Playing with Innocence on April Fool Day

My room was dirty, messy. Mom was continuously blabbering… “Why don’t you clean your room, what people will think – being a college girl, you have no sense of cleanliness!!!!” …. “God knows who is deserving you as a wife…Hats off to him from now only!!!”

… Weather was so good, drizzling. I was feeling lazy as always. I had bought two Hindi song cassettes and one Ranju Hazarika’s thriller story book, just the previous day. So, didn’t feel like getting up from my cozy 30 degree horizontal position, putting the pillow on the back, having the Walk-man headphone on my ears and the book in my hand.

In this way, half an hour gone, again I heard Mom’s voice. I had to get up. I peeped through the door to my brother’s room. He is much more sincere and disciplined than me. He was cleaning his room.

Something clicked in my mind……

I said, “Bro …..I have Rs.500 with me.”

“Good. But, what will you do with that money…??”, he replied.

“I can give you Rs.300 for buying your Action shoes….Then you won’t have to ask much money from Mom.”

Those days, my brother’s mind was badly occupied by the beauty, agility and smartness of Action shoes with blinking lights in the sole. He was insisting Mom for buying the shoes. 

“But why will you give me?” My brother seemed to be interested, excited, but confused at my kindness........probably inside his mind,  "My Good heaven....what a deal....you cann't think of a better deal than this". …

“In one condition. If you will clean my room properly. …..And till you clean my room, I will use your room. And also don’t tell Mom about this.” I replied.

My brother nodded his head with excitement. …Immediately started cleaning my room, as if I clicked the ‘Forward’ button of a Media player.

One characteristic of my bro....he is of a kind that it takes hell lot of time to take up any work....however, once he decides to take something on.....then no stopping...will do that to his best ability and perfection.

So, here is the result: He broomed the room, dusted, aligned the books, put a clean bed cover, folded my cloths……And in half an hour, my room looked better than his.

Now it was my turn to give back……

Being ‘All set’ to run fast…..I said, “April Fool! April Fool! Ha! Ha! Ha!”…..

......And my innocent brother became Angry Man….chased me with a long stick…..I ran away…I jumped the boundary and reached neighbour’s house. And, he could not catch. ;)

Just feeling Sorry my Brother for playing with your innocence. But miss those days now…..

Happy – April Fool Day!!! 

Trick to handle gigantic buffalo

Just out of University! Bindaas time.

Those days were for planning, what to do next, whether to do a job or study further. We four girls – Anubha, Mausumi, Swastika and me took two rooms in the fourth floor of a big apartment at Katwariya Sarai. A congested, low cost living, student area of South Delhi. 

There was a long and narrow entrance to our building – at least 100 mtr long and 4ft wide. Both sides of the entry lane were covered by the windowless walls of two buildings. 

Ever visited this place?......You will get to see lots of donkeys, buffalos and various species of fly in this area. Two gigantic black buffalos were dwelling near our passage. Almost everyday, all residents used to struggle to reach the main road, as generally both of them used to block our narrow path. 

Anubha, Mausumi used to keep standing there for half an hour, sometimes one hour, while waiting for the clearance. But, I was unlike them. I was the bravest of all! I never used to wait for clearance. Actually, I knew a trick. ;)

I read about the life-history of Great Shankardev, how he encountered with a wild buffalo without weapon and turned him upside down only holding his horns. I portrayed this picture in my mind. So, I understood if you grasp the horns of a buffalo, he cannot do anything to you. I tried to teach Anubha and Mausumi this trick, but they never dared to learn!!!! 

One day, Anubha and me, both were going to the market. The titan was standing on our way. Anubha refused to put her step forward. But, I used my trick. I went frontward, clasped the horns, moved him aside, and freed the way for Anubha. We shopped, and then were coming back happily. Again, ‘Sir’ was standing in the same place blocking the passage. I went ahead….cordially held his horns and tried to turn him aside, and holding his horns only, I asked Anubha to cross. But, whaa…aat happ…end!!!

