Festivities are special, more so if you are a child. And Rimpy was no exception. Though Durga was her best friend, Bihu wasn’t bad either.
Bihu was friendly. He came to meet her thrice every year. This meant more holidays and more goodies. It also included a late night trip, dozing on a freshly ironed paper stiff mekhela chador on Ma’s lap. It also meant being reprimanded soundly later inside the car on behalf of the now crumbled mekhela chador. In stark irony of the crumbled mekhela chador, B Hazarika continued to croon gaily at the background at Bharalumukh or Latashil.
Preparations for welcoming Bihu began well in advance. Ma busied herself directing the domestic helps to make coconut laroos, til pithas, narikol pithas. When Bihu came in bohag he bought along with him new clothes too.
A day before Bihu came in January, he sent his messenger Uruka.
Uruka the eatable enjoyable festival boy
Uruka the enjoyable eatable festival boy
This was a day of great happiness. Rimpy could visit the ghats with Paponi (Tamil version of papa)… rare moments when he got preference over Ma. When the three feet something, in pink lacy socks and polka dotted tailored frock with butterfly sleeves set out to greet the fish of Brahmaputra she was a proud lady. There hopping between various fishes, most bigger than her in size and some lesser she felt like a true achiever.
After the great task of choosing the right fish for Bihu, the next task at hand was to go to Uzanbazar Market. Choosing the right rice, lentils, assorted veggies, fresh curd, jaggery, the horrible shira (dunno the English name for it), skinned chicken like bruised knees et al.
Though these trips were really happy ones often she was bitten by worries. Worries of the huge fish that Paponi carried on a string could jump at her any moment.
Rimpy tried not to catch her eye, because it’s the eyes which held all the terror.
Eyes scolded.
Eyes threatened.
All the while they shopped…all the way from the ghat to Raam Pyari (white Maruti 800) the fish threatened to gobble up the pink lacy socks and polka dotted tailored frock with butterfly sleeves.
And when she sat in Raam Pyari she could feel the fish opening its mouth and closing it in anticipation.
Rimpy forgot all about it when she reached home, happy to meet Bihu. And at dinner, when everyone feasted on the fish the pink lacy socks and polka dotted tailored frock with butterfly sleeves heaved a sigh of relief. A sigh of smug satisfaction.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Errr..ands
Errands and childhood are like brothers and sisters, sometimes reluctant, at other times willing friends. What Monu and Pinky can do in the matter of a minute, no grown up can. What adults feel lazy to do, kids do happily, often with a feeling of pride.
Rimpy was literally the errand girl of the entire building.
Rimpyyyyy…
Get me a packet of milk
Get some chillies from the terrace
Run…half a kilo onions
Hurry! Go down to the milkman’s
Take the cycle and get samosas
Blouses for pico
Take Pepsi (the pet, don’t laugh at the name) for a walk
Ask aunty if she will come over
Tell uncle I’ m calling…..
While these were errands Rimpy did without giving much thought, there was a set of errands which requires special mention. Errands which came to life suddenly on sneaky summer vacation afternoons, and at times on shy winter mornings. Errands which were given to her by a certain celebrity, who lived in a certain hill station boarding school. Errands given by the celebrity who didn’t have a Tamil version of her name, like Rimpy had Rampama and Simi had Sampama. – Errands given by Mimi.
Whenever Mimi was to come home, a whirlwind of affairs started. For a change mom didn’t mind Rimpy playing too much. Cakes were baked, the guest room aired, chicken pickle made… (But that’s another story). Finally she arrived and along with her came errands.
Every Sunday afternoon when Doordarshan showed award winning regional films Rimpy turned to Rampama and Simi became Sampama. Though they never understood the dialogues, they watched with rapt attention as Mimi bombarded them with her customised interpretation. Polished toes, a bubble gum in mouth, blue trousers and open hair she was definitely the celebrity at home.
Coming back to the errands, Mimi knew an art like no one, to create an errand out of thin air. Very often they weren’t even errands…things like switch off the light before going, straighten the books, see you have stepped on my slippers –straighten them, close the door, get me a glass of water, so on…Most of the times they were a combination of this and that…like drink my milk, close the door and take the glass down. However, the most interesting errand consisted of going to Hareshar’s dukaan.
