This incident occurred when I was in eighth class. I used to commute to my school on bicycle. Nayana, who stayed couple of blocks away from our house, suffered a knee injury. We were family friends and her mother requested me to carry Nayana to and from school on my bicycle. I was more than glad to do so!. Nayana was in E division while I was in D. Sameer was Nayana’s classmate and was known to be close to ‘Parkhi’ , a political DON !. Well with my sense of understanding today, Parkhi probably was one of the ‘partially educated –unemployed ‘ whom the local politicians used for all the wrong reasons . Parakhi derived his powers based on his political connections and was a BIG person for the teens of our township. Connections to him for us in those times ( and age) were equivalent to connections with ‘D’ !. Sameer probably was in love with 8th standard syllabus and was keen on learning it thoroughly!. This was his third year , one of the few who achieved the feat .
So started my ‘cycle-pool’ for Nayana. Day one was good ending with me eagerly waiting for the next day. On day two, while returning from school, I found my cycle with a flat tyre at the parking. Since Nayana couldn’t walk that long, I arranged a lift for her and was returning home. I found Sameer and his friends (well he never had friends from the school…they were kids for him) waiting a few meters ahead. While crossing them, I bowed to Sameer in the anticipation that he would probably recognize me !. After all hie was ‘Parkhi’s man’!.To my surprise, I found them waiting for me !. Before I could understand, I was pushed and I fell down along with my bi-cycle. I was hit all over, slapped multiple times and abused with the most foul language. All this while I pleaded to know the reason.
In nutshell, the story was, Sameer was madly in love with Nayana and hence retained the moral responsibility of protecting from all the evil!!. My proximity with her was obviously not acceptable and I had to be punished for the same. All this while the girl ( as I realized later) cared a damn for him !. I was now really sacred of even being seen near Nayana, let go accompanying her to the school !. However, it was difficult to explain to parents. So I would take her on my bi-cycle and ask her to get down 200 meters ahead of school gate. However even this was noticed by the ‘spies’ and I was to pay the price , this time thrashing ,followed by some ‘Dhamki’ from one of Sameer’s ‘commanders ‘ .
I stopped going to school altogether for a few days. I had mixed feelings of anguish, fear, humiliation, helplessness and all the others in the family of thoughts. I was a ‘good boy’ in school and had a reputation to carry. However this news would by now have spread across and I was embarrassed to even face my friends. All, this apart from the physical pain I had to bear.
The cycle-pooling stopped but not my abuse. Probably I was established as an object of suspicion and verbally and at times physically abused by this group every now and then, within the school premises and outside. It now had become more of an habit than a reaction to events. Complaining was not going to help much and I was silently suffering taking into stride all the humiliations, not letting anyone, especially the parents know. This continued for about three to four months. I was keen to visit my relatives during summer vacation so as to avoid contact.
In the early days of my ninth standard schooling, I was visited by a cousin of mine from Mumbai. My cousin was born and brought up in Dadar and claimed to be an accomplice of underworld don ‘ Amar Naik’ . He also claimed to be close to some stalwarts of a political party in Mumbai. I was ecstatic on his arrival since he was somebody I could rely upon. I explained him the entire story which he listened patiently. He consoled me , gave me some mantra and philosophy and suggested me a way to deal with it and I acted accordingly.
Two days later, after doing some research, I bunked my classes to coincide with Sameer’s PT period. That was one of the few times when he was on his own. I joined their class in playing football and in the process (as a matter of fact in couple of minutes before anybody could realize), pushed Sameer really hard. I was a well build boy and the impact was visible. Sameer had suffered some bruises on his nose and knees. He soon recovered and rushed at me like a wild bull. I stood calmly at my position and slapped him as soon as he approached me. By now the entire team had gathered and the PT instructor, thinking it to be a football-fight sorted it out, while scolding me for bunking my periods.Later in the evening, I even bunked my last period and ensured a flat tyre for Sameer.
His friends usually met him just outside the school. I waited for Sameer after the school. My mere presence near the cycle stand was enough to get him mad and he ran at me. This time (and I feel sorry for him even today!), I hit him at the wrong place and continued hitting him till it took him to recover. He was in absolute state of shock and did not know how to react. I stood there while he was crying in pain and then left while giving a strong signal of not messing up with me again.
The next day, I was accompanied by my cousin to the school. As expected, the ‘gang’ was waiting for me at the school gate. As planned, my cousin stood a few meters away while I proceeded –a little scared of course. To my surprise, it was Parkhi along with Sameer. He caught hold of me, slapped me once. But this time, I was bold enough and shouted at him to hear me out. I explained him the whole story about being victimized because of entertaining a ‘family request’ and that I had no interest in the girl etc etc. I was let off and asked to mend my ways and not to ever touch Sameer again!. I agreed with a rider that Sameer would stay away from me as well. Of course, all this courage was attributed to my cousin, standing and watching from a few meters away!. I was amazed at the fact that the situation was handled fairly OK with no involvement from my cousin.
