Of chotu and her sweet mom

- The post regarding those nightmares will be up there after this one.

Now when I say that whatever khurafaat or help I do to my friends, reaches to a good number of people though I remain oblivian of it for a good time, I didn’t know it includes my friends’ parents too. Moms specially. More particularly chotu’s mom and bro.

Chotu is a friend who is very dear to me. A sweet friend worth keeping till the end. If you meet her you will realize that people are right when they say great things come in small packages. A beautiful face with beautiful heart. A friend who was equally happy as my family when I made it to IBM and she could not. Forgetting her own failure she was there to give me a tight hug and listen to my very cool and interesting GD and interview experience. Next day when all the remaining friends including chotu got placed in TCS I cant describe how soothing and cheerful moment that was. We exchange so many SMSes when other girls of our class must be seeing their guys in their dreams or burning midnight oil to win that another rat race. Though I might be reading some novel, magazine or seeing some movie or those pics holding memories, I cherish so much. And most of the time these are not forward SMSes, these are something so typical of us. Leg pulling, scolding, ridiculing, what we don’t do ? That if I read them some years down the line (yeah many of them still reside in my inbox), I would have strong urge to turn back time we have spent together, in class, out of class, in canteen, in her hostel room, in corridor, on stairs, and in SMSes. But there is one place where my presence in person becomes unnecessary for her, some ears and mouths are what all required. All she has, some people around to eagerly listen about me with a great interest and same time appreciate yours truly.

It all started when we were I guess in 2nd semester. We were good friends but not that good that we’d not think once before throwing expletives at each other. There is a scheme in my college that college provides a net-equipped PC in a room provided all the 3-4 candidates of that room deposits 10K on the deadline, fully refundable by the given date. Unfortunately it so happened that her Canara bank ATM decided to throw some tantrums and refused to hand over the required money to this needy girl. For a couple of days the person in charge kept telling her ki aj ya kal mai theek ho jayega. The day when it was the last submission day I took her to bank again on my kinetic as she was running very short of time, hoping this time that damn technical problem would not be there. To our dismay, she was again disappointed by that darn automated teller machine. Though we were advised to wait for some half an hour as some engineer was called up and fix the problem. We waited and waited. While waiting she asked - ‘ aur bata tere Table Tenniss kaisa chal raha hai’ I even completed that how one good looking guy who I played TT many a times with in the stadium’s TT hall in the presence of many other players, one day almost proposed me with a couple of compliments on my smile and innocent face, I explained her that how I was left seeing him in awe when he said and quickly vroom-ed his Pulsar with a mysterious smile as he always used to pass, the guy I never communicated with. But that day how when everybody was out for some national championship inagauration, he asked my name and little more basic information about me during we were playing match and our eyes all set on the ball and hands to put a good shot to gain that extra point. Though from the very next day humorously by some strange quirk of fate I could not continue there. I knew it would be discontinued some day as mid term was approaching and I found it tough to manage some time after college. Though I didn’t know circumstances will apear in that way and it would make me to end it that day only. Otherwise I badly wanted to continue the game I love playing and I wanted to ask him that what makes him think that I look innocent. Obviously guy was in all flirting mood. We talked over it on a good stretch, we bole to chotu and me in AC hall of the bank. She had only one response ‘ aur sab to theek hai lekin use tu innocent lagi kis angle se. tu aur innocent ? kitni badi galatfahmi ho jati hai logo ko !!’ . I was showing her this and that angle of my face to prove my innocence but my efforts were futile. It was almost 45 minutes and we were done with all our giggling and this time pass description. Enough is enough. We out rightly asked branch manager if we were getting cash in next minute. He gave up and said that problem is from main office, delhi and we are not able to fix the problem sorry! Man to kar raha tha boloo ki uncle yaha fir kya ye overweight, frustrated-yet-laughing-with-full-force uncle jiyo ki shakle dekhne ke liye bithaya tha. Time waster. Though we enjoyed our time their in our own way. You see, when friends are there place become immaterial. But that inability to get 10K from ATM waned it a little bit.

Looking at her I said ‘ go to college, see the situation there and if nothing works let me know if I should bring the money next morning from home’. And I meant it I didn’t say it out of any formality though out of friendship, it was, whatever kinda we had that time. ‘Yeah I see otherwise will let you know’ was a quick response. Though I know she didn’t mean it as expecting 10K from just a good friend is not expected generally. Friends nowadays are known more for the fun-frolic, notes, proxies and likes they share , not beyond that, not for more serious matters, or even a financial help leave alone the situations when herd decide to refuse to support you emotionally and mentally, something that gives you more strength than anything else in the world. She thought same that even if I try my parents wont agree. Obviously its but natural. Friends are yours not theirs. The way you know your friends they don’t know the same way. And when it comes to lending a money of 10K, the refusal is not any surprising thing. That goes with every parents. You just cant blame them if you are not earning.

