Again.. Time age... no remember..
but yeah.. bro and me...
Hand in hand for a change..

His physics projects were super cool.. held me in awe...
making battery lighted bulbs.. making ringing bells... typical smaller class but long forgotten little

projects....
I used to sit around watching him go about his way... cutting wires.. fixing them.. making suitable

sized boxes.. collecting batteries.. seperating wire strands... making them of appropriate

lengths... wow...
And the joy i used to feel when his work succeeded.. It was pride.. it was wonder.. it was

worship..
He used to let me help him once in a while.. picking up nuts bolts.. screwdrivers.. counting the

strands.. catching hold of fly away papers.. and threads.. n stuff like that..
and i used to feel so so so honoured in doing all tht.. maybe i believed hes the next Thomas

Edison or something.. (well i wouldnt be surprised if he is.. i still believe he is one in disguise...)

One evening he was at his work.. and me as usual loitering around him hoping he will need me to

do something..
ok i agree i was bugging him.. begging him to actually lemme help him..
so he relented n asked me to help him cut the outer covering of the wire he was using to make

the strands visible...
feeling quite elated i jumped in joy.. held on to one end of the wire.. and he began slicing the case

from his side with his new pen knife.. ok pen blade...
the cover started to peel off slowly.. have you ever seen the peeling of wire??? it kinda curls up if

its done thinly and all that..
i was watching it slowly opening up to reveal the strands inside.. shiny beautiful lovely brown

copper strands...
and then Wham.. the blade slipped from over the wire and slid neatly into my outstretched point

finger... neatly cutting open a part on the side of it...
oooohhhhhh.... bloooooooddddd......

my bro freaked.. i was in pain.... but all over in a zap.....
he never meant to... but he gave me a super duper gift...
i had this creepy cut on my finger and an awesome huge bandage on it... my finger looked like a

survivor of the star wars...

he gave me a whole week of awestruck fans and admirers.. i was the current inspiration.... wow....

"Do you wanna hear the story behind my wound..??????"

Vicks ki Goli le lo baba...

Time age.. i dont remember.. All i know is i was younger than 6th standard.
So my bro younger than 10th.
As natural we were double enthusiastic about hating each other. Sibbling rivalry and all.

Appa got Vicks tablets.. one for annu, one for me. Bro had his as soon as he got it.. and me being the ant kept it for later.
I wanted to enjoy it all i want. I would pass it every now and then luring me sitting there in the cupboard.. but i dint fall for the temptation. I wanted to enjoy it taking my own time... Yummm....

Next day morning... I pass it.. "Gudmorning Vicks ki goli.. hope you had a good night... I did.. and do you know i even dreamt of you.. yeah...!!!"
Afternoon... I pass it .. "Goodafternoon Vicks ki Goli... just you wait.. your time is approaching...."
I think.. I will eat it at around 7... can enjoy it at that lazy hour..

Evening.. First time I pass it... "Good evening Vicks ki goli.... only bout 2 more hours to go.. yipeeee..."

Evening.. Second time I pass it... "Oooooohhhh.... only 1 more hour to go.."

Evening... Third time.. " Hie Vicks ki goli.. oh.. Vicks ki goli? Vicks ki goli..? Where are you? Haloo..? Are you under the papers?? NO? Under dads watch? NO? Oh behind the bowl... No??.. Oh my.. Vicks ki Goliiiiiiii... where are you???..."

And there my brother is sitting in the corner... and why is his mouth bulging at on one side....?
"Annu... Ithi khatha...?" (What are you eating..?)

He smiles and goes... that Vicks ki Goli that was lying ownerless there...."

Oh vicks ki goli.. WHAT....??????????? Vicks ki goli... VICKS ki GOLI.....??????????
MY vicks ki goli....
Noooooooo......
absolutely NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO......................

I scream and i rave... I jump.. I bang my foot.....
all the while crying.. "THAT WAS MY VICKS KI GOLI... just coz it was lying there you cant take it to be ownerless.. and it wasnt lying there... i had KEPT it there...."
"wwaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh I wanted to eat it... (sniiffffff) i want it... (snifff sniffff...) waaaahahhhhhhhhhh....."

"You cant have it.. no you cant... I cant have you enjoying my Vicks ki Goliiiii..." I scream at the top of my voice...

