BEYOND BORDERS JUN 17

Those few moments were sufficient for me to throw my suit into the wardrobe, bags onto the table, grab a few
pieces of clothing and jump out through the door. Unfortunately, I landed on top of some of the most dangerous
equipment ever to grace this battlefield, legos. Probably the only things that could compare to these
contraptions were the hidden mines left by armies after war. I wished to cry out in pain, but made a valiant
attempt to show a brave face in front of the kids and slowly limped back to the living room. After finally making it
out in one piece, I collapsed onto the couch beside my wife. While I was slumping onto the sofa near my beloved
wife, I heard her saying ' This is the result of your karma. When you were young you and your friends had given
lot of trouble to Arun's parents like this nah? This is just history repeating itself"
This is not the first time she is saying this in the last few years. It started the day when my elder son's teenage
friends came home to stay over. The video games and all other silly stuff they do throughout the night created
roars of laughter from the living room in the middle of the night. That day I had doubted if this sleepover means
keeping awake and laughing all the way through the night at the cost of headaches and panadols for the parents.
Each wave of laughter added one additional pillow on top of my head which was already in an ostrich posture.
But finally when I ran out of pillows, I got out of the bed fuming with anger and with a determination to teach the
teenagers a lesson. I ignored the pleas of my wife not to bother the kids and stormed into the living room.
However the storm just fizzled out into a tiny breeze by the time I reached them. The memories of one's
childhood come at the most inopportune moment and create havoc through nostalgic memories, which just
freezes the brain. It happened to me that night. So when I reached the gang of ten teenagers enjoying their stay
over, the only words that came out of my mouth was "How are you all? Hope you are having a great time."
Five minutes later, I was getting into my ostrich posture under the pillows again. That was the first time that my
wife reminded of my teenage deeds that according to her, was reaping me these rewards.
Arun's place was our den for several years. From Grade 10 till finishing Engineering that was a place where nearly
10 of us would assemble each day in the evening to play anything and everything termed as a game or sport
under the sun. From Olympics to world cup football and cricket to shuttle championships, all taking place in the
less than 2000 square feet terrace of that house. Since Arun had a younger brother who was only one year junior
to him, both of them had common friends and that too in large numbers. Any given day minimum ten of us
would have marked our attendance in that house. Once the sun sets the games would be taken indoors with
caroms, chess and cards taking over the rooms of the two brothers.
All this commotion and uproar of ours never seemed to bother Arun's mother who used to be in the house all
the time while we were there. She too was a working lady who was back from work by 4 PM by which time the
first gang of friends would already have occupied the house. I now sometimes wonder how she had put-up with
all those painful evenings during those years. His father was working in another city and hence comes home only
during the weekends. But he too had never raised any concerns on our frivolous deeds. Arun's mother
sometimes used to ask us if there was any exam around the corner for any of us and once uncle had told us in a
light-hearted way after hearing too much thumping sounds from the terrace. "Kids, this house is constructed by
taking housing loan, it will be your responsibility to rebuild it if it falls down one day!!" That was the closest he has
come ever of scolding us!!!
Decades later most of the members of that gang have become leading Engineers, Doctors and Bankers around
the world. All of them have climbed the steep stairs of life's success. Recently one day when I went back to my
home town I went and met that mother again. I asked her; whether both of them were having peace of mind in
the evenings now that there was no one to disturb them. Their sons had settled down in two different continents
and were handling very senior professional roles. Her answer was truly an eye opener to me. "The period when
you kids were here and making all those noises were really the happiest period of our lives. That noise was
definitely more soothing and comforting than any word of kindness and sympathy that we hear these days" She
continued as her eyes were getting wet. "The fact that you all come here even now though both our sons are not
here gives us so much happiness. These days we look forward to such occasional visit of our sons' friends and
the annual visit of our sons and their children. Such visits are truly the only blissful moments in our lonely life.”
It has been a few years since I saw that mother. I made a point in my mind that I will go and see her again in my
next visit to India.
."Are you mad at me dad?" Was the question from my little one who woke me up from those nostalgic memories.
He had send off the tired soldiers back to their barracks in other flats and was coming to gauge the mood of his
dad.