On the third day of our stay at Shinagawa Prince Hotel, Tokyo, we decided to explore the electronics market of Tokyo, famed as Akhiabara. After devouring Navratan Korma and Naan at Devi India, we took the subway to Akhiabara from Shinagawa, which was priced Y190 equivalent to Rs.108 for just 5-6kms.
Outside the station, the scene was so bright as if sun was still lying in the firmament at night. Shops were like florescent cubes inside the buildings. Huge crowd was busy buying or experimenting with the samples displayed at the shop. This was my first time, when I used an i-pad, which was on display at almost every shop.
Price of electronic products at Akhiabara was little bit less than India, but they were on less warranty. Brands like Sharp (for television) and Buffalo (for Computer Accessories) was very popular among Japanese people. They were the leaders in Japan but lack their market in India. I was duly impressed by the brands and the variety of products in the market. Sofmap was a chain of electronic shop; each unit was of 7-8 floors distributed all over the Akhiabara Market.
Among the crowd, few angels like girls were distributing pamphlets. They were looking similar to Barbie wearing pink frock as their apparel. Those cute creatures were used to hopping and producing a sweet sound while dispersing the pamphlet. The pamphlets were all different, totally in Japanese except numbers which was arranged in a manner showing few rates, all in 4-5 figures.
I scrutinized one of the girls, gazed into her eyes. There I saw an ocean of tears and disappointments which was held by a dam, built from her expectations and hope. A mood of melancholy was persistent on her face but she was busy smiling in the hope and doing her job.
Few scratches were on her thighs as some portion was visible under the frock. She understood my penchant in exploring her as she gave me a look asking for some help. Due to the paucity of time, I had to quit exploring her without even flipping a card of the deck. But, she created an interest in me about herself. There, I had to close the chapter of the book, devoid from any hope of re-surfing into these pages.
Sunday 13th, 2010, fifth day of our Jenesys Program was basically a sight-seeing day. We went to Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), Kodaiyuzen (Yuzen Meseum) and Nijo Castle with four Japanese students Ayaka, Suzuka, Sae and Shun. Akaka Naito, a blond girl was quite extrovert and garrulous. Being a student of foreign relations, she had a trip to India last year. I and Siddharth made her as our guide of this historical exploration.
During the trip I asked Naito about the girls we saw in Akhiabara. She gave me a n exotic look and after a hiatus said, “they are the girls waiting for someone from other world to come and took them with themselves.” Her answer was rather more exotic than the look she gave to me earlier. I gave her a satisfied glimpse but internally, was trying to figure an answer from her enigmatic sentence.
I tried to decipher a bit, but ended into blowing some fuses as a result of short-circuit from the confusion she created in my mind.
I am still in a search for the meaning, as if hunting in a forest which has been eroded from any living forms.
If you can figure anything from her declaration then do post a comment.
