Old Pedro is lazing in the veranda in the afternoon sun. His eyes are fixed in a trance to a large poster facing him. He is thinking how ugly this poster has become overtime, he can't recollect when it was put up there on the hoarding, may be five or six months back. The position of this hoarding is such that sunlight falls on it directly making the advertisement visible during most part of the day to the commuters as well as residents. Pedro tries to think hard when did they install it on the hoarding but when he couldn't conclude, he just leaves to think about the timeline and the chain of thought gradually shifts towards his own timeline, his age,'he had seen 74 autumns', He shrugs the idea, looks toward the main gate, he is expecting a pupil to come.
Pedro gets up, stretches and walks though the veranda, he feels uneasy whenever that Poster comes in his sight. Again he sits in the easy chair, sets his head comfortably on the long backrest and again his sight gets fixed on the Poster. Pedro doesn't resist, in a few minutes his eyelids become heavy, in the broken naps whenever he wakes with a shrug this Poster comes in view,"What a wretched ugliness?"
The clanking on the main gate wakes him up, he couldn't recollect for how long he slept. The pupil Yohaan, a young man in his late twenties comes with a long notebook in his hand, greets his master,"Good afternoon Sir" and Pedro reciprocates with courtesy, he pours water in a tumbler and offers it to Pedro. Pedro drinks, gives the pupil a smile and with a wave of hand instructs him to sit on the chair, the pupil follows, opens his notebook and while adjusting it on the desk says,"Master it's been over a week since you have said a new poem."
Pedro gets up, takes a few steps hither-thither, shakes his head in confusion, looks at the poster again and as if the words come pouring, says,
"That ball of fire, Extracts!
My veins, my bones
Barrens the land,
Burns the desire."
Abruptly stops and looking at the Poster, yells,"This thing, Yohaan, this thing, what do you make out, if such ugliness surrounds you?"
Yohaan, looks at him in a state of shock, Pedro is sitting with his face in both his hands.
Pedro looks at him, Yohaan gets up to leave but Pedro says,"Stay!"
Yohaan sits cluelessly.
Pedro,"Mortal is the world", regains his composure and continues,"Yohaan, Can you figure out the image on that very poster now? When it was new, the name of the Saree brand was shining in golden paint, the ladies looked newly wedded brides, I remember the far left one's wearing green, next one blue, next one had a mix of yellow and blue, the next one. There was one wearing red also." Pauses,then says,"I am not sure actually who wore which colour, after a few days the yellow faded away, then the magenta became pink, the cyan and the black are stubborn, you know they take a little longer to fade, by the time they start fading the fabric has begun to tear, they outlive the fabric. the ladies now look sick and the sarees, Ohh!. They all look widows."
Yohaan says blankly,"Yes Master!."
Pedro continues,"For what was all this?. Where's the brand name?. I remember Paula once wore a blue saree with brocade and embroidery, I was sitting here right in front of this poster, there was heavy rain and I remember that very day the brand name in golden paint was washed away leaving a blur outline. You know why Yohaan, Golden paint is made of particle material and it can't withstand the constant exposure to sun and water, it starts rubbing off just after painting or printing whatever the process was. Anyways! Looking at Paula that time was in contrast with this dead poster, she looked the epitome of flamboyance, I looked her head to toe like a connoisseur and kept looking."
Yohaan offers him another glass of water. Pedro looks at him and smiles again,"Child I appreciate your efforts, but I am not helpless. See I have trimmed my beard, I wear clean clothes, I do gardening and I am not weary. But look at that ugly poster, the fabric has lost its tensile strength, there are holes, the fibres are fraying at most disgusting places, look at those sick faces, they have got moustache. Oh man! this is so disgusting!."
Pedro seems to be in a fit, speaks fast, breathing heavily,runs toward the gate,"I'll tear this thing apart, I'll burn it in my fireplace",
For a moment all of his timidness gives way to extreme zeal, Yohaan blocks the gate, says in a strong tone,"Sir, we'll call the ad agency, perhaps they don't have new contract for advertising a new poster in this place, that's why they have not changed it."
Pedro looks at the poster as someone looks at a deadbody one last time, looks at the ground, gives a sigh and returns with Yohaan. He looks at Yohaan smilingly.
Yohaan notices a cynical glee on Pedro's face.
Yohaan ponders,'Does Master really mean the Poster?'
