The Invictus

Since we are all in the mood for nostalgia, i, too, shall deliberate & then elaborate on how good the ol' days were. My best memories, and by logical extension (courtesy CR!) the life that I miss the most, almost always involve the things that i got to do and get away with.

I have always been the "planning-for-the-future" kinds. As a kid too, i had plans for myself - except that they kept changing. Of course, i was not, and am still not, fickle-minded. Each of these change of plans had a good reason and story behind them. Some of my "future professions" included:

1. Superman: At age 6-7, I was fully convinced that I was Superman. Only proving this to normal humans (read: Mom, dad, hapless younger bro) was left to be done. Those were the days when we were in Bangalore, and our house (like most houses in Bangalore at the time) had a large open area in front with some trees. And a long clothesline. One Sunday (or Saturday) afternoon, a towel found itself converted into Superman's cape (guess that was the largest piece of cloth on me at the time - Superman was only wearing his underwear and "baniaan"). And the cape had to fly, of course. So, I started running from one end of the open area to the other. Except that this Superman had a pair of scissors in his hand. Mom's nice silk and "American georgette" sarees were all spread out on the clothesline for a nice sunday (or saturday) afternoon "tan". Rest is history. Superman had to retire that very day to his fortress of solitude.

2. Mechanic: At around the same time as above, we used to have this old-style telephone - the one that didnt have a "redial" button, the one that looked black and like a huge toad that went "trrring trrring". Yes yes, u get it now, thats the one.
Now, both Mom & Dad would go off to work, while my bro (yeah, the same hapless younger bro) & I wud have the house all to ourselves. (Wow! in hindsight)...Now there was something about that telephone that fascinated me (by then i had decided I was not superman, but a Mechanic). I had seen my dad using the screwdriver, clamps and such other interesting gadgets. So, one fine afternoon I decided to expedite my Mechanic-future and started to "repair" the telephone. Off went all the 4 screws, off came the black top, out came the circular dial-pad. And also a whole lot of stuff that i didnt - and still dont - know of. I must admit i learnt a fair deal of how the telephone works (and a great deal of how it doesnt work!)..Having learnt everything there was to learn about "Telephone servicing", i cudn't put it back together tho'! So, i just put back the black-top cover of the telehone and shoved everything else under that. Hmm..it seemed to look ok i thought.

That is, till my dad came back home and had to make a call. He lifted the receiver, and *clang*, *clonk* &*%&&% all came crashing down.....

That day i realised i didn't want to be a mechanic after all. I then decided I was going to be a Scientist!

3. Scientist: I think I was about 7 then. One of my cousins had become a doctor just then, and I was "maha" thrilled with the prospects of becoming a scientist / doctor types myself. One good afternoon (wonder why it all happens in the afternoons? well, that was the time when Mom & dad wud be away or sleeping, you see), i took the thermometer, and decided that I was both the doctor as well as the patient. In my zeal to become a doctor fast, i forgot that i was not supposed to bite into the thermometer:-( Which is what i did.
All hell broke loose when, luckily for me, my parents got to know of it. They rushed me to the hospital immediately. I remember the doctor (not me, the real one) giving me something to drink and all that - to thankfully confirm that I had not ingested any mercury. Then they took the x-rays to check if there were glass-pieces inside of me. The X-rays didnt seem to show any. However - this is the best part, hold tight! - to be sure that there wud be no bleeding inside, the doctor asked my parents to give me a continuous supply of Ice Creams!!!!!! for 3 days!!!! Amazing!! Royal treatment for 3 days!!!

On the 4th day, my parents fully convinced me that it was not worthwhile to be a Scientist / doctor either.

4. Cook / Chef: This was when I was about 11-12 years. I learnt to prepare this sweet dish "Shira / kesaribath"...simple dish really...That convinced me that my destiny lay in the kitchens of the world.:-) I wud make this dish at the drop of a hat. So far so good.

The trouble started when i started insisting that all visitors to our place have some of this shira. As mentioned earlier, my folks wud be away in office. So any relative / visitor who would come home when my mom/dad weren't around simply had to eat the shira i prepare. I guess, this was one profession my mom was keen i take up considering the no. of unwanted visitors i drove away!!!

But Dad stepped in this time - there was no way I would become a cook. I had to be an Engineer or a Doctor (Engineer preferably, considering my earlier experience)...

So folks, that's how i ended up doing my Engineering (and subsequently "B-school"ing)...
The best part is that, today I get to do all the above exploits - and not only get away with it, but also get paid for it!!

Life is beautiful!! Touche'