Stupid<--------------------------------------->Cupid

"Man u should hear it....It's awe-sum, totally made for u cases...."I said sinisterly smiling on the phone & busting into laughter. The other side on the phone unexpectedly became quiet...."Hello.....Hello...Sri.....u there man?"...I inquired & bang came the reply...."Yeah , m there yaar...must have been some network problem". Yeah, I thought... nice way to tell somebody that "I didn't heard whatever crap u said". 5 more minutes of pulling-leg session & he said that he had some work & hung up. I was secretly feeling like a Knight who has won a war on his own with only 1 sword.

After all he is SRI.... my best friend(NOT THAT I HAVE JUST ONE), the biggest prankster I've ever met, the fun guy who can make u laugh even if u feel like that everything is going against you,one who can pull your leg even if u r a Prince in your own kingdom....& to tease him is no small feat....


After passing class Xth from my school , which by the way was "My school' for the past 8 years... I joined K.V.M.M. For a guy coming from a lavish private school , coming to terms with a govt. school was more tough than I thought. One, it was much more disciplined, two - more studious geeks, & ZERO in sports. Most of my classmates were already preparing for their engineering entrance exams.... one could always here them strangling their brains with their coaching manuals all day long...FIITJEE, PIE, AAKASH, BANSALS...& i don't know which others... I have to admit that I used to get nostalgic watching them all...


Sri was quite an unusual guy ..... I say so becoz I have never seen a Mallu so fair & damn handsome.....I still can't believe that girls from the Commerce & Arts departments used to bunk their classes & come to the basketball court just to watch him play... He was no doubt a ladies man; Tall, fair, had an athletic build...& i think it might he only who had actually started the trend of looking good in a beard(only to followed by some hero whose all the movies had flopped with the clean shaven look).... Girls were crazy after him.. & I say so because often people like me other friends of Sri were approached by girls to have "FRAND-SIP" with him...

Cut to , 14th feb 2003, Valentine's Day...the Day when you (even if you are not interested) can't stop thinking about being with someone who can be with you even if it's for that day only...sharing your ice cream cone & walk under 1 umbrella, with your hand clutched with the hand of that special person that you always wanted to be with........fantasies of a teenage heart..i tell you..

On the contrary there were people like me who were not sure that they"ll be able to pass the final exams starting in a couple of week time.... & had no interest in accomplishing what I had till that time not achieved... a Date. Sri on the other hand, was looking nervous... for the first & the last time(till today). His voice was shaking , but he said in an over-cautious manner, perhaps trying to hide his state of mind..." I have decided.."he announced like a self proclaimed king of Nowhere..."I want to get settled now....no more this chocolate boy thing...no more flirting...no more mischief ...no more ......Hey ...r u listenin...M saying something important..." he said in an inquiring manner , fully aware that I wasn't buying any of this...."Look..." I said with a deep sigh.." .. we both know already.. you can never let go of all these stuff...so please don't waste my time, coz I have an exam to pass which at the moment looks like a star of the farthest galaxy...almost IMPOSSIBLE to reach....

"Na yaar...this time I am serious...I have never been so serious ever....This girl...this girl has completely swept me from my feet...Just look at my blood red eyes...I have not been able to sleep for the last 4 nights..only becoz of her...M telling u Rishi..I am dead serious for her..."...(pause)...."Say something yaar,,,,I want to propose her...should I do it today....." he asked as if I whatever I say he would sincerely obey me.... I patted on his shoulder & said" Look, buddy....its your life..you decide....if you like this girl..don't waste any more time..Go & tell her... I know she wont say no.....Actually no-one can...you are that damn handsome..you rascal..." " Done...by the time we leave school today....I"ll be no longer be single...it's a promise to you by PERINGONNAM VEED SRINIWASAN NAMBIAR..."....& he shook my hand....& after a second..I asked"By, the way...,whose that?"


Sri called me that evening & i could easily sense the joy in his tone..."Hey hi! wht's up..."he asked & I replied in an husky manner.."Nothing, just got back from tutions .. yaar DAD is at home, can't talk much..is there anything urgent..?.". He began "Well...just wanted to tell you that she said yes...."..."WHAT...r u serious man..." I asked , almost raising voice to my Dad's hearing levels."Actually I said, yes...She proposed me ...I didn't..." he said in childish manner.... Being proposed by a girl is like the Biggest honour a Teenage boy can imagine to get in school...& he knew this....& so he resumed" See, I told you....", I interrupted him"..Congrats...& ok now lets continue this tomorrow; Gotta go now...."..."Ok, but..hey Rishi...M in love yaar......Bye...."


Sri was the first guy from our little group of friends, to have a girlfriend.. & it didn't came as shock to me. For the last 3 months he was dating this girl...Simran...& Not only me but the whole school was very confident that something was brewing up in between them...Every time they would meet...Oooh's & Wooh's used to start coming from every direction...For people( I mean other students) there affair had started 3 months ago..but actually today was the day when, it began officially...After dinner, I had to prepare for a test for next day...but all could I think of Sri & Simran......Simran was a Commerce student ; wheatish complexion; long hair; an ever smiling face; nice build(for a girl). She was not that attractive yet she had an aura of herself which would compel everyone around to start a conversation with her....

