Funny Short Story – My actor brother
Photo credit: taliesin from morguefile.com
My brother, one of the most interesting persons of my life: interesting, because his ways are different, superb, fantastic in handling – humour, wit, smartness and mischief. I’ve learnt many-a-things from him and consider him intelligent than me in many ways (should I say because he is ‘my’ brother :)), OK!
We grew up together in childhood, obviously because none of us were talented enough to be sent to a better institution other than in our city until much later which will follow in a bit.
So, he was in another school and I was in another. Mine was Number 1, while his was ….. if you know what I mean. Anyway, getting admission in Nursery was easy enough for him as at that point in time his notorious hormones had not yet developed. Docile, studious and obedient student was there to impress the teachers and our parents too! For a year or two, results used to be fantastic and he used to share equal accolades too but success slips away like sand in the hand and there it was….
By the time he was in his first grade he was competent enough to challenge any brat, not in studies clearly. Slowly the challenge was given to even more advanced entities. There used to be a variety on the list of agendas, of casual arguments to heroic brickbats and of threatening to physical fights involving hands, mouth, legs , nails, teeth, shoes and belt (later). Now you see how much variety there used to be! The people to participate in mischief were not just best villains but also supporting actors, comedians and cameramen. If those were involved how could the actresses have been left out. The girls were invited to be a part of the deviltry too (variety continued). Their lunchboxes were looted and emptied and obediently kept back in their respective safe houses leaving them in a mood to kill. The result – the whole crew had to gather for a session before the uninvolved director issuing warnings and threatening.
In the tuition sessions at home, which is a separate story he was even more out of control.
The story continued further when the actor, my brother changed his school and got admitted to a somewhat better school. Better by which estimate we got the clarity on it later. We were talking about variety a bit earlier in the previous school. In the present one variety had no dearth! After all the school was better, so competition was high.
Here, brother completely forgot his studies and focused on one aspect. After all concentrating on studies too would have been difficult and bro was always a clear customer so he maintained his focus and joined the competition of his genre. Believe me the competition wasn’t easy. A lot of patience was required to come to the front and he didn’t ample of it hence that had to foster losses somewhere. Every day used to be an exciting day, because he used to come home elated and proud with shoes dirty, clothes dishevelled and hair unkept with his achievements.
He befriended one goon and they both made a little mark on the school gradually attracting more competition from the established veterans. To prove one’s mettle fights were invited. Since open fights used to occur only to the absence of a teacher, the other option was to fight outside the premises. One day with the help of local goons bro and his goon were trapped. Both were gifted with seals of punches and kicks on their lean bodies. They returned home exhausted with gifts seeing which Papa got furious, both at his son and at the struggling actor. He asked my Uncle to intervene. Uncle with his circle reached the venue and the actor was asked to recognise the villains. The actor was also given full liberty to use his power then why not? It was like Yash Chopra supporting Shah Rukh Khan and letting him act any way he wanted to since the award was anyway confirmed for him and that’s what occurred. The goons had a bad day. Their movie flopped at the school box office and he finally won the best actor trophy that he eagerly wanted. Sorry there were no actress to fill it with a love story…..but movie’s still due…..
My Papa’s close friend has a very beautiful daughter and her name are equally apt, Fairy. She once visited with her family and there was power cut. There was some issue with the back up so the candles were lit and her family was surmounted by Mother, my sister and him. Mother was again a mother, my sister a sister, I was the supporting actor while he as usual was, the actor. Their eyes met and he went in awe in that hazy dim candle light. She was cute and shy, a typical girl before one’s parents. They left and he was all excited, elated and frenzied. Flirting was history, love was beckoning him. He asked for her family details from Mother and the next day he was on his new track that lead to his to-be beloved’s house. He began visiting her home with some pretexts or the other like taking mangoes from home to fried fish, the list also had variety! Her family never suspected so she used to meet him now and then. Overnight chatting over the phone became a regular phenomenon. Slowly like in any love story, feelings intensified and they both became serious about each other. One day her parents got her engaged to another guy.
The brother had to sort it, but how to, he was in a dilemma. He asked Mother to help revealing everything. The mothers play a very natural and positive role by default and my Mom didn’t require any rehearsal either so she offered the girl’s mother the marriage proposal. Her mother got surprised and uttered she had been engaged. Now what….
The story needed a twist. Fairy told everything at home and expressed her love boldly oblivious of the consequences. The consequences were expected too. She was taken away from home to her Uncle’s place in another city and locked there for a reward. She was expected to forget bro and marry the guy she was engaged to but who ever heard the referee in the game of love? She was tortured and traumatised daily. She used to get beaten, derided and sullied. The look on her face was all dampened. Her real, natural role was full of force mirroring the famous Laila from Laila Majnu fame.
Bro was aggravated and worried, impatient and clueless and everything that he was supposed to be. He asked Papa to intervene, help. Papa is a cool customer. He has tremendous experience of sorting issues and helping society and other people, coming from social work fraternity. He somehow got the number of Fairy’s Uncle – the experienced and unmoved villain of this story! After a lot of humble and polite exchange offers he remained unperturbed and continued exhibiting his villainous spree. He threatened of bloodshed. If we talk about him as a customer he was fixed and focused, he knew what he wanted and cracking him with options was useless. Ultimately Papa had to accept his offer.
Uncle – Baatcheet ki koi gunjaish nahin, ab to sirf izzat ki baat par khoon kharaaba hoga.
Papa – Ishq to Khuda hai, phir kya hum aur kya aap? Bachchon ka mamla hai, badon ko samajhdaari se suljha dena chahiye
Uncle – Bachche apni hadein paar karenge to hamein bhi karna padega.
Papa – Theek hai, agar Allah ko yahi manzoor hai to fir yahi sahi.
I loved Papa’s theory, it gives me more positiveness. Nevertheless, back to story. It is said that in any place if everyone is against you, there will always be at least one supporter for sure and it was true in Fairy’s case too. The small house maid, barely 8 years old, small but smart. She knew all and helped Fairy. One day Fairy fled!
She called at our home and informed my distant brother-in-law that she had fled. Brother-in-law was amazed and also afraid! He informed bro and bro to Papa. It was a climax so Papa had to take a big effort. He informed the city SP and related the whole story. The SP ordered the police department of that city to bring the girl safe to our city. It was done and by late noon she was at the police station. Papa and bro were not allowed to meet as per law but were advised to get her and bro married off ASAP. Papa followed suit. She and Bro in a few hours were dressed up and married off! I was away for studies and missed the whole incident and still do!!!!
Legally and socially they were the husband and wife, not to forget happily! They were at home and bro used to support Papa in his business. Soon due to some issues he left the business and came to Delhi and started working as an employer in Kohli Digital drawing a meagre salary. It was not sufficient so he joined a call centre. Being a hard worker he always wanted to progress, more so because now he was married and responsible. After two years he moved to Dubai and bagged a very good offer but Fairy wasn’t allowed to move with him so she had to wait for a year. Love, I tell you examines at every nook and corner but tests are after all tests and Fairy was a mistress to surpass them eventually. After a year’s long wait she moved with him. Lots of struggles and hard work helped them grow together and enhance in leaps and bounds. Today he holds a position in Siemens as Relationship Manager. More than a year back they were blessed with a baby boy, Addy.
Incidentally he is also a December born kid and ahead of his father in mischief and fun. Now I get to hear the actor talking about him saying – He is unbelievably naughty!
Why not, like son, like father.
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