I asked myself the same question. What was Kichha thinking when he said yes to her? Granted, he is only 14 years old and 14-year olds do things that are just plain stupid. But this? Apparently, she had told him that it would be 'fun'. And that she had just seen her dad do it. I believe Kichha refused to co-operate initially. But she just put the knife to his throat and threatened him into submission. So poor Kichha had no choice but to agree to this dangerous idea.
Now, let's not forget the girl's part in this whole drama. What the hell had got into her mind? And to think that she's a whole year younger than him! Makes you wonder what they teach kids in school these days. Anyway, after she had shaved all of Kichha's facial hair, he looked a right mess. He had cuts and nicks all over his face and stayed at home the next few days. I plan to have a word with the girl's father about how his daughter nearly killed my son with his razor. You just wait and see.
Well Krishnaswmay did debate with himself a lot about saying yes to her. She being so career oriented he thought he would never get along. But later he questioned himself whether he really needed for a simple minded person as a wife. But his heart had a mind of its own and he fell flat for her openness and smartness and said YES...Well he thought he would lose more than he would ever want to and decided.
"What do you feed your buffalo? Grass? Or just plain water? Is this how thick buffalo milk is supposed to be? I might as well give water to my kids and send them to school! And what about your timings?.... Are you going to come early from tomorrow? Or shall I start looking for another milkman. Are you listening to me Krishnaswami...?!" He wasnt actually, but he was thinking that if he didnt say Yes, she would never shut up...
Oh shoot! I forgot that last item that she told me to get for her. Crap! There goes my much awaited leave. Nag, nag, nag is what she's going to do all day long. I knew I should have taken leave on the 26th if not for that darn Muthu. Why couldn't I just write that damn list when she wanted me to?!
"Uncle, would you like a packet or two of the latest powder masala? It's export quality by the way." Says the promoter with her sweet smile.
"Nila, here are the things you have asked for, including the export quality powder masala that you saw my sister using."
"She's not a promoter, but a thevathai from heaven." Sighs a grateful Krishnaswamy.
"Did I say yes in a hurry? Last time that girl was also equally attractive. I turned down the proposal. Have I lost an opportunity?" Krishnaswamy was cursing himself when he agreed to exchange seat with that good looking girl, in the AC three tier compartment.
Krishnaswami looked at her. Have I created my own Frankenstein? He wondered. He had married her at the age of 14, a mere sprite of a girl. Then he had groomed her to suit his taste. Taught her everything, from cooking to styling her hair. He had introduced her to the world of books…. She read all the best sellers now. He had taken her to Ranji Trophy matches and she ended up discussing cricket with his friends….He had taught her to do crosswords, she had stolen his march by solving cryptic ones…something he could never handle. He had taught her how to do the Rubik’s Cube…she set a state record by doing it in 48 seconds. She managed to solve the daily Sudoku even before he got up…..She could convert cassettes into computer files, turn them into MP3 format and burn selected CDs of her choice… She had started a blog of her own with the help of her grandson. He was an alien in the land of computers. His whole life he had watched her spread her wings and soar higher and higher …..away from him? Now she wanted her own laptop as a shathabhishekam gift…Even as he said yes….he wondered if he was axing the very branch on which he had been sitting pretty all his life!
Krishnaswami waited. With his clothes. Ramya insisted that he get some of his old clothes and donate them to Oxfam for Africa. Krishnaswami was new to London, new to donating. He waited patiently, on a Saturday morning, near Angel Tube station.. People moved in and out. He didn't know if there was a place he could just drop these and disappear.
Finally someone showed up, who looked like a college girl. She looked at Krishnaswami´s clothes, counted them, looked at him, and said, that would be fifteen pounds. Krishnaswami thought, they want money for sending clothes to Africa perhaps? He gave the money. The girl looked at him kindly and said, "These clothes would suit you really well, would you like a blanket to go along with them?". Oh no, Krishnaswami thought. She had taken him for a poor and homeless person. What to do now? He would have to talk for a long time in English and explain. So he said yes. The blanket was another five pounds.