The next 7-8 months went very well; especially for our MAD-IN-LOVE couple. Lots of gifts...cards..bracelets, pendants..& GOD knows everything that could have been gifted was exchanged between the two...Every time he used to get a present , our group used to snatch that from him & tease him until he became annoyed..But he never used to feel bad...may be because he was in Love...yeah Love....I had never seen a couple so intense in their relationship, they had everything going right for them....If Love ever needed any advertisement ; then I guess both of them would have fitted perfectly in it...

If Love has the best hangover in a student's life...then there is a thing which can vanquish that hangover in perhaps less than a microsecond...EXAMS....yeah.. the dreaded 5 letter word that can make any "STUD" change back to being a Stud-ent. Our half yearly's were over & they were seen as a image of the BOARDS that were 3 months away..perhaps that was why parents were so anxious at the P.T.M this time....My result was not that good & I was certain what was next to come...No wonder I hated P.T.Ms!!!!

"His DAD literally threw him at the door.....he suffered a lot today..."said Pandu..who used to live near to Sri's home & had gone there for some notes when he saw Sri's father beating him black & blue....."Ohh.." I said..."will he come to school tomorrow?"..I asked..."Only if he is left to walk..." Next day what I saw was awfully astonishing...There came our Romantic hero..all bruised up... A black eye...fingerprints on his cheeks like a tribal area's map...& a never-ending smile on his face..."What the hell are you looking at...Haven't you ever beaten up at home...?"he said with a wry smile....."& by the way these are not because of the result....." I asked" then for what you have been awarded these medals of honor...?"....."Nathing...DAD came to know about Simran..."
he said...."Who told him.." He said a with a big sigh" Lalita told DAD that I am concentrating on Simran & not on physics...". I really never understand that why do our teachers, parents, or elders forget that they must have gone through the same phases in their lives...They must have had a crush or two in their teenage as well...What is the need to react to a situation like this in such bizarre manner...It's that age only when you like somebody..& somebody likes you...One cant leave these things till we get old...

"Dad even spoke to Simran yesterday & told her not to talk to me..." Sri resumed. " So what did she said?''..."She said nothing...but called me in the evening & told me that she can't live without me...& the fact of the matter is that even I can't.." he again sighed. In the lunch break...the whole school saw the couple for first time sitting idle on stairs & not talking to each other...Our gang was there ..standing like we had nothing else to do , other than solving this couple's problems...Sri stood up & asked Simran..."Do you love me...?"...& pat came the reply..."yes , I love you more than myself..." " Then why worry...everything's gonna be alright..you don't worry..."he tried to make the situation a little bit light but in vain.."Worry...why shouldn't I...look what your father has done to you...I can't imagine what he"ll do to me.."Simran almost shouted. She had a valid point...."Health first..Love second.."I said to myself... Sri then said...this time on knees..."Believe me I wont let anything happen to you....I love you Simmi..."I don't know whether it was that bend-on-knees effect or the last 4 words of his last sentence that made her smile...whatever it was..it worked & they were back to usual..."Love can make you do anything.."someone in the background remarked...


12th class is known 2 things:-- 1) Parents become ultra-ultra-ultra serious about their kid's studies....& literally never waste a moment in reminding them how not getting a good percentage in BOARDS can shut all doors of happiness...(that's what they think)

2) Farewell---> the only time in one's school life when one really gets to party inside the school premises.

"One pic guys...please...,You two look so cute together..."I pleaded..."No way man...no pics please..."Sri said...". I gave him a royal ignore & clicked. It was a nice pic, Simran's hair blowing across her face, with Sri as usual looking like a model... We all were very happy that day..except of course Sri & Simmi..... They were smiling although behind their faces were 2 sadden hearts, which were not happy with the fact that school days were over. In the midst of the all clicks being clicked , Sri held Simmi's hand ... not uttering a word from his mouth , but saying & consoling a lot from his eyes... I screwed their brief romantic moment & intervened," What's all this senti thing about...huh? We will get you guys married yaar,,so just chill." Simmi busted into laughter & tilting her head like a cute little puppy does, smiled & said." You are such a sweet heart of a friend."