Whenever there was work to be done, word somehow reached Rimpy of secret accord- a nod here, a nudge there and she knew it. The agenda of the errand also included the unspoken protocol of completing it without being discovered by mom. Rampama knocked on the guest / celebrity’s room and took the one rupee coin with a silent nod. Then she ran to Hareshar’s dukaan to buy the needful. With rapt attention she saw the ageless and bold Hareshar count ten of them that came for a rupee…
And when he handed them to her, she counted them again to make sure. She never gave in to the temptation that rose in her mouth, lingered on her tongue, never gave in to the tangy tinge that crept into her mind just thinking about it. She hid the treasures in the skirt of her dress and climbed the flight of ten stairs to celebrity’s room and finally surrendered the gastronomic power to common sense. Celebrity counted them-one to ten, in the presence of the witness Sampama.
10 pieces of 10 paise treasures = 1 rupee
10 pieces of 10 paise worth forbidden temptation = Tamarind Spoons
She gave one finally to Ramapama and two to Sampama (keep your mouth shut bribe). Until the next errand…
*Imli / Tamarind spoon= A sweet and sour dried imli seed on an ice-cream spoon covered with a transparent magenta paper.
Rimpy was literally the errand girl of the entire building.
Rimpyyyyy…
Get me a packet of milk
Get some chillies from the terrace
Run…half a kilo onions
Hurry! Go down to the milkman’s
Take the cycle and get samosas
Blouses for pico
Take Pepsi (the pet, don’t laugh at the name) for a walk
Ask aunty if she will come over
Tell uncle I’ m calling…..
While these were errands Rimpy did without giving much thought, there was a set of errands which requires special mention. Errands which came to life suddenly on sneaky summer vacation afternoons, and at times on shy winter mornings. Errands which were given to her by a certain celebrity, who lived in a certain hill station boarding school. Errands given by the celebrity who didn’t have a Tamil version of her name, like Rimpy had Rampama and Simi had Sampama. – Errands given by Mimi.
Whenever Mimi was to come home, a whirlwind of affairs started. For a change mom didn’t mind Rimpy playing too much. Cakes were baked, the guest room aired, chicken pickle made… (But that’s another story). Finally she arrived and along with her came errands.
Every Sunday afternoon when Doordarshan showed award winning regional films Rimpy turned to Rampama and Simi became Sampama. Though they never understood the dialogues, they watched with rapt attention as Mimi bombarded them with her customised interpretation. Polished toes, a bubble gum in mouth, blue trousers and open hair she was definitely the celebrity at home.
Coming back to the errands, Mimi knew an art like no one, to create an errand out of thin air. Very often they weren’t even errands…things like switch off the light before going, straighten the books, see you have stepped on my slippers –straighten them, close the door, get me a glass of water, so on…Most of the times they were a combination of this and that…like drink my milk, close the door and take the glass down. However, the most interesting errand consisted of going to Hareshar’s dukaan.
Whenever there was work to be done, word somehow reached Rimpy of secret accord- a nod here, a nudge there and she knew it. The agenda of the errand also included the unspoken protocol of completing it without being discovered by mom. Rampama knocked on the guest / celebrity’s room and took the one rupee coin with a silent nod. Then she ran to Hareshar’s dukaan to buy the needful. With rapt attention she saw the ageless and bold Hareshar count ten of them that came for a rupee…
And when he handed them to her, she counted them again to make sure. She never gave in to the temptation that rose in her mouth, lingered on her tongue, never gave in to the tangy tinge that crept into her mind just thinking about it. She hid the treasures in the skirt of her dress and climbed the flight of ten stairs to celebrity’s room and finally surrendered the gastronomic power to common sense. Celebrity counted them-one to ten, in the presence of the witness Sampama.
10 pieces of 10 paise treasures = 1 rupee
10 pieces of 10 paise worth forbidden temptation = Tamarind Spoons
She gave one finally to Ramapama and two to Sampama (keep your mouth shut bribe). Until the next errand…
*Imli / Tamarind spoon= A sweet and sour dried imli seed on an ice-cream spoon covered with a transparent magenta paper.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Bitter Sweet Chocolates
Chocolates always make every child’s day. Like the icing on a cake, like hope sprinkled on despair, like mushrooms sprouting on wet expectant days, like reds that border white sarees, like mother’s love, like the top layer of richness on milk.
What were chocolates to Rimpy? In the early amorphous years when memory was just born Rimpy didn’t know what chocolates were. So, whenever papa bought Cadbury’s Dairy Milk or Amul Chocolate she surrendered her bar to Simi after one bitter bite. When papa came to realise this, he started getting only one chocolate bar, for Simi and for Rimpy he bought toffees.