Later, at Rasa Samudra, Ramya erupted in laughter when he told her how he had walked out, with his own clothes and a blanket, twenty quid lighter. Well, you did manage to donate, in some form, she said. I have told you to shave before going out, she said. People at the restaurant looked at them as she laughed. He was content. He just wanted to make her happy.
I can’t say yes.. I really really can’t say “yes”..I mean, this is all I have…my 25 rupees. No,that is not all I earn, Ofcourse, I make more money…yep, if only a little more, I still do make a little more money than that. But 25 Rupees is all I allow myself to spend per day.
You might wonder why? Or even consider me a miser..Call it whatever…Guess what, even I wonder sometimes why I wouldn’t let myself spend more on myself per day…ofcourse things have changes a lot since I started earning…I don’t have to take that white board bus anymore for the Rs.2 ticket, I can take the express bus once in a while and pay Rs.4…..and once a month, I can take an auto too….things really have improved……
But still I held onto money like it was my second life…it wouldn’t be my first life..u know what I mean? Anyways, money was precious to me….i would actually spend less if I lived somewhere close to my workplace like say 15 Kms distance..But that was not to be…So with a heavy heart I allotted myself, Rs.25 per day for me….
And there I was traveling by train when the girl walked in, selling remote covers.Was she really blind, I didn’t know…but she was holding one of those sticks..i had assumed on the first look that she must one of the many beggers, who sing those songs, very much off-key….but she wasn’t ..she was selling TV remote covers….
I was hoping she would walk by me.But she stopped and began to sell the covers.
“Will somebody buy one..please…” She was almost pleading…
I can’t say yes, I really can’t..for it would upset my budget..i had budgeted my expenses such that I would have rs.5 as savings per day..If I buy that one, it would spoil it all….but she wouldn’t budge, neither would her pleas stop…
And finally, doing many mental calculations, I decided to buy the cover..probably, it would be a meal for her..who knows…..”Yes..get me one”, I heard myself say.
And so I bought……and walked to my single-room home,without a television.
It is 10 minutes past midnight and she is asking this. She must be really feeling bad for reacting like that when we went to bed. So she didn't mean it. I have been an egoist all the time and she is now going to apologise and and allow me to .. oh.. i cannot wait... he thought and he said "YES" to her. Thanks Honey. Can you please change the diaper, the baby is wet and I am too tired to even get up.
In an unnatural act of parental responsibility - he had agreed to help his daughter with her homework. Solving multiple variable linear equations and identifying the capitals of various sub-saharan countries had given him a bruised ego, as he realized that he really did not know much. But, the real brain scrambler came when his daughter asked him, "Appa, how do you spell bo'sun?" When he gave the logical response - B-O-S-U-N, she replied - "No Appa, our teacher said that is not the correct spelling - and we have to find the correct spelling by tomorrow!"
He was still thinking about this the next morning as he boarded the bus to T Nagar. He was already late for office, but his mind was pre-occupied with the possible spelling of bo'sun (B-O-T-S-O-N-E). "These english idiots - why do they not make their words spell the way they sound!", he thought to himself.
He saw the lady in the seat next to him get up. He eagerly jumped into the vacant seat.
He was thinking,"Let me try again - "Bee - Wow - Eay - Tee.."
The girl standing next to him gave him a hard prod and said - "Excuse me! You are sitting on a seat reserved for Ladies. Do you think I am an idiot standing here?"
"...Ess...ouch!" he screamed, pained at the prod that the girl had given him.
"What? You think I am an idiot?", The girl screamed!
As the good samaritans bundled Krishnaswamy out of the bus (presumably as punishment for usurping the ladies seat and calling her an idiot), he was still trying to figure out the way bo'sun was spelt, not knowing that it was B-O-A-T-S-W-A-I-N!
Everytime he looked into her eyes, he saw his wife. His love, who had wrenched his heart out when she died a decade earlier. He did not deserve the pain - the man who could not even buy perfumes/shampoos tested on animals, thinking of the cruelty towards the animals. This time, he was looking into her eyes, as she eyed the goldfish in a bowl. She asked him so politely whether she could have it. So, involuntarily Krishnaswami said "Yes!", and watched his favourite pair of eyes light up like a thousand bulbs.
