Mark, my Antony

Suddenly revisited Antony. It was some years ago, or shall I say light years ago, that this character had me in a vice-like grip and caused a lot of emotional damage. I am talking about Mark Antony of ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. I remember Sisir babu's lectures on this play. Well Antony was the quintessential hero, hurtling towards inevitability with a sweet nonchalance.
What is so adorable about Antony? After all these years, sitting in a New Delhi office on a listless Saturday, Antony is the last thing that I should have gone back to.
The world today is mourning MJ, the king of pop. A friend texted me the news yesterday morning. In the evening while talking, he refreshed my memories about how some of us practised the steps of MJ in our garage. A wry smile stretched my lips. I could almost see that friend, in a sleeveless vest, furiously trying to match MJ's steps in pouring rain and we were egging him on. Life was so simple and so full of life. Now even a smile feels like a herculean task.
But Habu isn't like that. He reminded me how the three Ms — Maradona, MJ and Madonna — ruled our lives during those years. When he said, that I started recalling those days. Most of the images have gone hazy though a few are still very bright. Of course, Diego gave us the greatest pleasure but then I wasn't really happy. Because I was a Brazil fan. I remember how horrible I felt when Brazil lost to France that year.
It has always been like this. When the rest of my gang was going for it, I chose to walk some other street. When they were practising moonwalking, I spent sleepless nights because somewhere Lenin's statue was being pulled down. The separation from the surroundings has been too deep-rooted. It started too early.
That's the reason why Antony appealed to me. How easly he could say "Let Rome in Tiber melt and the wide rch of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space.." even though serious state affairs awaited his attention.
Never really he cared for the kingdom or fame. He preferred to stay in his own world, the world of Cleopatra though he was desperate to break free of the Egyptian fetters. Contradiction? Yes. Confusion? No.
Not that he didn't know about Cleopatra's frailties or pretentions. He was aware of them. But he lived with his own understanding of the Egyptian queen and died by it too. No amount of critisim could sway him from his love. He tried to reason even when Cleopatra, furious with the news of his impending depature says,
"Eternity was in our lips and eyes,
Bliss in our brows' bent; none our parts so poor,
But was a race of heaven: they are so still,
Or thou, the greatest soldier of the world,
Art turn'd the greatest liar."
But his honourable love always stood on trial. The Queen was too insatiable to satisfy. Antony tried his best and gave his life. "Unarm Eros, the long days task is done." That too after chasing a lie. Like a bridegroom he ran to death as if going into a lover's bed.
All for a lie or a life full of beautiful lies? Ask Antony, if you can.