Memory Lane: Two Suns in the Sunset!
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Yes Indeed! The dark sunglasses, the cowboy boots, and the black overcoat -- perhaps a longer hair. I would look exactly like HIM. I imagined thumping around with my boots around Jawalakhel Zoo, while my siblings complimented from behind. I began to indulge deeply in my usual creative freedom.
“Bhayena Bhayena!!!!†The ruffled voices of girls next door pierced through my ears. I took a sigh and removed the towel from my face. Lying in the Gundri, I gazed at the dazzling blue sky as the winter sun beat down upon me. A jet flew by vertically above me, and I placed my thumb over it closing one of my eyes. A few seconds passed as it emerged back in the sky. Yawning lazily, I pondered about the last few days of my vacation. Suddenly, I heard a fleeting but a soothing laughter next door-- a signature laughter that stood out among all other pungent laughter.
I rose quickly and moved to the end of the “chaut.†There she was – unflustered, pure and magical. Her silky hair combed as usual and put into place by a radiant red hairpin. Her tidy clothes tucked nicely. She stood out instantly among my sisters and their friends— umm quite a drastic change in two years.
“Oys! Ta pani khelne?†my sister inquired indifferently as she jumped up and missed the elastic lining all together. It was Shivani’s turn. She was the best when it came to “Machakadi.†She put her knees in place, pressed forward confidently to the elastic stretch till she met the other end. She jumped up in perfection and put the other line under her feet expertly and jumped away gleefully. As she did, she stole a furtive glance up at me.
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“Shivani kasti ramri bhaki hai!†my sisters rubbed it in as I took a Thin Arrowrot biscuit, dipped it in tea and held it halfway up my mouth as they mentioned her. The biscuit crumbled and fell back into the cup creating a miniature ripple. I remembered vividly the times she and her younger sister came bicycling with us in our beloved Gahana Pokhari. I swallowed hard thinking about her chapped lips, dry cheeks, messy clothes and that hideous runny nose. She never carried a handkerchief. It was that very day her younger sister had come up to me tagging along my sister asking for a YES or NO handing me a little note scribbled by Shivani . Unable to say NO, I slid the note in my pocket and bicycled home as fast as my tiny legs could carry me .
Maybe she’d matured. I was already going to be a senior for the upcoming term at my school. I began to paint new hopes in my mind, often smearing cubicles that I could best fit in. She took an instant backseat as Anil Mama made entrance in the house. He was our favorite mama by a big margin at the time. Not only was he the youngest of all my mamas, but he also brought innumerable entertainment. The Bollywood and Hollywood gossips which he’d act out to perfection as we’d watch hypnotized. The fact that he slightly resembled younger version of Govinda really helped his cause.
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It was him who had instilled belief upon me that Mithun Chakravorti wasn’t a bad actor. We’d seen Dance Dance together very recently, and he had also verified that one could really die of electric shock off an electric guitar. The Mithun Mania reached its pinnacle for me when I learnt from Mama that Mithun was Half Nepali. From an oblivious hero, he became an overnight idol leapfrogging Jesse of Streethawk.
“Mama! K bhayo?†Mama seemed out of sync that afternoon.
“Tension bhai racha ni bhanja†he removed his Friend cap and scratched his head as our curiosity reached its threshold.
“Govinda ra Mithun ko Break Dance Competition bhai racha!†I gaped my mouth open in disbelief.
“Kasle Jitcha ta Mama, Kasle?†I silently rooted for my new Idol.
“Hmm! Mithun ko steps haroo ramro cha, tara Govinda jatti nache pani thakdaina re!†He broke out the bad news to me “Mithun Churot khancha ni!â€
Indeed, I had seen him puffing ciggies in so many movies. He would eventually pay the price. The dark glasses, the cowboy boots and the black overcoat suddenly seem to lose their appeal. In days to come, Mithun-Govinda break dance would dominate our neighborhood conversations even out witting the possibility of Rajiv Gandhi being handed back to India a year after his assassination. As little our country is, we probably have the greatest sense of rumor.
“Ani result kaile aaucha ta Mama?†I queried.
“Khoi bhanja! Ek dui deen ma aaula!†I hoped this would be like his SLC result that would never come. When we heard the 125 cc of Honda engine roar to an audible level, Mama instantly sprung up as usual and left in a hurry making an excuse about some meeting.
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“Anil kina nabaseko? Khalli hallera hidne bani lageko cha tyasko!†I followed Maami to her room closely not listening to my Dad’s shouting from below to get ready as soon as possible.
“Khoi! Meeting cha re!†I reached for her bag in anticipation.
Maami bent down to my level, brushed my cheek and looked into my eyes “Herr babu! She reached inside her bag. “maile ta talai kalo chasma leidinai lageko. Daktar le, yesto bacha ma layo bhane pachi andho huncha re!â€
My heart sank completely. She had promised to get me the dark shades the entire two months. I couldn’t take it to school. All I wanted it was for two days. She read my mind “pattainas! La herr! She took out a note. It was from a doctor. Clumsily written in black ink, it read: “Black glasses cause blindness in children†Signed Dr. Baidya. That was all the proof needed to satiate my virgin mind as my dislike for Mithun grew stronger.
“Babu! Boru tayar bhayera Daddy sanga ja†She scurried me to change my clothes. “parsi school farkinu parcha, tero jutta ni fateko raichaâ€
The day that started in such an inspiring fashion was coming to a grinding halt. As the last throw of the dice of my desires, I asked my dad wishfully “Daddy yo pali BATA ko jutta hai! Kasto ramro huncha!†I climbed up the backseat and wrapped my little hands around his waist. I meant to say Bata ko Boots. “La la herula!†he gave his usual vague reply, which meant the end result was imminent. As always, after hours of bargaining and myriad trials, we came back home with a pair of not so dazzling FitRite shoes.
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“Ahile samma ni chiya khayeko chaina raicha, kasto behosi cha yo ta!†Didi took away the untouched cup to reheat it. I had lost myself completely going over the childhood treasures. It felt so good to be back home with the realization that not having to go back to hostel ever again. I lay back in the bed and went over an enormous pile of post cards Within minutes, I found my Ex-Idol. Mithin in his black suit, with sleek boots and shiny dark shades. I couldn’t help but laugh as I ran my eyes through the poster of Boris Becker hanging in the wall beside my bed.
Digging further, I found the note to which I should have answered YES or NO. My sister had filled in that Shivani and her family had moved to Hong Kong a few months previously. Moving ahead, my eyes suddenly got arrested on the other note from the doctor prescribing me against the sun glasses. I had completely missed the letterhead on which the note was written. It was the same as the bank she was employed in. How could I have been so stupid? I had underestimated maami. I didn’t even need to match the writings!
Didi got back with a warm cup of special tea and placed it by the window
“La aba chai nabirsi hai!†she said. I nodded my head. I looked outside the window into the bari, the narrow gulli and then far into the horizon. The red sun was setting smearing a colorful hue of long, lost childhood memories across the evening sky. For the first time in my life, I noticed two suns setting together.
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