Given that he never said “yes” to anything without a “But” or a “No” at first and given that his dearest kamala had always put up with all his cynicism and pessimistic approach to life, he decided to give it to her this once. After all it was their 25th wedding anniversary and it was just about watering the plants this once…Her knee pain was at its worst…
He did not see her gleeful smile at her small victory at the art of manipulation…so she was 25 years too late…but better late than never…
He met Jolene in Singapore. She worked for the same bank but in a different team. Her team handled the application that was dependent on what he was working on. They had business interactions initially. And it moved to personal as time went by. And the day he had to be back, after a year spent in her company, she had proposed to him of marriage. He had not known what to say. He liked her, may be even… But marrying a girl who’s from a different country all together, leave alone the religion/caste stuff. He knew his parents were broad minded but… they could never be convinced of her being able to make a good wife. He had to make a choice, a choice between the love that was never meant to be and the love of the whole family, sitting in front of him now, would be hurt by his act of selfishness. “Anna, so… Sis u like her?? Shall we send a ‘yes’ in reply?? Oh!! Please don’t sit like a mute. Say something!! Are you ready to marry Swati akka??” His li’l sister was unstoppable. That was when Krishnaswami said a ‘Yes’.
Krishnaswami was late for his daily cup of coffee. He made it a point to have his cuppa at 3pm everyday. Today he had got stuck with some work. As he now rushed out , he crashed into the new secretary his boss had hired ( Flashback: The secretary had told her rich uncle that she was getting married today , after which the uncle would bestow his entire fortune to her. Unfortunately , the groom-to-be had left her high and dry at the last minute . Consequently this girl was looking for a replacement ). Thinking her problems were known to all , she asked our hero Krishnaswami , "Please , will you" ? Taking her for a fellow coffee lover , Krishnaswami said , "Yes " ,thinking all the while he was being asked to bring back a cup for her too, little realizing the tragedy that lay waiting for him.
18 comments:
naan unnai nenaichen...
nee ennai nenache...
allathu
pottu vaitha kaathal thittam ok kanmani!
So what was Krishnaswami thinking when he said yes to her?
hmmm...
hmmm...hmmm...
hmmm...hmmm...hmmm...hmmm...
ada..hes still thinking paa..
I asked myself the same question. What was Kichha thinking when he said yes to her? Granted, he is only 14 years old and 14-year olds do things that are just plain stupid. But this? Apparently, she had told him that it would be 'fun'. And that she had just seen her dad do it. I believe Kichha refused to co-operate initially. But she just put the knife to his throat and threatened him into submission. So poor Kichha had no choice but to agree to this dangerous idea.
Now, let's not forget the girl's part in this whole drama. What the hell had got into her mind? And to think that she's a whole year younger than him! Makes you wonder what they teach kids in school these days. Anyway, after she had shaved all of Kichha's facial hair, he looked a right mess. He had cuts and nicks all over his face and stayed at home the next few days. I plan to have a word with the girl's father about how his daughter nearly killed my son with his razor. You just wait and see.
Well Krishnaswmay did debate with himself a lot about saying yes to her. She being so career oriented he thought he would never get along. But later he questioned himself whether he really needed for a simple minded person as a wife. But his heart had a mind of its own and he fell flat for her openness and smartness and said YES...Well he thought he would lose more than he would ever want to and decided.
"What do you feed your buffalo? Grass? Or just plain water? Is this how thick buffalo milk is supposed to be? I might as well give water to my kids and send them to school! And what about your timings?.... Are you going to come early from tomorrow? Or shall I start looking for another milkman. Are you listening to me Krishnaswami...?!" He wasnt actually, but he was thinking that if he didnt say Yes, she would never shut up...
Oh shoot! I forgot that last item that she told me to get for her. Crap! There goes my much awaited leave. Nag, nag, nag is what she's going to do all day long. I knew I should have taken leave on the 26th if not for that darn Muthu. Why couldn't I just write that damn list when she wanted me to?!
"Uncle, would you like a packet or two of the latest powder masala? It's export quality by the way." Says the promoter with her sweet smile.
"Nila, here are the things you have asked for, including the export quality powder masala that you saw my sister using."
"She's not a promoter, but a thevathai from heaven." Sighs a grateful Krishnaswamy.
