Miles to go ... before ... we eat!!

 

                                           

To have a sip of early morning hot Darjeeling Tea refreshes your mind and soul. But in those days we (feminine genders) were not allowed to have tea as it darkens the skin tone or they may say so. Now don't take yourself to the black and white era, this "those days" are  not very old, say the mid 90s.  Oops!! that is long back. Anyways, I still remember when my mom would let me cheat, as am Milk intolerant(not health-wise, lazy about good things😛😝) I would generally  generously add half a cup of tea to half cup milk and proudly call it "dudhchaa"

One such morning my Dad approaches me and asks if I would like to join some vocational class. I readily agree as I always need reasons to go out independently. Yes, back in "those days" it was ultimate freedom that my Di and I had. The rebellious that I was , my father wasn't of course unaware, so he tags my elder sis along, my Di.

 Ugh! it was tough for me as I wasn't allowed to smile or lift my head even when with Di. Thus Di was fondly called "Hitler."😋

Luckily the sun smiled and Di found her interest in a shorthand writing course or also called Stenography and I chose the Typewriting course. So, we would walk to the adjacent street and then take a rickshaw to reach the destination point. The first day of my typewriting class is still very fresh to me. Like all other teenagers, my eyes were spying on "something/someone good" 😈😜

The melody of the "takk takk" of the typewriter was mesmerizing then. I would enter as if it was my  Eden of Sanity. I felt like a boss working in a corporate.  I remember learning only few letters at the very initial classes,i.e ASDFG: from the left hand and  ;LKJH from the right-hand side. Nowadays it's proudly called Qwerty. Did you know in the late 1860s there would be two layers of keys one for uppercase and the other for a lowercase? Then a significant innovation was the shift key, introduced with the Remington No. 2 in 1878.  This is only for G.K.                                                                                 

Though for me this history and geography made no sense and I kept wondering why A ke baad B nahi aata? The new style of ABCD was quite a challenge for me. I, though, managed to make new friends among the hullabaloo of all learners. The whole intention of being in a vocational course was the class and the knowledge!!! Na!! Not for me.  

While I am getting used to this new pandemonium of travelling. My Di comes up this innovative idea of bargaining with the rickshaw -puller. Yes, in small towns they still do exist.  So we as always, start walking towards the nearest rickshaw stand, and like every other Indian, we felt it our birthright to bargain for mere 2 rupees.out of the total (though it meant a lot in those days) You won't believe what happens next... My Di makes me walk for a little more mile and convinces that we might find another one who agrees on our terms. We walk a little further,but we get none. So, Di suggests to walk a little  more further we might get one, I obey the orders. We finally got one... I was so relieved ,but suddenly the rickshaw personnel denies. "Excuse me," No one denies my Di, but it was in vain , the puller just turned and left. I felt as if I did not exist. That's it, sleeves up, comrade ready. I, in full rage assure Di , "I will get one" . I look here and there, everywhere, But did not give up. I was fuming but I was still walking towards home of course. 

                                         

Di looked tired and scared as we were getting late. My obedient Di dislikes anyone getting worried unnecessarily. But  we finally give up and try another option that is the local bus. Oh! after a wait for more than 15 long minutes which  seemed almost an hour, we gave up and started walking. We attained almost Nirvana when we found out that we had actually walked the whole route to Su casa. The house was just 2 minutes away , when Di turned and said," Look, lets walk till home, Maa has promised to make our favourite cake tonight, and with this money we  can buy her a bouquet." 

That was a splendid idea.  I could do anything for Maa 's home-made cake. I readily agree. And then after climbing 123 steps to my third floor apartment,(Yes, you guessed it right! ,No lift) finally reached home with a lovely bouquet. 

                                              Maa looked at us astonishingly as neither was it her birthday to receive any gift nor her anniversary. When I told her the details, she seemed quite surprised too, to know that she was given a surprise homework from my Di. Yes, it was a bluff!!! Just imagine. My Di and her money-saving policy. But yes, My mom did make a cake after all the walking we did. She hugged both of us and that love was all the reward one needs after walking that stressful walk.