Knight on Ninety Horses-Short Story-Note Pg 102 Dec 1, 2017

Knight on Ninety Horses

Chapter 1

1989

"Hey Maan, did you get to catch yesterday's one-day match? That new 16- year-old kid, 100 not out yaar. I'm telling you, this kid, what's his name again? Oh yeah, Sachin Tendulkar. He is the next Gavaskar, man. He's going to make history, you mark my words."

"I only watched the first half yaar Adi. My cousins and me all went to see Sridevi dancing in Chandni'."

"Damn you traitor. Why didn't you ask me along? I heard she is really hot in 'Lage aaj sawan ki phir woh jhadi hai.' The theater would have been ringing with my wolf whistles if I had been there."

"That's exactly why you were not invited," Maan mumbled under his breath. "No yaar, it was a sudden plan and then all the aunties and uncles joined in and it became a whole family affair."

"Oh your uncles and aunts were there too? Never mind then. I'm glad for the non-invitation. Damn!!! When will a Sridevi come into our lives yaar."

"Under very dire circumstances. Either when your legs are broken like Rishi Kapoor's or your first wife is dead, like Vinod Khanna's."

"Oh man you gave away the whole plot." Adi whined.

"So who gets Sridevi?" He prompted.

"Not telling."

"Come on Maan, you can't leave me hanging like that."

Maan grinned and walked away.

"At least tell me, was she hot?"

Maan kept on walking, paused after a while, lifted both his thumbs up and continued on.

"Hey let's go watch it together on the trip to Goa." Adi yelled out.

Maan lifted his thumbs up once again.

"But maa I don't want to go meet some uncle in Goa. I've already made plans with my friends for that evening." Maan whined to his mom.

"Come on Maan. Just for a few hours. Spend some time with them. I'm sure you'll have a great time. That uncle spent a few years of his childhood here in our house when he ran away from home. His dad wanted to marry him off at 15, while uncle wanted to continue his education further. Your grandfather took him in our house and uncle has always been very grateful for that and wants to meet the grandson of his benefactor." His mom cajoled.

Now Maan was intrigued.

"Wow they tried to get uncle married at 15?"

"Yeah. It was quite normal in those days for such things, however your uncle has always had a mind of his own and has lived life by his own rules."

"What does he do now?"

"He is the principal of a school in Goa. It used to be a rundown primary school with barely any attendance that Anna has literally raised from the ground up with his sweat and intelligence. He is always embroiled in the village politics that surround the school and has even been threatened at gun point a time or two."

"Wow at gun point? I wonder how that felt."

"Why don't you go and ask him. Find out for yourself. You can also meet bhabhi. She is a complete sweetheart. Oh and their two kids."

Great, now I have to go tolerate some brats too? Maan thought.

His maa was still talking.

"I do believe they are 15 and 18."

"Who is?"

"Anna's daughters. Maan are you even listening to what I'm telling you?"

Oh yes, he was definitely listening now.

"Alright Maa. I'll go meet them if you insist."

Forget the 15-year-old brat, but he was definitely interested in meeting this intriguing uncle and his 18-year-old daughter. He was definitely not going to be bored that evening that was for sure.

Interesting to read something fron that era.

First meeting in next part.

Will be waiting.

Kiska hai saaya

Dekho chaand aaya

Chaand nazar aaya

😆

Hello there!

****

Sridevi is hot man! She is. Whether be it in Lagi aaj Sawan ki fir woh jhadi or English Vinglish Navrati.

And then that song

Tut gayi tut ke main chur ho gayi

Tera jadu chal gaya oh jaadugar

I liked this Adi-manav😆

He wolf whistles, is a cricket fanatic and is your next door guy. I hope we see Adi in future episodes too.

Then the uncle's story is quite interesting. Ran away from home when he was fifteen. Then went on to become a teacher. I love teachers you know. It's sad we live in a age where's it's uncool to respect teachers and not call them by their given names. But I had read a Hindi story long back. Mastersaheb.

So the story was like this that Vinayak, is a misfit

He is teased by his class fellows. And it is this geography teacher who adores him and makes him incharge of his class. So Vinayak always waits for Geo period. It is the existence of Master Saheb and Geo period that gives him something to look forward to and makes his school life brighter and a little bit easier.

So years later Vinayak returns to school as a Principal and the teacher is still there. Mastersaheb has aged and he is often found dozing off during classes. Vinayak finds this situation uncomfortable and disconcerting. One day he is on a round and Mastersaheb is as usual sleeping in the class while the class is a chaos. Children are fighting. He shouts, "Mastersaheb" and his former teacher and present employee he immediately gets up and ashamed doesn't meet Vinayak's eyes.

Later, Vinayak feels extremely ashamed of himself about shouting at his teacher. Bare footed, he goes to find his teacher in a summer afternoon and falls at his feet crying for forgiveness.

Master saheb draws his student in his arms. Later through Vinayak's recommendation, Master Saheb is transferred to a primary school as the Principal.

I went off topic I know. But I had fallen in love with this story when I had read it.

Now coming back to uncle, I am looking forward to meeting him. He seems like an adventurous man. A man of principles too.😊

And Sir jee as in Maan, he's being the typical young lad in not wanting to meet the relatives.

Beta do bacche hai unke mil lena, toffee bhi le ke jao kya bacchon ke liye

Kahaan hamein Goa ki sundariyon ke darshan karna tha...kis jhamele mein pad gaye

And then mention of two girls

15 and 18

Shayad rishtedaari nibhane ka khyaal

Mummy ko aaya hai

Isliye mummy ne meri

Mithai ke dabbe ke sath

mujhe tumhara ghar

Bhijwaya hai...😆

Ek athrah varas ki hooo

Ek pandrah varas ki

Na jane Sir jee ka dil kis par aayega

What a start Di!

Nabbe dashak ki baat hi kuch aur thi

And you know I feel I am living in the wrong era

Mujh jaisi kamsin majbut kali, jiski aadayein Sridevi se kam nahi uska Padukone or Chopra yug mein kya kaam

Vaise dekha jaye toh hamara janam toh Darcy era me

hi ho jana chahiye tha

I have fine eyes too. Quite a lot of gentlemen would have meditated on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of pretty woman could bestow 😆😆

You didn't tell me you were starting the story now.

I am not speaking with you.

For ten minutes

Edit:

Ten minutes over.

First of all, did I ever tell you I didn't understand why people congratulate the author on start of a new story? Because clearly congratulations have to be given to the readers for a new story to obsess about. It's been a while since I have something to look forward to in this forum and I'm so glad you are back.

You already know how excited I'm about this story, and the entry of a certain Miss and the *ahem* salesman part. (Yeah that's me showing off to aam Janta that being the sister of an author has its perks. You get to read a scene years before it's actually posted)

This chapter made me grin. Adi, dude has been crushing on Sridevi. Hota hai. Just wondering if he gets to see her movies in the other language also considering how he is from the city he is from. Yeah can't stop showing off today. I'm sorry

Acha Di you know how much I love 90s right. I would love to time travel to the era without social media, where you could write letters, where you can pour out your heart in handwritten letter. That era of Mahabharat in DD and Humara Bajaj. And of course mile sur mera tumhara... And Aravind Swamy. That generation got the very best of everything. Damn.

Maan Ji, sure Goa now sounds amazing because the uncle seem to be super awesome. But mind you, don't underestimate the power of a brat. They are very underrated but kya pata, this brat might be one of those you can't mess with.

Bring it on Di. Love it.

Oh damn!! Tangled wires and cross connections. I forgot to mention it?

Duh!!