Here is what my cousin had told me the day before
“These kind of skirmish (his word was Rada) happen occasionally. We often tend to wait for the next opportunity to avenge for the earlier one .However that may not always happen. You don’t know when the next event happens and you probably have by then gotten over it. The opponent and circumstances may be different. Besides yesterday’s enemies may be today’s friends. So, what is important is that you come out victorious/ unscathed out of every battle. You need to respond to every adventure swiftly so as to proclaim your superiority. You may use sam,dam ,dand ,bhed to achieve it . At times you may also have to flee and hide. Once you start sensing danger, you need to have a plan and strategy to deal with it . Your opponents may be stronger than you . At times you may not even know them. But what is important is that you think ahead of them and that’s what keeps you alive! Your strength is your only weapon and no other weapon helps ! Reliance on others does not help too much .You friends would support you if you are strong. They will console you if you are weak.”.
These words, although were mostly applicable to his ‘line of business’, had a strong impression on me and helped me ‘take care ‘of couple of such incidents in my life. Eventually, I drifted away from this cousin of mine and his words until …..
I was telling this story to a group of friends on 14th July when one of them argued.
So started my ‘cycle-pool’ for Nayana. Day one was good ending with me eagerly waiting for the next day. On day two, while returning from school, I found my cycle with a flat tyre at the parking. Since Nayana couldn’t walk that long, I arranged a lift for her and was returning home. I found Sameer and his friends (well he never had friends from the school…they were kids for him) waiting a few meters ahead. While crossing them, I bowed to Sameer in the anticipation that he would probably recognize me !. After all hie was ‘Parkhi’s man’!.To my surprise, I found them waiting for me !. Before I could understand, I was pushed and I fell down along with my bi-cycle. I was hit all over, slapped multiple times and abused with the most foul language. All this while I pleaded to know the reason.
The only thing I was told was ‘Don’t mess up with me !. Stay away from Nayana’!
I was badly bruised and had good amount of explanation to do at home, besides skipping school the next day because I was horribly scared.
I stopped going to school altogether for a few days. I had mixed feelings of anguish, fear, humiliation, helplessness and all the others in the family of thoughts. I was a ‘good boy’ in school and had a reputation to carry. However this news would by now have spread across and I was embarrassed to even face my friends. All, this apart from the physical pain I had to bear.
In the early days of my ninth standard schooling, I was visited by a cousin of mine from Mumbai. My cousin was born and brought up in Dadar and claimed to be an accomplice of underworld don ‘ Amar Naik’ . He also claimed to be close to some stalwarts of a political party in Mumbai. I was ecstatic on his arrival since he was somebody I could rely upon. I explained him the entire story which he listened patiently. He consoled me , gave me some mantra and philosophy and suggested me a way to deal with it and I acted accordingly.
Two days later, after doing some research, I bunked my classes to coincide with Sameer’s PT period. That was one of the few times when he was on his own. I joined their class in playing football and in the process (as a matter of fact in couple of minutes before anybody could realize), pushed Sameer really hard. I was a well build boy and the impact was visible. Sameer had suffered some bruises on his nose and knees. He soon recovered and rushed at me like a wild bull. I stood calmly at my position and slapped him as soon as he approached me. By now the entire team had gathered and the PT instructor, thinking it to be a football-fight sorted it out, while scolding me for bunking my periods.Later in the evening, I even bunked my last period and ensured a flat tyre for Sameer.
The next day, I was accompanied by my cousin to the school. As expected, the ‘gang’ was waiting for me at the school gate. As planned, my cousin stood a few meters away while I proceeded –a little scared of course. To my surprise, it was Parkhi along with Sameer. He caught hold of me, slapped me once. But this time, I was bold enough and shouted at him to hear me out. I explained him the whole story about being victimized because of entertaining a ‘family request’ and that I had no interest in the girl etc etc. I was let off and asked to mend my ways and not to ever touch Sameer again!. I agreed with a rider that Sameer would stay away from me as well. Of course, all this courage was attributed to my cousin, standing and watching from a few meters away!. I was amazed at the fact that the situation was handled fairly OK with no involvement from my cousin.
A few days later, my cousin went back to Mumbai but left a very important lesson for me . Sameer and his gang never ever troubled me. In fact, in tenth standard, Sameer befriended me with the intention to be-friend to Nayana! .And I continued with the new friendship while dilly –dallying the introduction under some pretext or other !. Sameer realized this but couldn’t do much about it !.
“These kind of skirmish (his word was Rada) happen occasionally. We often tend to wait for the next opportunity to avenge for the earlier one .However that may not always happen. You don’t know when the next event happens and you probably have by then gotten over it. The opponent and circumstances may be different. Besides yesterday’s enemies may be today’s friends. So, what is important is that you come out victorious/ unscathed out of every battle. You need to respond to every adventure swiftly so as to proclaim your superiority. You may use sam,dam ,dand ,bhed to achieve it . At times you may also have to flee and hide. Once you start sensing danger, you need to have a plan and strategy to deal with it . Your opponents may be stronger than you . At times you may not even know them. But what is important is that you think ahead of them and that’s what keeps you alive! Your strength is your only weapon and no other weapon helps ! Reliance on others does not help too much .You friends would support you if you are strong. They will console you if you are weak.”.
These words, although were mostly applicable to his ‘line of business’, had a strong impression on me and helped me ‘take care ‘of couple of such incidents in my life. Eventually, I drifted away from this cousin of mine and his words until …..
13-July- 2011.
“Don’t be silly. You cannot compare street fights or kid fights with terrorism (I don’t buy this word. But more about it later….). They are way different.
Well…Are they??
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