Fortunately in my case I have lovely parents. Every son or daughter love his or her parents because they are their parents. Besides being my parents I also love them because they are lovely individuals too. Next morning my mom gave me one white envelope containing 10K. When last evening we were communicating by our missed calls ki ‘ mai ek missed call doo tab bata dena ki aunty maan gayi hai kya‘ ,‘ek doo to samajh jana ki manage ho jayega, 2 to sorry’ like that, she interrupted and instructed me - ‘ chupchap fone kar bachhi pareshaan ho rahi hogi. Pata nahi kya missed calls karte rahte ho. Ek fone karke bata de ki chinta na kare kal fee submit ho jayegi’. This is like my mother. I wont say ki when I asked her about money she responded something - ‘ why not, I was just waiting for it’. she had her apprehensions - ‘ kaun hai? Kaisi friend hai ? Lauta to degi na ?’ but not more than that. All she said me was ‘ achha hai, nahi to apni vajah se bachhi poore saal bina PC facility ke nikaalti, aur sabse badi baat koi kuch sochke hi expect karta hai, use niraash nahi karna chahiye. Lekin ye mai teri risk pe de rahi hoon.’ I was not that proud of my ma for her giving me that money as much I was of that latter part of her statements regarding ‘worthy of expecttations’ . Had my papa been here he would have told us -’ don’t worry beta. Just come to my branch right now and have the money. I am right here. ’

Deep down I don’t know how and why for a moment I found myself saying this to myself and believe me its true. Everything I wrote on this place has been always true without any exaggeration. ‘ if I lose money, more sad I would feel to lose a good friend than to that money. Though I would feel sorry that my ma put that much faith in me.’ I know it was over senti and too much to be true but as I told I don’t know why it came to me.

There chotu’s relieved sigh was enough to tell how happy, relaxed and oblized she was feeling. Happy and relaxed I wanted to make her but ‘oblized’ not at all, never. Later in night she sent a touching thank you note thru SMS and I replied her - ‘ chotu, friends are not just to say we are friends. There should be some meaning beneath it. At any time whenever you need just be assure that someone is just a hint away and she will help you out at her level best.’

Next morning the 4 girls of room number 113 (where PC was to come) was praising me endlessly. In larger amount my ma who actually deserved. Guess what, problem with ATM machines continued for some more days and chotu almost rubbed her sandals in to annd fro the bank to return the money before I got to know how seriously she was taking her. I asked her to chill. Next week her vacations were due at home in delhi and I got the same white envelop next to next week. On returning she was telling me that how her dad and mom was appreciating me and how she had to put a break and tell -’ bas bhi karo, wo itni bhi achhi nahi hai ki itni der tak uski taarifo se sabko bore karo !! ‘. Since then there was created I guess a bond between aunty and me. It was first time when she listened so much about me and it was first time that I got to know about this. Though all the moms of my friends knows me quite a bit but may be not the way she does. And may be because she is a cool mom who takes a great interest in her daughter’s college life.

Then in next vacations chotu explained how aunty is too much impressed by me. Why ? Because my dear friend described my studying style to her dear mother in great detail. How in every periodicals (mid term) I reach to their room at some 10 oclock if test gonna begin at 3 oclock and with semi-crying and semi-scared expression on my face - ‘ yaar mera kuch syllabus nahi hua hai’ . I will always rememebr how these 4 angels chotu, pinku, MJ and shekhu from room number 113 welcomes me with noisy hii as if I’ve met them after decades and decade means one day and then a great laughter in unison. And then begins imbibition of various chapters and concepts. I call it ‘imbibing’ or understanding things rather rattafication or mugging up as I am no good at mugging no matter its 2 days or two hours. She went on detailing aunty how I by 3 o clock or 2.55 completed a good proportion of full syllabus. And then how I fetch marks quite near to the ones which can be categorized as ‘good’ . This was I guess the second time when she was highly impressed by me. Chotu told me ‘ pata hai meri ma itni impress ho gayi hai tujhse, bolti hai kitni intelligent ladki hai 4-5 ghante mai 4/5th syllabus cover kar leti hai. Kitni hoshiyaar hai, dimaag bahot tez hoga. Hamesha mujhe chup karana padta hai unhe. Mai unhe bolti hu ki mummy bas aise hee number aa jate hai uske fatte maar maar ke’. This is other story that how we two end up in proclaiming each other jealous and who is more.

And now this time what she did was out of my imazination. She made her bro and aunty read my this post. Holy cow ! I asked her so many ‘really?’ and when every time her answer was ‘yes’ my expression was almost as if she has given birth to twins before marriage. ‘ screw dheela ho gaya tha tera, kya soch rahi hongi aunty mere baare mai. Saare impression ki watt laga di !’ . No surprises if you listen this from your wicked friend - ‘wahi to karna tha, mission accomplished.’ But you get relaxed a bit when you see her say that also -’ jokes apart, mummy and bro really enjoyed it. She was happy ki we are enjoying our last days in college though not that excited if its in this way. This time she said about you - guts hai !’ I tell you how much I relieved I felt having learnt that aunty didn’t disapproved chotu of meeting me further or continuing any contact with me but she said one thing to her - ‘beta is baar tu fail to nahi ho jayegi? ‘ . Whatever it strengthened my desire to meet her in person someday. A cool aunty who reads your blog at times and laugh at it rather discarding it in disgust. A respectable aunty who listens to her irritating daughter but spares her if she talks about me in stretch. An aunty who despite all your mischieves appreciate you for your humanly nature and intelligence (iff it really exist). And an aunty who wish to meet you sometime the way you wish to.

This adds to one more aunty whose company I enjoy and don’t feel like escaping or running away when their daughter is not home. This adds to one more auty when I spend almost one hour beside her without her daughter’s presence what more you are made to taste those yummy homemade laddoos and mathri. Her daughter who is apparently your friend asks you later -’ tu mommy se baat kya kar rahi thi ek ghante tak ?’ . Finally this adds to one more aunty when you can respond to her daughter - ‘tujhe kya, mere aur aunty ke beech ki baat hai !!’

Really hates off to you chotu and aunty !!

There are more aunties who I wish to meet sometime and I hope like everything I got in my life, I will get this opportunity too. Touchwood though.

Ps- Hey chotu remind me if I have missed something interesting here and aunty, by any chance if you land up here again and read this post, please do comment. It will make my day. Really.