My bro spat out ma Vicks ki goli.. half molten.... and it lay there in the soil...
I look at it.... I cry....
now all the more... Out of Guilt and Hurt.....

For the reason that Nobody got to enjoy that Vicks ki Goli..... what good did that do..???

I was split from my bro in our teenage when he chose to stay back here while Mom and me accompanied Dad on his transfer... I used to miss him bad there.. no one to play with... no one to share little jokes with.. no one to explore the new place and share views and comments on it... no one to fight with... It was all me and ma parents...
But the issue is not about that. Its about the ways I used to look for, to let my brother know I missed him.. and trying to find reasons for him to come with us... Any gesture to show that I cared for him. Like Pocket money. My wallet was always brimming with my hard earned savings those days. I dont remember how but i am sure it wasnt lavished upon me.
My bro always used to talk about getting himself a cricket bat. A "willow". And he was always talking bout saving for it. My parents used to give him fuel but it used to be used up in his daily stuff.. now I have no clue as to what.. And everytime we left here I used to part with a 100 bugs telling him this is for your savings for the bat. Slowly and gradually as it was to happen my treasury went empty... It broke my heart.. but it was all for my bro... and I was left a pauper.
My bro did get a bat.. but dunno whether it was with any help from me. I was left dried up and especially when I was in need of money.....and he dint help me for sure. He was always outta fuel. I now find it was a stupid thing to do coz me parents never deprieved him of any cash. He could have got a bat even if I hadnt poured out my wallet to him. I never found him thankful for what I did... maybe he was.. but i missed it.
Now he is working.. earning... But when I ask him for money.....



P.S: Please read on..



But when I ask him for money.. he digs into dads wallet and takes out more than a couple of notes.. he hands some over to me though the major part goes into his pocket... Life always turns back on us...

What? You thought I was being sentimental...???

We are bored.. what to do????
Me: Bro..lets play with my doll. See she closes her eyes when you make her sleep and opens them when you put her straight... See? See??? Tadaaaa.. Tadaaaaa....
Bro: Wow.... Great. Okay.. (Whatever.. I dont play with dolls..). Hey have you seen Hair burning???
Me: Yes.. its curls up na?? But why?? But its fun to watch..
Bro: Do you wanna see if hair burning..? Lets see what happens to your Dolly's hair. Lets see if it burns too.
Me: (Very much Fascinated..) Ummm.. Okay. But my Dolly...
Bro: Nothings gonna happen to your Dolly. You know I wouldnt do anything wrong... She will look the same.(Oh yes... verrrry beautiful.. [with a sinister smile]) We can see if your teddy burns too after that...
Me: Okay.
Bro: Get me the lighter.
I do so loyally. He gathers up dolly's hair and lights the lighter under it.. and Voila.. her hair starts burning.. Its really fascinating to watch.. and it gives out a smell too... oooh... hey watch out... dont burn it too much.
We watch it burn.. enjoy and stop.
Uh-Oh.. my Dolly doesnt look good anymore.. it looks so ugly.. and scary..
My Bro smiles.. : Ayyo.. what if amma sees..?
I m scared at the thought that it pushes out other thoughts.. Anger at me bro.. sadness of loss.... Its just what do we do now?? We frantically look around and find the safest place.. Among all the rubble on the shelf that runs round the room close to the ceiling. My Dolly goes to her new home.. well shes thrown up there outta sight. We heave a sigh of relief....
Bro: Lets see if your teddy burns..
For some reason, though I was dying to know what would happen, I said NO.. and thats why Teddy now named Legg is alive among us today.
The carcass of Dolly was found later after ages.. and was thrown away... No funeral.. no byes.. nothing.
Just some 'What the hell happened to her hair????'

Wisdom???????

See what I found when I went through my old old stuff..

Be a Friend to make a Friend.

