I was all of six months when I met her… she was of course a new born baby, and I took it upon myself to pass on all the wisdom and experience that I had accumulated in 26 weeks. But that’s where my seniority ended. In the next couple of years, she made it amply clear who was the boss around the house. Ours was an unequal friendship- she wore the pants in the relationship (literally) while I stuck to my frilly frocks and skirts. Calling her a bully would be an understatement…
She was my landlord’s grand daughter and therefore she assumed it was her right to order me about while I complied meekly…
She was big and strong with short hair and whenever we played “house”, she would automatically be the “man” leaving me to do all the dirty work- cooking, cleaning, washing…
When we played “bus bus” she would always be on the driver’s seat as I squeezed myself behind her hanging on to her promise that the next day it will be my turn to be in the front seat. Well, I am still waiting my turn…
She usually reached her peak of excitement around 8 p.m. when I would be all droopy and sleepy, but no, she wouldn’t let me go home. She would scream and pull my hair until I gave in and stayed back letting her win yet another game. I still have a scratch below my right eye as a proof of child abuse…
She was my partner in whatever silly games we invented to keep ourselves busy, the silliest being “Shobaike dekhe paliye jaoa”…
We went to different schools and she charitably agreed that my school was a little bit better than hers, simply because it was a co-ed school…
She came to me and cried angrily when her mom ran away with another man when she was only eight years old and together we vowed, well, something…
She was the one that I practised my dance moves with as we sang along to Chitrahaar every Wednesday night…
She learnt Rabindrasangeet, I learnt Bharatnatyam and together we put up a show on the streets every year on Tagore’s birthday that the whole neighbourhood came to watch…
She broke her leg and became bed ridden for three months and I gave up playing as I sat with her on evenings and chatted together and put on weight together…
She dated my best friend from school- of course it’s besides the point that the guy doesn’t talk to either of us now…
Now I met her again after years- a young lady (still big, still boyish and still innocent) fighting it out on her own in Delhi, working late night shifts, traveling four hours a day, dating yet another friend of mine, she is still my oldest friend, she is still the same old Manta- a little loud, hearty with a heart of gold and I am still a little scared of her and I still miss her…
5 comments:
nice one shimmu..
its a gud post..heart-warming and all..and very informative..esp abt ur childhood..abt the skills that u probably used to possess..
also shows how jobless u r at home rite now! ;)
thnks (o)sama... my childhood was one fun ride :) as for skills, u will b surprised at the kind of things we used to come up with :)
as for joblessness, well, u dont seem to b far behind. must b really really vella to read my blog and comment too... but yeah, i appreciate it!! do get some studyng done though mr. brainy!
" She was big and strong with short hair and whenever we played “house”, she would automatically be the “man” leaving me to do all the dirty work- cooking, cleaning, washing…"
...and this, Ladies and Gentleman, is where seeds of confused sexual orientation were sown in Shimonti's head :P...this blog explains so much sweetie :P ...Interestin
@ confessions of an unrepentant aquarian
confused sexual orientation? look who's talking!!! wait for the whole world to know who hit on who :)
@ shimonti
We all know how 'popular' im in ur room..especially with u n that starlit female :P
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