Guests at the back-end
Up from a staggered sleep, early on a summer morning, as dawn descended to the melodious chants of little winged inhabitants of the Earth interspersed with grunts of the first vehicles on road, I couldn't help but recollect the past few minutes of an encounter in the course of a dream.
You know, one of those functions when loads of people stay for days together. On the final day, once the dust settles, as the hosts retire to their homes, some close guests, mostly extended family or first circle of friends, accompany the hosts to help them out, or to have a relaxed talk, before they bid goodbye.
At night, everyone has their dinner, sharing the food from the afternoon, at convenience. These folks aren't actually hungry but there's a palpable camaraderie all around, as the regular dishes are savoured with as much joy as the delicacies of the day. Unlike in the actual event, everyone including the matriarch among the hosts, sits together for a finale of sorts.
Fading into oblivion, are some people too inconspicuous in their absence, to be offered a seat at the table. They don't, and in most cases, can't forcibly assert themselves, and claim their share of the pie. These may be the oft neglected non-earning members of the families or the long serving domestic helps who, given a more considerate, heart-in-the-right-place and progressive environment, would have been considered an integral part of the family. They are too shy and embarrassed to ask for food.
I dreamed of myself as one such person, and it wasn't the most pleasant feeling in the universe. The bitter emotion of feeling left out has no parallels.
This is probably how the reserve players who went gameless in a huge victorious touring squad; or the 'behind the sets' technicians or uncredited extras of a successful blockbuster, or the ghost writers of a popular show or the contract employees working for a highly profitable project, feel like - thankless and forgotten in the din of multitude. They chug along, like the thousands of bolts and nuts in the wheels of a chariot at a fair followed and revered by millions of believers, with a sense of gratitude, helplessness, and anticipation.