Things suddenly stopped being profitable, that extra bit, that second helping which was given unasked for suddenly came to halt. This prompted action. Some nice sisterly gyan. Nice sisterly gyan.
Says the propagator of small knowledge and the queen of gore:
“Its only fair that Papa gets a Cadbury for you too. Ask for it. If you have only toffees slimy green worms will wriggle in you’re a*^%$”
Ask for it.
And the Cadbury was asked. And the Cadbury was given. And a bitter bite was taken. And once again it was surrendered willingly. No slimy green yellow worms wriggling in the a&%$#
Later in school, when birthdays consisted of floral butterfly printed frocks and distribution of orange chocolates worth 20 paisa to classmates, life was spent waiting for this special day. The days on which there was someone’s B’ Day in the class were a close second best. There was something to look forward to.
20 paisa orange chocolates graduated to 50 paisa mango bites, coffee bites and éclairs. Rimpy wore her favourite frock with socks and pumps and accompanied Mama to Paanbazar. She half-ran half-walked with the pointy black stilettos which pulled her through crowded pot holes, rickshaws juggling with the potholes and Maruti Suzukis all thrown together at a place called market. Eyes went round, darting above at the jars containing the stars, the gems of every childhood. And mouth started salivating, seeing the treasures as the black stilettos and vanity bag bargained for the best deal.
There was yet another day when chocolates were very important in Rimpy’s life. That was the result day. Simi and Rimpy were in the same school, so results were also on the same day. That’s where the similarity ended; there was much difference as far as the marks were concerned. Papa always accompanied them to the school on the day of the result and afterwards there was a big prize- a Cadbury’s bar. Now it so happened he always bought a bigger Cadbury for Simi and a smaller one for Rimpy.
Rimpy was confused why her chocolate was smaller than Simi’s. Every year she thought aloud why is my chocolate smaller than her's?
A warm voice said “Because you are younger than her”
But somehow the Satan had his way of reaching you. Out came the reply from the giver of great wisdom and pincher of little balloons of happiness.
Little balloons of happiness. Gone Phish! Phish!
“I got better rank than you buddhu, so the bigger chocolate”
And suddenly chocolates were not so sweet.
They were bitter.
Cadbury’s is bitter.
What were chocolates to Rimpy? In the early amorphous years when memory was just born Rimpy didn’t know what chocolates were. So, whenever papa bought Cadbury’s Dairy Milk or Amul Chocolate she surrendered her bar to Simi after one bitter bite. When papa came to realise this, he started getting only one chocolate bar, for Simi and for Rimpy he bought toffees.
Things suddenly stopped being profitable, that extra bit, that second helping which was given unasked for suddenly came to halt. This prompted action. Some nice sisterly gyan. Nice sisterly gyan.
Says the propagator of small knowledge and the queen of gore:
“Its only fair that Papa gets a Cadbury for you too. Ask for it. If you have only toffees slimy green worms will wriggle in you’re a*^%$”
Ask for it.
And the Cadbury was asked. And the Cadbury was given. And a bitter bite was taken. And once again it was surrendered willingly. No slimy green yellow worms wriggling in the a&%$#
Later in school, when birthdays consisted of floral butterfly printed frocks and distribution of orange chocolates worth 20 paisa to classmates, life was spent waiting for this special day. The days on which there was someone’s B’ Day in the class were a close second best. There was something to look forward to.
20 paisa orange chocolates graduated to 50 paisa mango bites, coffee bites and éclairs. Rimpy wore her favourite frock with socks and pumps and accompanied Mama to Paanbazar. She half-ran half-walked with the pointy black stilettos which pulled her through crowded pot holes, rickshaws juggling with the potholes and Maruti Suzukis all thrown together at a place called market. Eyes went round, darting above at the jars containing the stars, the gems of every childhood. And mouth started salivating, seeing the treasures as the black stilettos and vanity bag bargained for the best deal.
There was yet another day when chocolates were very important in Rimpy’s life. That was the result day. Simi and Rimpy were in the same school, so results were also on the same day. That’s where the similarity ended; there was much difference as far as the marks were concerned. Papa always accompanied them to the school on the day of the result and afterwards there was a big prize- a Cadbury’s bar. Now it so happened he always bought a bigger Cadbury for Simi and a smaller one for Rimpy.
Rimpy was confused why her chocolate was smaller than Simi’s. Every year she thought aloud why is my chocolate smaller than her's?
A warm voice said “Because you are younger than her”
But somehow the Satan had his way of reaching you. Out came the reply from the giver of great wisdom and pincher of little balloons of happiness.
