CHAPTER 7. SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS MEETS CHANDU KE CHACHA!
DAY 4 OF THE TRAINING.
"Today", Maan spoke as he paced slowly in front of his audience, "We are going to learn some tongue twisters!"
His audience consisting of his sister, his brother and his mentee looked at each other in confusion. The sibling duo was confused because tongue twister was a game. Why are they playing a game instead of teaching Geet? Geet was confused because she did not know what tongue twisters meant.
"Bro!", Dev piped in confusion, "Isn't tongue twister a game?"
Annie nodded in agreement.
Maan shook his head, "Tongue twister is not just any game! It is a game which helps in improving pronunciation."
Geet spoke up, "But what is tongue twisters?"
"Are!", Maan corrected, "Is is for singular, Are is for plural! What are tongue twisters?"
Geet nodded and then asked the question properly.
"It is a phrase which is difficult to pronounce due to the words used in it!", Annie explained, "Like... Umm... Like Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers! Now you repeat it!"
"Pickled... Pick... Peter... Kya?", Geet was confused.
"Exactly!", Dev joined in, "Peter Piper Pickled a Peck of Pickled Peppers! A Peck of Pickled Peppers Peter Piper Picked!"
Geet blinked twice and then it clicked her. It was like that Chandu Ke Chacha sentence! This was the English version of that game!
"I understand!", Geet chimed, "Errr... Understood!"
"Fine! Then lets start!", Maan announced, "Try this Geet! Repeat after me! She Sells Sea-Shells on the Sea Shore!"
"She Shells...", Geet began when Annie interrupted her, "She sells!"
"Ok! See Sells!", Geet began and was interrupted again, but this time by Dev, "She sells!"
Geet pouted and then huffing she began again, "She... sells...", she smiled at others for getting it right making Annie smile back, Dev show a thumbs up and Maan roll his eyes.
"Exactly! Now continue! She Sells Sea Shells on the Sea Shore!", Maan spoke.
Geet took a deep breath and began saying her words very slowly, "See... Shells...! Nahi nahi!"
Maan let out a growl and Geet scared started again, "She ... Sells... She Shells...!" She stopped when Dev slapped his forehead, Maan let out another growl and Annie simply shook her head.
Suddenly Dev had an idea, "Ok! Geet! Listen to me! First is sha, then is sa, again sa and then sha! Got it!"
Geet frowned, "Sha sa sa sha! Kya...", then her eyes widened as it clicked to her, "Haan! Samajh gayi! She Sells Sea Shells! I am right, right?"
Annie and Dev grinned at her while Maan shook his head.
"Ab pura bolo!", Dev encouraged.
Geet spoke with pride, "She Sells Sea Shells on the She Shore!"
Now Geet was very confused. Why is everybody slapping their foreheads?
Half Hour Later...
"She Sells Sea Shells on the Sea Shore!", Geet recited making the other three heave a sigh of relief. Finally!
Geet let out a deep breath for getting it right. Finally! This Sea She madness would have turned me mad if I had to recite it anymore! Chalo! Now done with these tongue twisters! I can relax!
"OK! Now onto the next one!", Maan announced.
Kya? Geet's jaw dropped open as she looked from a stern Maan to excited Annie to grinning Dev who zoomed the video camera in his hand on her face capturing her bewildered expression.
Maan, ignoring Geet's expression, continued, "In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire, Hurricanes Hardly Ever Happen!"
Geet's face brightened at that. This is so simple!
"In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire, Hurricanes Hardly Hever Happen!", Geet recited happily, only for her happiness to diminish at Maan's stern expression. Hey Babaji! Now what did I do?
Maan narrowed his eyes, "Miss Geet! Stop reciting exactly what I say and think!"
Geet frowned in confusion.
"Have you ever heard of the word, hever?", Maan questioned.
Geet blinked twice and then it clicked her. As all other words started with H', she added H' to ever too.
Maan rolled his eyes when he saw comprehension dawn on Geet's face, "Ab samjha! Always remember Geet! Don't recite things foolishly! Listen, understand then say! You tried to copy me blatantly without concentrating on the words and your mind simply added H' to every word in that sentence. Now concentrate and say it again!"
