25-11-2003...part-IV

Fun and maths??:
Getting to Kannan sir's class is in itself a task-and-a-half... we have to take a bus which takes to the place were we assembled in the morning to get to the joint at kovalam. The place is called East Fort which is the nerve centre of all business activity(?) in the city and therefore is the filthiest part of town. It makes me wonder why i even bothered going to his clas....it's not like i learnt anything there. Trust me he is a good sir but it is just that we don't really get any learning done there...since it was the time for me and pappu to talk abt things that happened in college.

Kannan sir is an old orhtodox brahmin and like most brahmins was phenomenal in maths...and hence we went there to get a slice of that mathematical brain of his. The only problem with him is that he was too nice. I know i have no reason to complain and i am not....but it was due to this quality of his tht we never took his classes too seriously....but in a way this was also the one tuition that we actually did not mind going to. Therefore maths was fun.....

When i got there, as expected pappu was already there doing the very difficult task of solving problems in calculus and ogling at girls...I sat next to him and exclaimed...."hey bugger ..u missed it...u missed it. We had a grand time out there....u won't believe what we did......oh helo sir..how are ya...yes sir i did my homework..yes sir...ofcourse...why do u doubt me sir...i promise u..on ur soul i promise u......hehe...oh ok..so where was i."
Pappu: u had a grand time and that i won't believe what u did
I: oh yea..yea man u won't..we all met at ...
Kannan Sir: are u both talking abt the maths problem?
Pappu: oh ofcourse sir..what else....(lookin at me)..met at?
I: yea met at the theatre...well outside ofcourse...by the way dasi and fazi came too...we did not...
Kannan Sir: what are u guys talking about...avinash u did not even take ur note book out..
I:oh sir..yes sir...(looking at pappu)...we did not even know where this place was..
Pappu: oh ok..so how did u get there??
Kannan sir: Guys..whats going on..are u doing the problem?
I: Well sir..if u keep interupting we wont get any work done..will we...
Kannan sir: u do have a point there

....and in that manner the class went with me giving pappu a detailed account of what happened..with him providing the appropriate reactions and guffaws...and kannan sir saying his usual "enthado"...

About the time i finished narrating the whole series of events...pappu said in conclusion," well that was nice..so u flicked the wrong chocolate....k...i can't say i had as rocking a time as u did...but still something cool really happened while i was getting here..

'Decorations' is whatttttt??:

I: so what was this really cool thing that happened..
Pappu: my folks and i were had gone for shopping...we came to parthos* and got some clothing material....and then..
kannan sir: enthado....u guys do ur maths first..u can talk later isn't it..
I: sir i am bit thirsty can u get some water..please..
(kannan sir gave us a defeated smile and went downstairs to get the bottle fo water)
I: ok...bolo..phir kya hua
Pappu:k then when we were getting into a car..there was this lady who was standing nearour car..wearing decentish clothes and ...fromwhere i was standing...had a lot of make up...bit too much actually...
I:ok so...there are plenty of such dark mallu women who try to look like they r from somewhere else...what u driving at?
Pappu: well my mom so this woman..and got into the car and looked at my dad and said with a sigh.."decorations"
I: Decorations?
Pappu: Decorations. I had no idea myself what that meant...anyway my dad said in return.."oh that's nothing..just watch"..he took the car and we were moving to kannan sir's place...and then he started pointing at woman and saying "here's another...yet another..there again".
I:arre what the hell does this decorations mean...
Pappu: Hookers!!
I:whaytttttt
Pappu: yep man...decorations mean hookers...my mom and dad were pointing at hookers when we came here...
I:awesome man...so deocrations mean shookers ehh...cool..we learn somethin everyday...ok..so anyway what we going to do after this..
Pappu: what u mean after this..it's going to be 9:30..this is trivandum man...everything is closed by now.

(so when the tuiton was over..we said our goodbyes to kannan sir... and then left tpo the bus-stop)

The Walk:
Night life in trivandrum is pretty much like the life we lead in the day...damn boring. We would have a curfew of about 6:30-7 on normal dyas...but ofcourse that got extended on days ok tuitions. As we moved to the bus-stop and waited for the bus we saw a lot more "decoration" and horny old men on the street..
Pappu: dude..i don't think it is great idea if we just stand here...lets walk...and catch a bus on the way...whaddyasay
I:k..lets go..this place gives me the creeps..
We walked to a place called Over-bridge talking the whole time about the latest gossip in college and stuff..till we reached the entrance of the jugheads* cardshop
Pappu: Man..lets go in...
I: Why..i have no money..
Pappu: So..haven't u learnt with ur experience that u don't need money to buy things...besides they r closing...
I: oh ok...u mean flick things...
Pappu:yea..i distract u flick...u can make up for the blunder u did at stylus plus..
I:ok man..let's do it

We move into the shop and walk around...giving the impression that we r shoppers in a hurry to buy a last-ditch gift for their girlfriends or something....pappu went to the cashier who was talking to the only other guy in the shop..I went to the back..and opened my red bag...and flicked things with a speed that even impressed me that day...i don't remember what all i took...but there was cassette in it...and a decorative piece..once i finished i zipped up the bag...and gave pappu a look..which was to signal that we were done here..we both moved out with the same urgency we came in..and took a few steps away from the shop.

