deep alleys beyond the horizons of clouds – seemingly in a place we all call HEAVEN, a sound of a forceful fist breaks the divine and pure ambience filled with soulful Vedic chants.

Crap yaar! What has the world come to?

Kya hua parmeshwar? Yeh shor kaisa? – asks a stunned and shocked Indra clad in a black t-shirt and a faded blue Levi's jeans.

Kuch nahi! This whole world seems to be heading nowhere man! It's all going down. Everything seems to be fucked! – replies Lord Shiva with his hand on his forehead and with his face seemingly perplexed. (Cold sweat dropping off his forehead). Tossing his laptop aside which has the screen displaying the home page of The Times of India lord Shiva says, I've been following the news for quite a few months now, in fact quite a few years now. Everything and I repeat everything just seems to be hitting a dead end man. This is so fuckin' frustrating.

Brahma – Nahi Shiva! What are you saying? Things are not that bad. In fact things are so good up here. We have all the comforts and a very nice and leisurely life. We're enjoying our usual get-togethers, weekend parties, drinks and of course the quintessential cabaret performed here. I don't see what is it that has you blowing up?

I am not complaining about things up here Sir Brahma; I am worried about the planet earth and the world that we created. Have you been following the news? Everything is in shambles.

Ah yes, I have been watching the news and reading up a lot of stuff about what's been happening on earth says Vishnu. But that's been happening for quite sometime now. Why are you so pissed now and especially today?

I have been thinking about this for a long time and have been thinking very deeply about the whole state of affairs that is prevalent on earth, and I have been very disturbed. Come on folks, it was us wasn't it? It was us being led by Sir Brahma that created this world and the ecosystem. It was us that created the human kind and gave them a reason to survive and all that stuff. This creation of ours acquired the status of being the greatest and the most beautiful creation ever, didn't it? And look at what is happening to this glorious creation of ours? Its rotting fellas!

Come on Shiva! You're being too much of a sentimentalist replied Sir Indra and Brahma! You need to be practical dude! Whatever is created also has to destroy. That's the fundamental cycle of nature, isn't it? Remember, that's the way we designed it.

Precisely! I do remember retorted Lord Shiva! Things that come into existence also have to go out of existence by the law of nature and also as an act of nature. But in what's been happening – things are getting destroyed not by a natural act of nature, but selfish, destructive act of human beings. And this is so gravely frustrating man! It's our creation that is hell bent on destroying our creation. And you know what's worse – they are doing it in OUR FUCKIN' NAME!

Vishnu – how can you say that? People dying out of tsunamis and earthquakes and floods – is it a fault of human beings? Well, not really. These are acts of nature, my friend. It happens. We need to learn to live with this fact.

All the gods in unison – Yeah! That's true!

Shiva ordering another round of drinks for everyone and also asking the DJ to change the music – Fuck you guys! That's why I always insisted on you all studying a bit of science and stuff, you know educate yourselves. If only you knew science and shit like that, would you have come to know of the reasons behind these natural disasters? Have you heard of global warming?

No, we haven't! (All the gods in unison)

So global warming is the cycle where the man-made things and man-did activities cause severe harm to the nature that causes some sort of imbalance in the nature cycle and triggers of severe natural disasters. These disasters lead to deaths and what not. (Replies Lord Shiva fixing another drink while rolling a joint for him).

What the fuck on earth is that, huh? (All the gods flaring their nostrils with a hint of disgust in their eyes against Lord Shiva at the sight of him roll a joint!)

Well, that my friends, is a joint! You wanna take a drag? Come on, be my guest? (Lord Shiva)

Ah, screw you! We are not trying that fuckin piece of shit man! You gonna screw us. However, we do agree with the point that you made regarding that global warming thingy. Though, admittedly, we don't know much about it, but still your point seemed fair enough. But what about the other things? What else is pissing you off?

Ooooooh, aaaaaaaaaaah! (Just taking a drag of a joint and letting it out) The other thing – there are just too many man! (Lord Shiva) Hey, come on! Don't let the fuckin' smoke hit our face man! (All gods)

Come on man, smoke up! You can try this out, this won't kill you! (Lord Shiva asking everyone to take a drag) You don't trust me, eh? This has been part of our Hindu culture man! (Still trying to convince the others to smoke up!)

Ok, come on. Give it to us. Let's do it guys, what say? (Vishnu to everyone else and the joint passes to everyone in the room)

The drag makes all of them cough but it hits them and they demand more of the stuff. Shiva now suggests a place called "Blur", a nice garage rock pub in the 10th street in the heaven. All of them second the idea of going there and relaxing over a drink or two and talk over the issues bothering Shiva.

As Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Indra reach the mall road of the 10th street, they see the neon lights flickering and the signboard reading "Blur". All the gods look at Shiva with certain amount of surprise and shock.

How the hell did you discover a place like this? And since when have you been coming here Shiva, asked Brahma?

As I told you sir that I have been very disturbed with all that I have been seeing in the news and stuff like that. This is the place where I usually find solace. I usually come here and trip for sometime and then go back! It just gives me a reason to stay disconnected from the fucked up things that are happening to my world.

Is that the reason why I have been getting a lot of complaints regarding your absenteeism from work? Your devotees have been coming over to me and have been complaining over your lack of professionalism, says Brahma.

All the gods now enter the pub and find themselves a nice seat right close the speakers.

The beers have come and Shiva is rolling the joint while answering the question asked by Brahma. Well, yes sir. You can say that this has been one of the primary reasons that have caused me to ignore the pleas of my devotees. I have just decided to turn a blind eye to all of the human kind and experience the disconnect from the mankind and enjoy the trip!

But what gives us the right to do so, asks Brahma while taking a drag and sipping in to his beer and passing on the joint to the others. The atmosphere is completely blacked out with a cloud of white smoke and smell of cigarettes, and the instrumental version of John Lennon to enhance the background.

The merciless killings of people, desecrating of temples and other religious places, conversion in my name, rapes, murders, terrorist strikes, spreading of hatred, deforestation, fucking with the nature, depletion of the atmosphere and countless number of things are being done – and what's worse… all of this is done either in my name or in the name of development. Now you tell me, where the fuck is the world headed with only destruction happening around us?

Vishnu asks – But then what gives you the right to turn a blind eye to the human kind and go against them and stay tripped?

What gives them the right to put the blame for all their rotten luck, filth, crap, and destruction on us and then choose to deny our existence and stay tripped, replies Shiva?