Jai had one, Veeru had one, But I had (have) many...

At the twilight of childhood, there was this uncertain yet amusing feeling of stepping into adolescence. Not exactly a pair of reluctant legs, but certainly an inquisitive mind that was all set to run like a Forest Gump. Always had friends, may be was not so sure of the kind of world that would be unfurling in the days to come. As if life was all about being good in the classroom and outside of it there was a freaky yet fresh sky bestowing all the blessings. Study, play, laugh and dream- togetherness had only these inherent hygiene factors. Never had an idea what was up in store. Guys who one felt good to be with were too generously called friends and the pinch of innocence was probably the real beauty.
At 11, oh my gaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwssssssshhhhhh- I was 11 then, went to something- allow me to call it a hostel. It was the beginning of a new chapter in my life where I started to learn something called ‘sharing’. Being the 1st child of my parents, I was always the most pampered one and hence never perhaps cared for that term, or may be never had to. Sense and sensibility were reserved for a latter time. Then once I went home with a friend’s shirt covering the top half of my body. Well, I would vouch for the fact that it was not out of a kind of possessiveness, just a plain coincidence. My mom would scream at me and ask me not to do that again as if putting on someoneelse’s shirt was against the law of nature. I had no idea why she said what she said to me. About one and a half decade later when I was to go under the scalpel for a freaky injury that I had picked for over-stretching to reach out to a shuttle cock which got only worse with every game that I played, there was a group of buddies who left no stones unturned to ensure that I did not feel all by myself, broke all possible rules to be with me, share the fun that they had apparently brought to a room on the 7th floor of the hospital. One would take my mom to the ground floor for food and another would lit a fag and 4-5 agarbatties also to beat the raising eyebrows. Another would bring a nai to the room saying that the nurses would care better if I looked your normal self. They would take the doctors on duty for a cool ride asking questions that they would not normally hear from the acquaintances of a patient who had just undergone a surgery. Worse, from the discharge desk straight to a cabre dancer so that my pain was not felt. Back in the hostel they shifted my stuff to a room in a ground floor near to the loo and a chair cut in a way so that it became a commode for me as i was advised not to squat or stoop. Cutting short their times at labs, canteen and playground they would all join me in my room so that I was not left talking to myself. Guess what, they also shifted the TV which was there in our hostel canteen to my room because the world cup was on and others were kind enough not to complain. Am sure chetan bhagat would have borrowed few leafs had he known all these.
Dad stayed for few days but was not aware of all these. However, mom quietly took note of all those small things. After a good when she was to leave to join back her job, she would come to me and said with two lines of tears dropping down her cheeks, ‘now I know why you always care(d) so much for your friends’. Now my mom is proud of my friends as much she is for me.
Love you guys just being the way you are.