"Did I say yes in a hurry? Last time that girl was also equally attractive. I turned down the proposal. Have I lost an opportunity?" Krishnaswamy was cursing himself when he agreed to exchange seat with that good looking girl, in the AC three tier compartment.
Krishnaswami looked at her. Have I created my own Frankenstein? He wondered. He had married her at the age of 14, a mere sprite of a girl. Then he had groomed her to suit his taste. Taught her everything, from cooking to styling her hair. He had introduced her to the world of books…. She read all the best sellers now. He had taken her to Ranji Trophy matches and she ended up discussing cricket with his friends….He had taught her to do crosswords, she had stolen his march by solving cryptic ones…something he could never handle. He had taught her how to do the Rubik’s Cube…she set a state record by doing it in 48 seconds. She managed to solve the daily Sudoku even before he got up…..She could convert cassettes into computer files, turn them into MP3 format and burn selected CDs of her choice… She had started a blog of her own with the help of her grandson. He was an alien in the land of computers. His whole life he had watched her spread her wings and soar higher and higher …..away from him? Now she wanted her own laptop as a shathabhishekam gift…Even as he said yes….he wondered if he was axing the very branch on which he had been sitting pretty all his life!
Krishnaswami waited. With his clothes. Ramya insisted that he get some of his old clothes and donate them to Oxfam for Africa. Krishnaswami was new to London, new to donating. He waited patiently, on a Saturday morning, near Angel Tube station.. People moved in and out. He didn't know if there was a place he could just drop these and disappear.
Finally someone showed up, who looked like a college girl. She looked at Krishnaswami´s clothes, counted them, looked at him, and said, that would be fifteen pounds. Krishnaswami thought, they want money for sending clothes to Africa perhaps? He gave the money. The girl looked at him kindly and said, "These clothes would suit you really well, would you like a blanket to go along with them?". Oh no, Krishnaswami thought. She had taken him for a poor and homeless person. What to do now? He would have to talk for a long time in English and explain. So he said yes. The blanket was another five pounds.
Later, at Rasa Samudra, Ramya erupted in laughter when he told her how he had walked out, with his own clothes and a blanket, twenty quid lighter. Well, you did manage to donate, in some form, she said. I have told you to shave before going out, she said. People at the restaurant looked at them as she laughed. He was content. He just wanted to make her happy.
I Really must learn the art of Saying “NO”
I can’t say yes.. I really really can’t say “yes”..I mean, this is all I have…my 25 rupees. No,that is not all I earn, Ofcourse, I make more money…yep, if only a little more, I still do make a little more money than that. But 25 Rupees is all I allow myself to spend per day.
You might wonder why? Or even consider me a miser..Call it whatever…Guess what, even I wonder sometimes why I wouldn’t let myself spend more on myself per day…ofcourse things have changes a lot since I started earning…I don’t have to take that white board bus anymore for the Rs.2 ticket, I can take the express bus once in a while and pay Rs.4…..and once a month, I can take an auto too….things really have improved……
But still I held onto money like it was my second life…it wouldn’t be my first life..u know what I mean? Anyways, money was precious to me….i would actually spend less if I lived somewhere close to my workplace like say 15 Kms distance..But that was not to be…So with a heavy heart I allotted myself, Rs.25 per day for me….
And there I was traveling by train when the girl walked in, selling remote covers.Was she really blind, I didn’t know…but she was holding one of those sticks..i had assumed on the first look that she must one of the many beggers, who sing those songs, very much off-key….but she wasn’t ..she was selling TV remote covers….
I was hoping she would walk by me.But she stopped and began to sell the covers.
“Will somebody buy one..please…” She was almost pleading…
I can’t say yes, I really can’t..for it would upset my budget..i had budgeted my expenses such that I would have rs.5 as savings per day..If I buy that one, it would spoil it all….but she wouldn’t budge, neither would her pleas stop…
And finally, doing many mental calculations, I decided to buy the cover..probably, it would be a meal for her..who knows…..”Yes..get me one”, I heard myself say.
And so I bought……and walked to my single-room home,without a television.
Do You love me? she asked.
It is 10 minutes past midnight and she is asking this. She must be really feeling bad for reacting like that when we went to bed. So she didn't mean it. I have been an egoist all the time and she is now going to apologise and and allow me to .. oh.. i cannot wait...
he thought and he said "YES" to her.
