Idhar Udhar Ki Baat

“ You are stealing my clothes,” Mohini declared (name changed). Mohini lived just a house away—only one wall between me and divine beauty. We were the same age, same class. She was older by a few months, but miles ahead in confidence and charm. A walking heart-throb, the unofficial queen of our school. I was thirteen and hopelessly in love with her eyes, her walk, her voice, her smile... sigh. But it was a one-side love. At least that is the way I thought. I stood there dumbfounded and squeaked out a single word: “No.” I couldn’t explain. Couldn’t breathe, really. You see, that summer afternoon I had gone to the roof to get hold of a stray kite which appeared to have landed on my roof. The kite had moved on but I could see Mohini’s green tunic flown off to our roof. War-gaming started in my mind. Do I return it directly? Drop it off at her house? Or present it like a hero in school the next day? Eventually, the adrenaline won. I decided to jump over the parapet walls and ...

“Papa, I’ve made a house!” I shouted once, standing proud on a beach in my childhood. I had just piled up wet sand over my foot, carefully lifted it out, and left behind a hollow that looked like a dome. Papa smiled. But I never quite figured out — was he smiling at my creativity… or the stupidity. Because he could foresee the next wave come and swallow my sandy castle. Fast forward to 2005. I wasn’t a child on a beach anymore — I was a Commanding Officer with a mission, ambition, and… well, a performance review due. I couldn’t kill a terrorist, so I thought, “Let me kill it with Sadbhavna.” A friend had just impressed his boss by installing a micro-hydel power plant. “Good job,” his General had said. Inspired, I decided to do the Copy-paste. I decided on two of these plants. Sole consideration was inauguration before my annual appraisal. I informed the boss about my plan. He was happy at the idea but he wanted it to be done a month in advance so that the input could add ...