All of a sudden, my hands got a huge shake…a high pressure from the opposite side…heard Anubha shouting extremely loud……. earwigged Almighty’s whisper in my ears….. “Bhaago Madhu….run run…save your life……..”….. and….and……then no turn back….ran and ran till I found myself in the fourth floor. Probably, I would have broken PT Usha’s record with that speed….! Felt like the giant was climbing all the steps chasing me till the fourth floor.

At last, I had to put my break as there was no way to go ahead…..in front of my room’s locked door, dishevelled and trying to regain my lost breath.

After half an hour, I could see Anubha coming with a pleasant smile.

Incredible retreat – my cool summer holidays!

Place I originally belong to is famous for its magnificent green panorama – a small place in Assam – ‘Sibsagarh’ ! Full of greeneries, beautiful landscape, a place, where kids of all ages can pick their own fruits and vegetables, enjoy hayrides, navigate corn mazes, and generally have FUN!

Being Govt. Servant, my father used to get transfer to many places…But, we never used to miss our cool Summer Days at Sibsagarh, the tempting chance to play with flora and fauna!

I have two siblings – my brother and sister. I am the eldest one. The first or second day of the  summer holidays, we used to visit our grand parents at a small village of Sibsagarh. I could see the equal amount of happiness and excitement in the eyes of my grand parents and their neighbor’s children  as soon as we used to reach there.

Crossing the rivers in search of O’ Tenga (very mouth-watering lemon –which is only found in North East of India), searching the bird-nests, making small huts in the forest with banana leaf and bamboo were our planned activities. I remember and now also feel thrilled how I carried my little sister on my shoulders while crossing the deep water of river ‘Dishang’ which used to come till my neck.

There was a peddy field just opposite to our house which was surrounded by dense forest with luscious fruit trees like Mangoes, Guava, Papayas, Bananas, Lychi, Pineapple, Plum etc. 

My aunties along with some other people of the village used to go to the peddy field in the early morning with sickles to cut the ripen rice…And around 8 am , we –the children with our grand ma used to go there to give them breakfast and then grandma used to come back, but we never…! 

We used to go the forest to bring Rabab Tenga (Again another variety of lemons), Mangoes, Plums etc.…and putting on the banana leaf, we used have them mixing with chili and salt. How delicious they were!  

Around 11 am, we used to go the river to take bath with our aunts…I tried to learn swimming – but unfortunately I could not learn…!!

In the afternoon, we used to go for fishing at the fishpond, which was just behind our house getting on the banana boats…!

Grandpa used to tell us his real life experience with ghost in the noon time,  when we used to put one mattress at the Veranda trying to cool us with hand –fan. We used lay down on his lap…and listen to the stories very attentively. The children from neighborhood also used to join us after their lunch.

There was a boy – called Jijin - our next door neighbor. He was a very attentive listener. Almost 7 yrs old boy, his favourite TV serial was Ramayana and favourite hero was Hanuman. All the time, he used to talk about the bravery of Hanuman. 

After listening to grandpa’s story, when all elder members used to take nap, we all children used roam here and there at the backyard and the jungle nearby. My grand parents and my mom strictly used to say – “Don’t go to the ponds and rivers during the noon time. Ghosts come there in search of prey”.

Once such year, one day, we all were sitting under the bamboo trees, just near our fishpond, relaxing, enjoying the cool breeze and also talking about the ghosts… 

Suddenly we heard a huge sound in the pond. “Jai Sri Ram!!!!” and then a plunge into the water of the pond…..

We just ran towards the pond wondering what happend…..

O' my Goshhhhh!!!!.....

Jijin was drowning….!!!! All shouted…….All elder members came outside …..saved him somehow…..

Asked him why he did so…..he said…”Hunuman never drowns! Instead, he kills the monsters! I also want to be like Hanuman and kill the ghosts at this pond!”

***

Already published in Impetus Red Corner.

Image courtesy : Google.com