Little balloons of happiness. Gone Phish! Phish!
“I got better rank than you buddhu, so the bigger chocolate”
And suddenly chocolates were not so sweet.
They were bitter.
Cadbury’s is bitter.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Ella Bella
Rimpy must have been 3 or 4 years old. Living in a huge govt. quarter in Ghilamara, a small sleepy town near Lakhimpur, Assam. In this introvert, shy of modernization and materialism deciduous town with a dearth of artificial amusements people found their own sweet ways of amusement.
Every evening Rimpy’s sisters, Monju, the maid and a neighbour gathered to play. Mom had made it a condition that they could play only if they took Rimpy to play.
Only if Rimpy too went to play.
Hide and Seek.
Seek and Hide.
It was their favourite game. Hide and seek had the strange habit of beginning everywhere, out of the blue.
Everywhere. In the huge circles of flowers, in the sheds, in the huge echoing empty rooms, in the dark room (where the kerosene generator was kept), under the huge bogori ‘berry’ tree and of course in the big boulders of the adjacent fields.
While everyone was busy ‘I-Spying’ and ‘Dhappaing’ Rimpy had a very special role to play. Rimpy was ‘Ella Bella’ or not counted.
Ella Bella a unique concept, to get nuisance out of the way and still make the person feel great about it. Whoever was Ella Bella in a game had a special privilege of never getting caught or rather no one caught an Ella Bella.
Never out.
Never lost.
Never won.
Rimpy hid in one particular spot for hours. Be it a boulder or a flower bed. She heard the excited voices of the players, like a single twitching ear of a dog. The gushing nervousness of being caught, the exasperation of not being able to find anyone, hearing the unwanted ‘I-Spy’, the eagerness, relief of a Dhappa creeping from behind a bush. Those were the great pressures of the game.
Once in a while, as Rimpy sat with her frock raised, so that it didn’t touch the red, black, brown, ochre earth and she had bored of watching the crumpled grass, she stood up to see what was happening in the world above, i.e. outside the boulder. The moment her head popped out from the boulder she found her exasperated sister, Simi telling her to go back to her hiding place or Monju winking at her to hide. Thus went some more hours.
Never out.
Never lost.
Never won.
Rimpy, the Ella Bella.
Every evening Rimpy’s sisters, Monju, the maid and a neighbour gathered to play. Mom had made it a condition that they could play only if they took Rimpy to play.
Only if Rimpy too went to play.
Hide and Seek.
Seek and Hide.
It was their favourite game. Hide and seek had the strange habit of beginning everywhere, out of the blue.
Everywhere. In the huge circles of flowers, in the sheds, in the huge echoing empty rooms, in the dark room (where the kerosene generator was kept), under the huge bogori ‘berry’ tree and of course in the big boulders of the adjacent fields.
While everyone was busy ‘I-Spying’ and ‘Dhappaing’ Rimpy had a very special role to play. Rimpy was ‘Ella Bella’ or not counted.
Ella Bella a unique concept, to get nuisance out of the way and still make the person feel great about it. Whoever was Ella Bella in a game had a special privilege of never getting caught or rather no one caught an Ella Bella.
Never out.
Never lost.
Never won.
Rimpy hid in one particular spot for hours. Be it a boulder or a flower bed. She heard the excited voices of the players, like a single twitching ear of a dog. The gushing nervousness of being caught, the exasperation of not being able to find anyone, hearing the unwanted ‘I-Spy’, the eagerness, relief of a Dhappa creeping from behind a bush. Those were the great pressures of the game.
Once in a while, as Rimpy sat with her frock raised, so that it didn’t touch the red, black, brown, ochre earth and she had bored of watching the crumpled grass, she stood up to see what was happening in the world above, i.e. outside the boulder. The moment her head popped out from the boulder she found her exasperated sister, Simi telling her to go back to her hiding place or Monju winking at her to hide. Thus went some more hours.
Never out.
Never lost.
Never won.
Rimpy, the Ella Bella.
Welcome
The pure, the bright, the beautiful,
That stirred our hearts in childhood,
The impulse to awordless prayer,
The dreams of love and truth;
The longings after something lost,
the spirit's yearning cry,
The strivings after better hopes..
These things can never die.
-Ruskin Bond
That stirred our hearts in childhood,
The impulse to awordless prayer,
The dreams of love and truth;
The longings after something lost,
the spirit's yearning cry,
The strivings after better hopes..
These things can never die.
-Ruskin Bond
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