Thanks Honey. Can you please change the diaper, the baby is wet and I am too tired to even get up.
Krishnaswami had spent a sleepless night.
In an unnatural act of parental responsibility - he had agreed to help his daughter with her homework. Solving multiple variable linear equations and identifying the capitals of various sub-saharan countries had given him a bruised ego, as he realized that he really did not know much. But, the real brain scrambler came when his daughter asked him, "Appa, how do you spell bo'sun?" When he gave the logical response - B-O-S-U-N, she replied - "No Appa, our teacher said that is not the correct spelling - and we have to find the correct spelling by tomorrow!"
He was still thinking about this the next morning as he boarded the bus to T Nagar. He was already late for office, but his mind was pre-occupied with the possible spelling of bo'sun (B-O-T-S-O-N-E). "These english idiots - why do they not make their words spell the way they sound!", he thought to himself.
He saw the lady in the seat next to him get up. He eagerly jumped into the vacant seat.
He was thinking,"Let me try again - "Bee - Wow - Eay - Tee.."
The girl standing next to him gave him a hard prod and said - "Excuse me! You are sitting on a seat reserved for Ladies. Do you think I am an idiot standing here?"
"...Ess...ouch!" he screamed, pained at the prod that the girl had given him.
"What? You think I am an idiot?", The girl screamed!
As the good samaritans bundled Krishnaswamy out of the bus (presumably as punishment for usurping the ladies seat and calling her an idiot), he was still trying to figure out the way bo'sun was spelt, not knowing that it was B-O-A-T-S-W-A-I-N!
Everytime he looked into her eyes, he saw his wife. His love, who had wrenched his heart out when she died a decade earlier.
He did not deserve the pain - the man who could not even buy perfumes/shampoos tested on animals, thinking of the cruelty towards the animals. This time, he was looking into her eyes, as she eyed the goldfish in a bowl. She asked him so politely whether she could have it. So, involuntarily Krishnaswami said "Yes!", and watched his favourite pair of eyes light up like a thousand bulbs.
Given that he never said “yes” to anything without a “But” or a “No” at first and given that his dearest kamala had always put up with all his cynicism and pessimistic approach to life, he decided to give it to her this once. After all it was their 25th wedding anniversary and it was just about watering the plants this once…Her knee pain was at its worst…
He did not see her gleeful smile at her small victory at the art of manipulation…so she was 25 years too late…but better late than never…
Well ... 500 Rs for a Fresh Pomfret is not that bad a deal. So why not buy it.
He said Yes. I shall buy the fish.
He met Jolene in Singapore. She worked for the same bank but in a different team. Her team handled the application that was dependent on what he was working on. They had business interactions initially. And it moved to personal as time went by. And the day he had to be back, after a year spent in her company, she had proposed to him of marriage. He had not known what to say. He liked her, may be even… But marrying a girl who’s from a different country all together, leave alone the religion/caste stuff. He knew his parents were broad minded but… they could never be convinced of her being able to make a good wife. He had to make a choice, a choice between the love that was never meant to be and the love of the whole family, sitting in front of him now, would be hurt by his act of selfishness.
“Anna, so… Sis u like her?? Shall we send a ‘yes’ in reply?? Oh!! Please don’t sit like a mute. Say something!! Are you ready to marry Swati akka??” His li’l sister was unstoppable.
That was when Krishnaswami said a ‘Yes’.
Krishnaswami was late for his daily cup of coffee. He made it a point to have his cuppa at 3pm everyday. Today he had got stuck with some work. As he now rushed out , he crashed into the new secretary his boss had hired ( Flashback: The secretary had told her rich uncle that she was getting married today , after which the uncle would bestow his entire fortune to her. Unfortunately , the groom-to-be had left her high and dry at the last minute . Consequently this girl was looking for a replacement ). Thinking her problems were known to all , she asked our hero Krishnaswami , "Please , will you" ? Taking her for a fellow coffee lover , Krishnaswami said , "Yes " ,thinking all the while he was being asked to bring back a cup for her too, little realizing the tragedy that lay waiting for him.
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