Geet nodded, looking properly chastised and recited the line again, this time being careful with ever'.
"Alright! Now onto the next one!", Maan announced and Geet got up in shock, "The next one is..."
Geet interrupted him, "Kya? Ek aur?", she gasped.
Maan glared at her for interrupting him. Thankfully his dreams about her legs had stopped last night and he slept soundly or else he would have punished Geet by giving her another set of books to read just for interrupting him. But as he was in better mood today, he simply glared as he glanced at the time. There was 15 more minutes left for session to end.
"There is 15 minutes left. We can cover another tongue twister here!", Maan replied.
"Nahi! No more! I can't do it! I went crazy learning the first one and then the second one was also tough. I am not doing another!",Geet replied.
"Geet! You are going against me? You are going to talk back to me?", Maan asked as his eyes became furious with anger.
Geet gulped in anger but did not back off, "Haan! I am not going to recite another one. My tongue is tired!", she whined making Maan roll his eyes.
Dev grinned as he eagerly zoomed in the scene, wanting to capture the latest fight on the video.
Maan gritted his teeth, "Geet! Don't fool me! Tongues don't get tired!"
Geet looked at him confused, "Uh... Uh... Tongue tired nahi toh kya hua, my mouth is tired, my throat is tired and my brain is tired!"
She huffed at him. Maan took few steps entering her personal space making her lean back at his sudden action, "How dare you!", he hissed, "HOW DARE YOU!", he roared making Geet squeak and plop down on her seat in shock.
"Here I am taking time out of my busy schedule, teaching you so many things, and you sit and complain here! Jyaada kya maanga maine tumse! Did I ask something too much from you? I simply asked you to try another tongue twister so that your pronunciation and speech would improve but what are you doing? You are sitting here and whining about being tired! How dare you! Here I am improving your life and you back answer me! How dare you!", Maan would have continued with his tirade if Geet, who was already sleep deprived and mentally exhausted, would have kept quiet.
But totally tired Geet had enough of this madness. Especially his line, How dare you!' How dare I? Now I will show you how I dare!
"BAS!", Geet shouted making Maan shut up, Annie blink in surprise and Dev looking at her in awe. First woman to shut his brother up! Jai ho Geet mata! You are great!
"What How dare you' How dare you', you keep on repeating! Yes! I dare! I am not your usual uh... Uh...", what was the word she heard Annie saying a day back, oh yes, "Bimbo! Yes! I am not your usual bimbo", here Annie let out a chuckle, "whom you can treat the way you want! Samjhe? Geet hoon main! Not going to be scared of you! Got it? And I am not a delicate flower, who is scared of you and follows your every word! I am a strong girl, not scared of anybody... uh... " how did that phrase go? Aha! Remembered it, "Least of all, you! Samjhe?"
Geet got up and marched towards him, making him walk back in surprise. His back slammed to the wall and Geet stepped into his personal space, with her glare reminding him of the Goddess his Daadima used to adore, Maa Kaali.
"And don't you dare act so... So...", Oh teri! I forgot that phrase! Kya tha? Kya tha? Haan!, "So high and mighty? Don't take that...uh... Don't take that...", kya line tha? Haan!, "Don't take that holier than thou attitude with me! You did not take me in due to pity or sympathy for me! You took me in to win that..." how does he say it? Ah yes!, "that damn bloody bet! That's all I am to you! So... So...", Hey Babaji! What was the phrase about horse? Aha!, "So get down off your high horse and start treating me like a human!"
Geet glared at him so fiercely that Maan had to gulp in fear. After few minutes of silence, she backed away and took a deep breath. Maan looked up thankfully. Bach gaye!
"Waise...", Geet spoke and Maan suck in a breath. Ab kya?
Geet gave him a smirk, "I tried your tongue twisters and learned two of them. But can you learn mine?", she challenged.
The impishness with which Geet looked at him filled him with dread but his ego refused to let him back out, "Challenge Accepted!", Maan announced proudly, very sure that any of the tongue twisters she threw at him would be easy to learn. After all, he was Maan Singh Khurana, right?
"Hum bhi try karenge!", Annie piped in as Dev nodded.