It's so fascinating , at that time, when most of us are on threshold of entering a new phase of our lives which would decide our professional lives, I made such a big promise to them. Perhaps it was the teenager in me who may be knowingly or not knowingly used to ignore the fact that real life is not like reel life. There can be numerous factors affecting a simple little goal that you want achieve & believe me those factors can sometimes be not even related to you. Sri & Simmi , eventually quit after six months. Nobody ever came to know the exact reason for such a split up of perhaps the most eyed couple of our school. Some said " She made another boyfriend in her college" some said " Sri had found a new girl friend , somewhere in Gwalior" , & many other baseless things which were no more than gossip news. Once I met Sri , maybe after 3 years & I asked him that what had exactly happened after school between them. He gave me a reply & its the same that I always hear from him , even now when I ask, " She had no reason for the split up, she said that she didn't wanted it to take too far, so wanted to quit. I did nothing except obliging her request. I could have forced her emotionally but that would not have been right, so I decided to take whatever she had on her mind. Leave it yaar, those were school days, nobody's serious at that time,, it's just a stupid-cupid thing that makes you fall for it."


You may think that Sri's all wised up & a very mature guy, reality is quite different actually. He had loved her so much in that 1 year period, that it was easy for him to live with thinking that he had sacrificed his love for the sake of his love's happiness rather than cursing her all his life. He still loves her & perhaps will always but like a safely kept secret.

Remembering the good old days, I felt a little bit sleepy & closed my eyes with the same song running in the background...

Bhaa gayi koi souten oh ko..Mora kuch bhaavat naahi, Mora piya moh se bolat naahi, Mora piyaaaa......

An Auto Ride

"Yes sir,M on my way....will reach probably in the next 10-15 minutes...u know na sir Delhi's traffic..." I said in an rushing manner. There are some justifications which always work, no matter whatever be the situation ... Delhi's traffic was I guess one of them. Although I didn't realized that traffic was really dense ahead I should have bargained for some more time. Nevertheless, it was a usual day for me. A clumsy auto-rickshaw with a dead meter(IN DELHI , CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE VERY LUCKY TO FIND A AUTO-RICKSHAW WITH ITS METER WORKING FINE...really I mean it)....plastic wallpapers of Kareena & Katrina in skimpy dresses on the left & right sides of the auto seat...people poking their eyes inside the auto..expecting a beautiful girl to be seated cross legged...but, ultimately giving different types of disappointing looks to me...

"How much more it will take" I asked the auto driver as he stopped at a red light. He instantly turned to me & replied in a much pissed off manner "Its not me , its the TERRAFIK....................Saheb", with the last word coming after a long pause, perhaps it took time for him to realize that your customers are not the right people to dump upon your frustrations. I noticed his face this time & as I was not really facing him when I was hiring the auto. This is what too much talking on your cell phone can do; you don't notice people & just try to fulfill your motive. I was getting a fair deal so I hadn't bothered to notice him at all. But , his face had some familiarities.


He would have been in his early 40's ... semi balded , a tiny mustache with a unshaven look , tired looking eyes, plenty of wrinkles on his face & more on his forehead. He was what a common lower middle class family man would look like. I could feel his willingness to work although I doubted that his body was willing. Even his clothes for screaming for a dip in the pool & I bet he himself would have not minded to have a dip either. But here he was holding on to the clutch feet on the paddles & eyes on traffic light.

Just as it turned green, our auto flew......like a unicorn flying with all its strength, touching seven skies in one go....."......Oh shit...." I screamed as I tried to not to fall out of the auto.
For the next 10 seconds I kept figuring out whether I had escaped unhurt & my newly bought cell was fine or not.... I would have not minded a scratch or too,,,but the cellphone was too precious... seriously if you are somebody like me who forgets to take out his cell from his pocket before entering into the GANGES....then you will value your cell more than yourself..

A shiny, black Merc was standing in front of the auto with somebody seated on the back seat. By the time I came out of the auto , both the auto driver & the Merc chauffeur(Becoz of Merc) were exchanging i-m-going-to-kick-ur-ass glares.The chauffeur would have beeen in his late 20s , I guess, strong built,cleanly shaven. neatly dressed in a white shirt 7 black trousers with a typical driver's cap. In brief of a second, there verbal battle began. If it would not have been for brain bursting horns of that the traffic behind us was making, the chauffeur would have pulled the auto driver into a fight. Somehow, after all both of them had used all the useless slang they ever knew, they decided to go on their ways.

The auto driver didn't spoke anything for the next 5 minutes. Visibly he was quite upset with what had just happened. It is not easy for a man to recover immediately if somebody hurts his ego. "These car owners think that , they bought the entire road & rules can be broken anytime anyplace" yelled the auto driver noticing that I was looking in the front mirror.He continued " These people don't have any values & any respect for anyone. They only value money, if I would have been in a car bigger than his , then would he had dare to spoke to me like this."His voice trembled , but he wanted to speak more, for some reason he didn't. The next ten minutes were silent..very silent. The silence was killing me , I wanted to say something to him , but feared that it might agitate him instead of calming him down.

I gave him 50 bucks & he left in a hurry, perhaps eying another customer. Up to a large extent he had a valid point, people do have become too much money minded these days. But what to do, it is there & people accept it without challenging this social mind set. Acceptance is a much easier option than Forcing a Change. i " cummon , U r so late ...."customer had saw me ...& i began my work remembering little about what I was thinking.