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He had documents and documents—the old man had accepted two of them. Satish Kapoor would wander the streets, he would wander the alleys. And then? He would go to the markets, he would go to the buildings. And then? Would there be other kind people like the old man? Would they accept the documents as well?
“I am no one.” Thus spoke Satish Kapoor. The old man was silent.
“You are a kind man, sir.” The old man was silent.
“I have worked and worked. I have lived and lived. For what?”
The old man was silent.
Satish Kapoor said goodbye to his host, he walked to the door. He made his way home.
That night Satish Kapoor lay in his bed, he thought about the world. He was here in this world—why? He had lived in the world—why?
Satish Kapoor was restless, he could not sleep. He went to the other room and turned on the light. There was a box there filled with papers. He took out some papers, he read. More papers: he read.
“From 1975 through 1978, product supplied increased an average of 9.7 percent from the first to the second quarter. The increase from the second to the third quarter averaged 0.6 percent.”
How tiring it all was.
“Decontrol of the oil industry became final on January 28, 1981. Exhibit II–1 summarizes the results of deregulation and the impact on the various aspects of supply.”
How fatiguing it all was.
“In the 1992–1993 carbon monoxide season, for Case I, the demand ex- ceeds supply by 243 MB/D. For Case II, the demand exceeds supply by 308 MB/D. For Case III, the demand exceeds supply by 173 MB/D. Case IV is the same as Case II for 1992–1993 because the opt–in provisions do not go into effect until 1994–1995.”
Satish Kapoor was a simple man. He read. He was a tired man. He read. The reading comforted him—or did it? The reading tormented him—or did it? Sometimes he was sad; sometimes he chuckled. Sometimes there was a tear in his eye.
In the distance, the dawn began to break. Satish Kapoor sat on the sofa, the documents all around him, one even on his stomach. He turned to the side, he made a pillow with his arms. And he tried to sleep, the simple one (was he able?). He tried to sleep.
“The regulations on reformulated gasoline are complex and their effects are far–reaching. As a result of the regulations, the mix of fuels required at the retail level will increase dramatically, and also change seasonally. Exhibit 29 (pp. 136–141) presents, by PADD, the list of fuels that will be required in each month.”