Sid in Wonderland

"Bubzzzz" came an enthusiastic cry from the doorway.  I looked up to see a very relieved looking Sid charging towards me and before I knew it I was being smothered in a hug. "You're not a rabbit, thank goodness and your head's back to normal!" he said. I managed to extract myself from his vice like grip and came up for air, "What in the world are you talking about?", I gasped.  Dunking me under again, he said, "I had the craziest dream and you were a rabbit"! I tried to make sense out of this while my brain was being deprived of oxygen. "A what?", I asked while trying to figure out this connection with rabbits - maybe it was some sort of kinky dream which involved Playboy bunnies or was it more like an innocent Beatrix Potter-ish 'Peter Rabbit'.  Before I could ask for clarification, it was given to me.  "It was like being in one of those fantasy lit books you keep talking about.  Except it was filled with familiar people, but they just took on the craziest shapes and forms.  I was falling through this hole and it took me so long to fall through it.  I went crashing down past all sorts of weird things including a piano"!  I touched his forehead and checked his pupils, he pushed me off impatiently. "I am serious and you know why I fell through that hole? Because I was chasing you!"  I looked at him, "How typical love, it's nice to know your dream reflected reality".  He gave me a fierce glare, "Please, in your dreams - literally  This was my dream, can we focus please!"  I settled back comfortably since it looked like this could take a while, "Continue...you were chasing me."

"Yes, I was. I happened to be standing around in some sort of an English garden. It was very pretty.  And I was looking out and saw something running through the bushes.  I followed and then you stepped out of the shrubbery. Except it was you with bunny rabbit ears, a waist coat and a pocket watch, and may I add the cutest shock of a tail!  Anyway, you kept tapping your pocket watch and once I stepped towards you, you bounded off at supersonic speed, with me in hot pursuit.  Next thing I knew you disappeared down a rabbit hole and I went in headlong after you.  I landed in a room with several doors and after figuring out that this really tiny door was the only way out, I managed to shrink myself (don't ask, drank something that said "Drink Me") and got out of that door.  And my god, I was in the most fantastic place I had ever seen - flowers and butterflies and gigantic toadstools in the the deepest, most delicious colours."  He paused, a dopey look in his eyes. A sharp prod from me and a dirty look from him - but he continued.

"Anyhow, the place seemed like a dream but I met all sorts of familiar people.  Everyone felt I was there for a reason and wanted me to help slay some Jabberwocky thingamajig, which totaly shocked me since I'm really not the slaying type.  There were these two characters who spoke funny, I think they were called Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, but they ended up looking like Namita and Ani talking funny and somehow the Navratras came into the conversation as well.  So they didn't stick around for long in the dream unfortunately. Pity, I quite liked them being there! They vanished somewhere along the way."

"To clarify all this slaying nonsense, I was taken to see Absolum, this hookah smoking caterpillar.  Except that when I looked closely, that brilliant blue bug was actually Shamsher with the craziest looking spectacles.  He was completely befuddling, questioning my being Siddharth, my reason for being in the dream and something about making a decision before I was 35 or it would be too late! I left him as confused as I was before."

"There was no hope of further clarity really, next thing I knew I was in the middle the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.  The March Hare was throwing things around, while the Mad Hatter looked delighted to see me and invited me to tea.  There was a feisty mouse there who when I looked at turned out to be little Vickram showing me his aeroplanes. And the Mad Hatter was Shagun, except instead of tea, she kept pouring vodka out of the spout!  The March Hare who was fed up with all the craziness turned out to be Bhaskar, obviously driven crazy by all the looniness around him".

"This is a bit of a multi-starrer!", I exclaimed.  "Shush woman, I'm not finished" said Sid, cutting me off abruptly. "It went on in this crazy fashion, with a Cheshire cat popping in and out of the scene, literally evaporating here and there.  Which reminds me, I shall be using the phrase "Grinning like a Cheshire Cat" more often because I like it, has a nice ring to it.  Anyhow, I digress.  Things went on with you taking on a double role as this Red Queen with a big head, always yelling at everyone, even me, for irritating you - 'Off with their heads'!  The only slightly sane person in all of this madness was this lovely White Queen who I had to help fight this Jabberwocky thingie, and who should the White Queen be but dear ol' Neha.  And before my big fight she even made anda bhujia to fortify me, it was crazy"!

"So you were in the dream to help them slay the Jabberwocky?".  Siddharth looked pensive, "Hmm, I suppose so, but there did seem to be something about it being to follow my own heart and realize who I really am...all that deep stuff I never think about!".  I asked him if he had his moment of self realization and whether it came when he was up against the Jabberwocky.  "Well, that's the thing", he said, "I never actually got to that point.  That damn thing came charging at me and I fainted in fright and woke up".  "So, your moment of truth basically revealed that you're a scaredy-cat, something we've always known", I said.  He shot another dirty look at me as I continued, "You do realize you've thoroughly mixed up our drunken Friday night with friends and the movie we saw on Saturday - 'Alice in Wonderland'?  Good grief, what a hash you made of it.  Lewis Carroll must be turning in his grave!".  Siddharth looked alarmed, "Really?  I didn't realize I absorbed so much of the movie, I think I drifted off in parts.  In the dream it was so alive, so beautiful.  My god, I'm Alice!"  I looked at him, amused,  "Well I suppose so, except that she didn't faint when the Jabberwocky came charging at her.  I still maintain that your dream was reaffirming what we've known all along - you're a scaredy cat and you bear a remarkable resemblance to a 19 year old girl"!  Sid looked at me haughtily while walking away, "Whatever, at least I wasn't the Queen of Tarts with a bulbous head".  "Queen of Hearts, you moron!" I called after him, "Off with your head!".