"Fine! Then repeat after me! Chandu Ke Chacha Ne Chandu Ke Chachi Ko Chandni Raat Mein Chandni Chowk Pe Chandi Ke Chamach Se Chatni Chataayi!", Geet said it in full speed making other three's eyes go wide. Is this same girl who struggled with She Sells and Sea Shells?
"What! Geet! Say it slowly!", Dev requested making Geet huff and repeat it slowly. All three tried to follow her words and repeat it carefully but they could not.
"Chandu Ke Chacha Ne Chandu Ke Chandi Ko...Gr.rrr", Maan growled.
"Chandu Ke Chacha Ne Chandu Ki Chamchi Ko... Uh Oh!", Annie mumbled.
"Chandu Ke Chacha Ne Chandu Ki Chachi Ko Chandu Ki Raat Ko... Oh Yaar! Who the hell is this Chandu?", Dev whined.
All three continued to try but they could not get it right.
Finally Geet spoke up, "Achcha theek hai! If not this, then let us try something else! Khadak Singh Ke Khadakne Se Khadakti Hai Khidkiyaan, Khidkiyon Ke Khadakne Se Khadakta Hai Khadak Singh!"
"Ha! This is so easy!", Maan spoke up, "Khadak Singh Ke Khadak Singh Se..."
Maan stopped as everything started laughing.
"Bro! It is like this! Khadak Singh Ke Khadakne Se Khadak Singh Hai Khidkiyaan...", Dev stopped in confusion as Geet and Annie laughed loudly while Maan chuckled.
"I am not even going to try this!", Annie gave up right away.
"Dekha Mr. Khurana! Learning new things is not so easy! Next time show some patience with me!", Geet admonished as she walked towards the door.
Suddenly, Geet stopped right beside Maan who was standing near the door, "Mr. Khurana!
Samajh Samajh Ke Samajh Ko Samjho,
Samajh Samajh Ke Samajh Ko Samajhna Hi Samajh Hai
Jo Samajh Ko Samajh Kar Bhi Na Samjhe
Woh Pata Hai Kya Hai?"
Maan looked at her with curiosity on his face. Geet smiled as she patted his cheek, "Woh Nasamajh Hai! (He is ignorant!)"
Geet giggled as Maan glared at her. She turned and skipped out of the room. Just as she reached the door, Maan called her, "Geet!"
She turned to see Maan looking at her with his hands in his pockets and mirth in his eyes, "I am thinking about giving you Shakespeare to read in the evening! Dev!", he looked at his younger brother, "Shakespeare must have written atleast 10 plays right?"
Geet's eyes widened. 10 plays? And knowing this khadus, he will ask me to read it in one day! Hey Babaji! Her jaw dropped open as she looked at Maan with horror.
Maan looked at her with mock innocence, "Kyun Geet? You can read those plays in one night, right?"
"AAAHHH!", Geet let out a loud scream, turned and stomped off to her room all the while mumbling under her breath, "Khadus Khurana! I am going to kill you!"
Maan smirked at her retreating back, happy to have won this round of argument. As usual, I had the last word!
In the evening, Annie was walking through the house when she heard voices coming from the study. What is this noise? Are her brothers arguing? She entered the room only to stop in shock.
"Samajh Samajhke Samjhaana... No! No! Samajh Samajhke Samajh Samajhna... Again wrong... Samajh Samajh Ke...", Dev recited from a paper in his hand as he sat on the floor. This was not surprising for Annie as Dev was very friendly with Geet so Geet writing down the tongue twister for Dev to learn was given and so was the fact that Dev took initiative to learn new things. But what shocked Annie was right behind Dev Maan was pacing as he tried to recite Chandu Ke Chacha line.
"Chandu Ke Chacha Ne Chanda Ki Chachi... Err... No... Chandu Ke Chacha Ne Chandu Ki Chachi Ko Chandni Chamach... Arre Nahi... Chandu Ke Chacha Ne...", Maan continued to recite as Annie walked out of the room in shock.
Annie wondered in confusion. When did the teacher become student here? Hey Babaji!
Thanks, take care and have fun,
Kalpana
P.S. I have translated the first chapter of this story in English! If you did not understand the dialogues in first chapter till now, check it out coz some of the dialogues are worth reading!
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