Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The hand knitting machine...


The November afternoons were usually tough for Kunal.He had more homework to do because of all his pre-exam class tests.The days were short,so less time to play cricket in his courtyard.But worse,since winter was peeking,and his cricketing skills had to be sharper because the ball hurt whenever he heaved for a shot over his favorite mid-wicket,and missed when the ball hit him in his knees et al.It really hurt.So he thought.Minto Singh's delivery really corked him in his groyne that day.


Kunal's mother would be busy with her knitting machine.It was a hand knitting model,not the motorized one.It could sew and knit wool.It was her dream gift from Mr.Reddy,for she always craved herself one of these.She said that these are God's gift to women.Although she was miffed by her more sophisticated friends in their kitty parties.
They often were condescending as the Reddy's was extremely well to do, and she was looked at jeeringly,all because of that stupid machine - if you could ask Mr.Reddy.
Kunal's mom would not be riled.She was the calmest soul in the whole of Kanchan Towers.She was rarely seen upset,she was spriteful,no less than Mr.Reddy himself,kept busy by government duties.A civil servant,he raised the class of the entire block.Kunal's mother was an apostle of grace and beauty.Mr.Khanna's wife still rebukes the poor man,because he inadvertently told her how nice she was and she could learn a thing from her in an argument.She tore into him,and now the Reddy's can't figure out why the Khanna's from second floor dont see eye to eye with them.

Kunal's mother's hobbies were innumerable-philately,a brief stint as a florist in a botanical garden,photography,designing,decorating.She had her husbands money,but she rarely asked for anything fancy.She took gifts under protests.
-"Ab Iski kya zaroorat hain?"
It was her default response.She was into crafts,she was immensely skilled in many.Little does anyone in Kanchan Towers knew that such an arty and hallowed woman had a masters degree in a subject as tough as Statistics.This woman was a genius in the form of a caring mother and wife.She was offered a job from a renowned college abroad,but her love for Kunal and hobbies meant she was never going to take it.Such a waste-again,if you ask Mr.Reddy.He always wanted the best for his family,for he had no other to take care of,his parents were long gone,and all he desired was to keep the family happy.
Kunal hated her machine.His mother would be busy with the wool for hours,and he was stunned because his mother enjoyed the monotony-apparently.
He wanted to play with the rotor and dragged it from one end to the other in full pace,till the knitwork got damaged,and Kunal's mother arrived just in time to save further damage to the fabric frame.He had his number one enemy,since all October her mother knitted away the pink scarf for Ravi's aunt,then she was busy with Mona kaki's wool-cap,and now it was time Karan's mothers sweater.He wanted his milk shake but she told him to go play and she would be ready with it when he came back.He hated it.He wanted the taste of the milk chocolate before playing,because Sehwag played better with it,if you watch TV.


He was almost at breaking point.It had been a fortnight since he hit the ball over midwicket.The other kids knew his weakness.They efficiently used their pace on the ball to good effect when he left his wickets unprotected for a heave.No matter how hard he heaved,he rarely made good contact,and much to the jeers of his opponents,he failed miserably.But Minto went overboard with his mockery.Although Kunal's mom could see all this overlooking the window in her machine,she was unperturbed.Kids and their ways...




-"Sucker"
-"watch it...this time over the midwicket"
-"With your technique?In your dreams.."
-"hmgrrr"
-"Ley babu lolipop!"
-"Unghh..tch!"
-"HAHAHAHAH"
-"here's mah doosra!"
-"Unghh..tchhh!"
-"HAHAHAHAH"
-"You are all @#$%....you are bowling way too fast!"
-"But you are #$%@ as well...and you suck!"



The language.The tempers.The mockery.The stupid machine that made his mom busy.No super milk chocolate.No heave over midwicket.It was getting to Kunal,who had the emotional equivalence of a match stick or Tinker Bell,whichever is less.


-"Keep bowling you pompous dog.."
-"Unghh..tch!...ARRRRGGG!!!My knee!"
-"HAHAHHAH"


-"You really suck..."
-"Bowl...you ...%$%!@"
-"Unghh..Ahhh!!!!!!!!"



That one was really fast.And the ball hit his groyne.Kunal had his dad's temper.It was kept under check more often than not by his mother,but his mom was too busy for that testing week for Kunal.Minto mocked him,jeered him,which made Mrs.Khanna from her balcony smirk at his wanting quality .This one was fast and hit in a place hard which made Kunal cry,but so lousy was his batting that everybody were laughing.

-"You ##$!"

Kunal wanted to kill Minto.He thumped him in his face.Then he grounded him.He went for the nose,the cheek,and the left eye.He wanted him to feel his pain.Gully Cricket was never sporting.It generated more anger than good cricketers.

"Kunal!"


It was a powerful shriek.It was not the amiable Mrs.Reddy.Kunal saw her,but he could not find his mother in her.Nobody could.She was furious and wasn't the ever smiling Mrs.Reddy people loved and a few hated.He was shocked.She never yelled.Even Mrs.Khanna choked on her coffee in the balcony.She slapped Kunal hard.She never hurt anybody.She shoved the other boys ways with her long forearms.It was a raging Mrs.Reddy that few wanted to face.A stunning silence followed a raucous climate in the nearby parents.She attended to Minto,who was bleeding and crying.She took her home.She put ointment in his bleeding scratches.She called his mother and sent him home.Everybody in the apartment were grounded for a week.But Kunal's punishment was harsher.She severely rebuked Kunal,took away his Gameboy,and his bat - which was useless anyway.Kunal cried.He cried even more when he was forced to swallow his pride and apologize to Minto.His dad punished him more.No TV.No comic books.He had used foul language-her own mother was witness,a serious offense in the Reddy family.Others did the same,he complained-and lo!No pocket money for arguing.He cried all night till he went to sleep.

His punishments had expired,but he did not go play.He was ashamed.After school,he sat in his fathers
armchair.Then he watched TV.It was that Sehwag ad again.He turned it off.
He saw his mothers machine on the other room.

It was dissembled.Kunal's mother was done with her knitting.
"Kunal..".
It was the smiling mother again.Her voice was acting like an analgesic to his grief from last week."Wear this..".He put it on.After a little fiddling he put it on.Kunal liked the smell of new wool.Turns out Karan's mother was so happy even with the flawed sweater - courtesy of Kunal,that she wanted one for her daughter.She was of the same stature as that of Kunal so she wanted him to try it on.It was a perfect fit.Kunal was pleased to see his mom smile at him again,although he was miffed that it was for Aanchal and not him.It was pink with a UNICEF layer that Kunal's mother cast in the sweater to give it an uber cool look.
-"Why don't you make anything for me??"
-"You must ask first,Kunal.
-"Okay..i want this."
-"Kun,its for Karan's sister!".She smiled.
-"Aw..so make a new one for me!"
-"Okay..but then get ready,we must go Aanchal's birthday party"
-"Karan didn't invite me...".He said with broken pride.Karan had teased him too.
-"But we all know why,don't we..?"
-"I am sorry mom,but they were egging me.."
-"Is that reason enough to use such language an bleed people??Not nice Kun.."
-"Sorry mom".He sincerely apologized.He never wanted to hurt his mothers pride.



The evening was happy for everybody.In three hours the boys forgot the ugliness of last week and had fun in Aanchal's birthday bash.Aanchal appreciated the sweater she got from Kunal.Kunal had grown fond of her.His mother saw it.
She was the weaver.Even the damaged goods looked good in her hands.She mended the sweater and she had also mended Kunal.