Pappu: Awesome man this is worth quite a bit...that piece espeically..
I: i know...well i feel better about the snickers...
Pappu: I want to do it again..this is fun..
I: what do u mean..do it again...go there...they r closed man..
Pappu:I know..but that ain't the only shop is it..lets go to dreams*

We walked a little further down the road till we reached the entrance of dreams..which was another over-priced card shop. we moced in and the shopkeeper and his minnion told us that it was time to close..so we better get out..Pappu begged saying that we really wanted something..and that it won't take time..by which time i ran to the back..and flicked the only thing i could get my hand on... a parker pen..vector if i remember correctly. Unfortunately this pen was a bit bigger then i liked...and we had to keep our bags out..so i could not stash it in. So i took a huge risk and tucked it into the jeans.and made way to the entrance...i looked at vivek..and he apologized to the shopkeeper saying that we could not get anything..i held my breathe coz i did not want to give away the fact that i had pen near my tummy. We moved out..tpook our bags and walked away...

Pretty happy with the coup...we decided to call it a day as far as the flicking was concerned and walked towards junction called bakery junction...all the while we were talking about what to do with this maal.We finally decided to keep it in my house and bring it to college and sell it to others who were in need of last mintue gifts...and use the money for food and drinks.We even gave it a name...Robin-hoodism. When we got to bakery junction..pappu looked at me and said

Pappu: Dude u know what will be cool...
I: what
Pappu: Lets have a smoke...i have never had one
I: k..
Pappu goes to the shop and asks for a ciggy and a mouth freshner....the problem was how do we light it up..as we had zero experience. The shopkeeper laughed at us..and told us how to do so..when we lit it up..we had a drag each...I did not take the smoke in..and pappu told me that that was the way to smoke...so when i did..i coughed like hell...and dropped the ciggy..much to the dismay of pappu...he really wanted to smoke that day..By this time it was already 10:45. We took an auto and i was dropped off close to my home..when i got home..i was dead tired..i just had a shower...ate dinner...and told mom and dad what all happened that dya..deleting the crucial parts of the day....and then went off to sleep....The day was over.....

25-11-2003...part-III

Chocolat:

Stylus plus* is a glossy little shopping centre in Trivandrum...which as Jithz pointed out over-charges for everything. Dad normally gives me a very nasty look when i suggest we go to that place to buy a gift for someone or the other. They are also quite famous for the imported stuff they have there. U get practically everything from pens, watches, golf clubs and....chocolates. I love chocolates like most of u..and having lived abroad for half my life..i have developed a taste for foreign chocolates (which ofcourse were just chocolates when i was there). Snickers was a personal favourite of mine...along with mars,galaxy,lindt and...sigh..a whole host of them.

The plan was simple....Jithz and I get in...VC waits in Minus-26 (coin toss selected that between me and him)....Jithz distracts the salesman...and i nab the snickers...end of plan.what we had to wrry about was ourselves. The anxiety of doing something illegal in public was something that could derail our entire plan. Simple things could be made to look very difficult..and vice-versa..all depended on the state of ur mind. But that was the risk we had to take (well not had to..we could have just easily come another day and 'buy' the chocolates...but then i would not have a story to post) and the reward was a free chocolate...the risk..well.. 2-3 years in the slammer.

Just in the 'snick' of time:

Jithz and i move in....we went in about 15 seconds apart..i went staright to the cards section to pose as a random window shopper who is looking to get a little cool air in the air-conditoned shop. Jithz goes close to the leather items such as belts and wallets. His region was close to the foreign chocolates and tried his level best to get near it to see if there were snickers. As he moved to that section he knelt down to the chocolate rack and saw the snickers lying there in all its brown-glossy-cover glory...he coughed...that was the sign..i had to make my move..

I walked over to the leather and chocolate section...ambled actually..i did not want to distract the guards or attendents...i still had to pose as a loafer-who-won't-buy-a-thing shopper...I moved closer and did the biggest blunder a choclate buggler could do...i looked at jithz..i made eye-contact with him. The attendents knew that we were together now..and one of them moved closer to us to find out what we wanted...It was time for Plan -B. Jithz walked towards the oncoming attendent and asked him about the different types of belt brands that they had..and their price-points. I knelt down to pose as though i was adjusting my sandals. I shimmy across to the rack..and without taking my eyes away from jithz and attendent..i nab it. I put the maal in my pocket... get up...look around to see if anybody was coming towards me...no one did...and moved a little too quickly if u ask me(in retrospect ofcourse..but at that point the exit looked like a mile away). I get out and move towards minus-26. I look thru the display window and find jithz still asking about belts and wallets..he looks at me..and i wave at him. He leaves when the attendent went in to get the belts from the store room...and gets into the parlour...the deed was done.


Crime doesn't pay....not too well atleast:

We settled down in the parlour...and paused for breathe..must admit this ain't for the faint hearted. Vc couldn't wait..after all he could not have possibly had the same feeling as we did. I took out chocalte only to discover to my horror that i did not nab the right chocolate..it was some crummy old crap..foreign..but crap all the same. I was deeply disappointed...all my work was of no use. Vc gave me a sympathetic look and ate his part of the chocolate. Jithz was too upset to eat...but he ate all the same. I kept replaying those all-important 4 seconds in my mind over and over again...how could i be so stupid..it was right there...sigh...that was that...nothing could be done about it.I ate my piece..and we continued talking about school life..and about girls...and teachers..and more about girls. But at heart of hearts we were still a bit disappointed by the outcome of the plan and were still thinking about.

It was about 7:30 by then and i had to leave for Kannan sir's tuition. I said my good byes to the guys and i left for the bus stand. I would see pappu there and would have to narrate the whole series of events of the day to him during class. So i was framing the points in mind in an attempt to make the whole thing very dramatic... i flipped a coin to the beggar on the side of the road...boarded a bus..and kept thinking about the various highlights of what has become a very long and eventful day...

Apparently that was not to be the end of the day...not even by a long shot....