Are you looking for a friend who would be there only for you? And you come across someone who is alone looking for someone who would share his/her thoughts. Would you take him/her as your friend? Or would you be a friend to him/her?
Being a friend to someone is much more better than having a friend. Seeing someone smile just because of You --- doesn't that give you pleasure? Hearing the other's sorrows and seeing that the person is comforted just because of You --- doesnt that give you pleasure? Don't you feel happy when your suggested measures to a person to overcome his/her problems become successful? Don't you feel great when others trust you? "It takes years to build up trust but only seconds to break it."
A smile can do wonders. Don't you smile when the person whom you helped looks at you and smiles lovingly? Isn't it nice to be loved by someone and to give love in return too? But this friendship, this trust, this love.. it should not be one-sided affair, it must be present on both sides. "Someone likes you, give love in return too, if someone doesn't like you, still give love in return."
Be nice to someone and they be nice to you in return, be harsh and they start hating you.
After all this you find that you have found your friend--- You have found someone to love, to talk to, to smile with and to be with. Then there ends the hunt.
So
Be a Friend, to make a Friend.



And this is also signed Jo.. that was the nickname i had back when I was in the 8-9th std. These words are the same as I had written that time.. with no changes. No editing done. In the modern view.. all these are meaningless. The modern view is more like 'Be your own friend.. nobody cares to befriend you'. You can't know whom to trust and whom not to.. and wouldn't know who would be making a fool of you.
Thanks a lotttt....

Brick by Brick..

And there Our Brick Laying ceremony is done. Our house can officially start taking shape.
It was a simple affair attended by only a few, that would be Us 4 and the Pujari and the architect and some workers and Manjanna. The whole thing took not more than 45 mins and then we were zooming back to get away from the heat. The heat was to quote my bros words 'Devastating'.
It really drained the hell outta us that the only thing we could do was lie around in our sanctuary called home.. and even then we were sweating like hell. I had to squeeze out my pillow off the sweat twice.. thats killing all exaggeration. And Charlie was in giving me company al the time. He slept throughout with his arms stretched back over the head like me. We were such a pair. And poor bro.. he had to get to his work.... wonder how he fared..
So coming back to the topic.. the work would start soon... And I Cant Wait for it to get over...
Am so impatient... but that cants be affroded in cases like these lest you wanna live holding your roof and i mean that literally over ur head.. so i can wait.. no problem.
The prospect of atlast having a room all fir myself is toooooo inviting. I am gonna be very hard hearted and am not gonna let anybody put up any of their stuff in my room... Not even one small dark corner. Uh-huh. Nope.
And of course I will take over ma bros room coz.. hey he doesnt really need such a big room does he??? And my friends would surely visit so... woooow..... it would really be cool...
So not going more into details for fear of jinxing any progress.... I wish all Luck to our little house...
Insha-Allah...!!!!

Yipeeeee........

Continuing with Orissa...
I remember the place used to be packed with monkeys during summer... Come summer you dont see human beings.. only monkeys.. well whats the difference anyways..
We dint have this problem in the first house but in the second what with us being on the second floor.. in proximity to tree tops.. we always found some or the other monkey on guard at our doors..
Our television was placed in my parents room.. which had the famous balcony mentioned in the previous blog..
Monkeys found haven in our balcony.. and i m sure if we hadnt been careful we would have had to give up our beds to the monkeys too...

One day at lunch which as always i was first to gobble up and finish.. i picked up a 'pappad' and an 'Orange' for dessert and made my way to the bedroom.. and planted myself in front of the TV.. something or the other was on.. but i dont remember anything that had happened before nor after this...
I had settled in bed.. and there were a group of chattering monkeys at our balcony as always.. nothing new..
Well by now you would have guessed what happened..
well I had no clue then... so there i was watching TV innocently.. a little girl of 4 munching on pappad.. waiting to finish it to peel the orange when a HUGE SUPER SIZED MONKEY comes bounding into the bedroom.... i watch it in slow motion... my brain processes the affair... I scream.. i throw the Orange over my head and run to the other room and hide my head under the pillows..... My family still at lunch dont understand a thing... they just hear my small muffled scream.. see me running outta the room.. and watch me bewildered..They rush to the room and see the monkey happily strut away with the Ripe Juicy Big Orange... and get the whole episode right..
That was my first brush with my kind... and it still feels super..
My family says i was brilliant to have thrown the Orange at the monkey.. but little do they know it had accidently dropped outta my hands in fear..???
Cant guess what would have happened otherwise... unlike what others say the monkey would have attacked me.. i think it would have been a classic moment where the monkey would have come bounding over to me.. and would have held out its hand and i would have shook it understanding the unspoken and we would have had a jam sharing the BEEEEG ORANGE....
Shit.. Opportunity lost....