WALKING THE STREETS OF BANGALORE

after my final exams were over we (my pap, mum and myself) had planned to stay with my big bro in bangalore for a few days and eeehhhhhh....aha! yea, cheer him up. i wasn't really looking forward to it, not because i didn't like my big bro or the place (infact i love both), but because i knew i would be all cooped up at home with nothing to do (if you do not take the cleaning of the dishes and cutting of vegetables into consideration). the first few days in bangalore went as predicted... i had to help my mum clean the entire place and arrange things- you know put all the things in their proper places (the fridge was used as a shelf). what with the frequent power cuts and water shortage, and being the victim of parental woes and frustrations, i was going insane. after 2 or 3 days i started adapting- i'd get up in the morning, say a little prayer to help keep my cool and to say hi to the Big Man up there (yyyyyyohhhhoooooo! i'm hheeeeeerrrreeee!), listen to music on my walkman (remember no electricity most of the time in the morning), read books(yawn, why am i feeling sleepy?), and watch LOTR( when pap is not at home and when mum doesn't have anything for me to do and when there's electricity and when i don't have to eat or sleep or go to the bathroom). adapting to the home environment in bangalore helped me to appreciate darwin's theory of the "survival of the fittest". my boring routine changed a bit, when my big bro, after having come back from work one day, offered to show me around. i jumped at the offer, ofcourse (although i acted like as if i wasn't really interested, just in case mum thought i was upto some kind of mischief).

AND THE STORY BEGINS- the first time we went for a walk, it was a little awkward. what with all the noise and distractions(including instances in which some belle passes by and my big bro's eyes glazes) i talked in a rather loud voice. it must've been real bad because in the middle of our conversation, when i had decidedly made a statement about something i strongly believed, my brotherly grimly replied, "great, you just broadcasted that, live!".

i used to wait all morning for these afternoon walks. i looked at it as an opportunity to exercise my legs, breath in the city air(can't call the air "fresh", can i?) and exchange ideas with big bro. while we walked we talked and talked about everything and anything-ranging from very serious matters like what we would like to be one day to less serious ones like, "hey ponni, what would you do if a guy does this/ says that...?". as a side buisness, we'd take different routes to have a good look around and avoid uncle X(a friendly old man who likes to talk a lot), comment on the people around(hey, check out that guy trying to look cool), become friendly with the kids in the block(noticed how cute kids look when they are shy?)...

just when life was becoming a little more enjoyable, it was time to leave....big bro waved us goodbye in the airport while pappa and mummy were trying hard to hold back their tears (what will the little boy do when we go?) and while i waved back cheerfully to convey the message-live life to the full, big bro!