"Bilbo, the butt goes in your pocket!"

This is a little story. It has a moral too. And that moral is very very simple. Something that everyone should follow.

Well, here goes.

It was about 9:30 PM. I was coming home. As I reached halfway up the stairs to the first floor of my building; I saw a man standing there; smoking a cigarette. A stranger. I hadn't seen him anywhere near my building before. The sight annoyed me. You are not suppose to smoke a cigarette, standing in the stairs of a residential building; especially one in which you don't live. But I was helpless as the society had't put up any notice to prevent this.

So I had to ignore him and climb up past him. I reached the first floor and started up on the second flight of stairs; when the man finished with his cigarette. I stood there observing him. And exactly as I expected; he threw the butt right there in the stairs. Then he started climbing up. He threw a blank stare at me as he noticed me observing him.

"Excuse me. Why did you just throw that cigarette in the stairs?" I enquired.

"Oh. Doesn't matter. Its so small!" He exclaimed; because really; this was routine to him and to him it really didn't matter.

"Well, there are dustbins around to throw your garbage into. Why did you just throw it in the stairs?"

"Oh. Fine. I'll throw it in the dustbin next time." He was annoyed; I could tell. This was probably the first time he was being interrogated regarding such an action.

"What of the one that you've just thrown onto the stairs?"

"What? You want me to pick it up and put it in my pocket or what?" He was literally fuming!

And hahahah! Thank you. He chose his own doom hahahah! I merely gave him a stare and he understood. He went downstairs and started searching for the cigarette butt; some two feet away from where he had thrown it.

"Where is it? I can't even see it. It is so small? What of this? This is garbage too!" He had picked up some random string of wool lying there. I'm sure he'd have cut off my head had that been a sword instead!

"Yes, it is. Thanks for picking it up. But your garbage still remains.." I obliged.

"I can't even see it! It is so small and irrelevant!!" He stomped around a bit.

I went to where he had thrown that butt, picked it up, handed it to him. He took and put it in his pocket.

"Happy now?"

"Yes sir! Absolutely. Thank you. Now just remember to use the dustbin from now on." I said pleasantly and started climbing upstairs.

A few seconds later; I head him banging the door of the first floor residents; whom he had apparently come to pay a visit.

That's about it.

Moral of the story? Don't smoke a cigarette in a residential place. It annoys people like me. No; I am fine with people smoking. All my pals do; even I do, seldom; but not in the stairs of a residential building. If you do have the urge to do so; however; make sure that building isn't mine. If the building is mine; make sure you don't throw the butt anywhere other than into a dustbin; especially; when I'm around. Oh and make sure you scuff it out. Because if I find you at this; that butt might just burn a hole in your favourite shirt's pocket.

Ketaki

Ah finally! This is my first portrait ever!

This is my friend Ketaki.

This one took some real efforts. I had to span it across two days. On the first day, 15th October 2006, I finished the face. On the second, 21st October 2006, I dealt with the hair. Pretty tough work. Anyway, I think it looks pretty decent. Not bad for the first effort.