The Chooral was a huge part of our childhood. At the time of its introduction to our family, the Chooral was to be used in case we do mischief. Achan liked the kind of control it had on us and he used to wave it through the air and our eyes followed suit.
The Chooral adi grew from a 'once in a month' punishment to a 'twice in a day' affair. Amma and Achan were seriously enjoying the way we would obediently sit down, stand up, go from one room to the other and study silently just by taking the Chooral at hand. Sometimes, they would simply hold the Chooral to admire its marvel while we stood frozen wondering if a beating was to follow!
We had had enough! We wanted the Chooral to disappear, and once again, Kannan and Vava came up with a plan!
We knew that Achan would go to the office in the morning and be back only at noon for lunch, while Amma will be busy in the Kitchen with Kumari Chechi (our home maid). So we had just enough time.
The Chooral was always placed on top of the tall cupboard in our reception. Kannan and I looked across to the Sofa that lay nearby.
We placed Achan's computer chair on top of the Sofa, and Kannan climbed up while I stood guard on the ground. Kannan took the Chooral carefully and handed it over to me. The stick that made small children die in fear, I thought in my mind.
Just as Kannan was stepping down from the chair onto the Sofa, Kumari Chechi entered from the Kitchen to take the water jug from our dining table across the room. We paused, eyes wide open, not making a sound. To anyone watching from the angle where Kumari Chechi was, we would appear to be a wall painting if not a wax statue!
Kumari Chechi was out of sight. Within seconds, the chair was back in Achan's room, and I and Kannan were sitting with our textbooks open.
Amma came out from the Kitchen, kissed us in our foreheads while we smiled our innocent smiles.
We had decided against throwing the Chooral from the window as it would lie in the open around our home and will be easily found. So we hid it in a place that Achan and Amma will never think of looking!
Having got rid of the Chooral, Kannan and I ran around the house, made a lot of noise irritated Amma and waited for Achan to come back.
Noon had come by and Achan came home for lunch. We were noisier than usual, as though each of us had won our independence. Achan ignored us for a while until he decided that we should be taught a lesson.
He got up from his chair, looking at us, a grin on his face. Later he would walk over to that cupboard as we called out from behind "We would not repeat it! Sorry!!", but this time both Kannan and I had the same grin.
Achan paced towards the cupboard, looked at us one final time, waiting for an apology, while we followed him like warriors, our heads high and our face fearless!
Achan's hand went up the cupboard. His grin disappeared. The Chooral was nowhere to be found!
Achan and Amma started searching frantically for the Chooral, as though looking for their long lost child.
Kannan and I laughed out loud, fell on the floor and sang our hearts out.
"We got rid of it!"
Achan looked at the both of us. His anger turned into a smile and he joined in our laughter.
"Where is the Chooral? " Amma asked us.
Both of us had the "why should we tell you" look on our faces, and a grin.
The Family sat back in our sofa and soon got engrossed in a movie playing in Asianet, while the Chooral stayed stuck behind the back grills of our huge sofa!
The end!
The Chooral adi grew from a 'once in a month' punishment to a 'twice in a day' affair. Amma and Achan were seriously enjoying the way we would obediently sit down, stand up, go from one room to the other and study silently just by taking the Chooral at hand. Sometimes, they would simply hold the Chooral to admire its marvel while we stood frozen wondering if a beating was to follow!
We had had enough! We wanted the Chooral to disappear, and once again, Kannan and Vava came up with a plan!
We knew that Achan would go to the office in the morning and be back only at noon for lunch, while Amma will be busy in the Kitchen with Kumari Chechi (our home maid). So we had just enough time.
The Chooral was always placed on top of the tall cupboard in our reception. Kannan and I looked across to the Sofa that lay nearby.
We placed Achan's computer chair on top of the Sofa, and Kannan climbed up while I stood guard on the ground. Kannan took the Chooral carefully and handed it over to me. The stick that made small children die in fear, I thought in my mind.
Just as Kannan was stepping down from the chair onto the Sofa, Kumari Chechi entered from the Kitchen to take the water jug from our dining table across the room. We paused, eyes wide open, not making a sound. To anyone watching from the angle where Kumari Chechi was, we would appear to be a wall painting if not a wax statue!
Kumari Chechi was out of sight. Within seconds, the chair was back in Achan's room, and I and Kannan were sitting with our textbooks open.
Amma came out from the Kitchen, kissed us in our foreheads while we smiled our innocent smiles.
We had decided against throwing the Chooral from the window as it would lie in the open around our home and will be easily found. So we hid it in a place that Achan and Amma will never think of looking!
Having got rid of the Chooral, Kannan and I ran around the house, made a lot of noise irritated Amma and waited for Achan to come back.
Noon had come by and Achan came home for lunch. We were noisier than usual, as though each of us had won our independence. Achan ignored us for a while until he decided that we should be taught a lesson.
He got up from his chair, looking at us, a grin on his face. Later he would walk over to that cupboard as we called out from behind "We would not repeat it! Sorry!!", but this time both Kannan and I had the same grin.
Achan paced towards the cupboard, looked at us one final time, waiting for an apology, while we followed him like warriors, our heads high and our face fearless!
Achan's hand went up the cupboard. His grin disappeared. The Chooral was nowhere to be found!
Achan and Amma started searching frantically for the Chooral, as though looking for their long lost child.
Kannan and I laughed out loud, fell on the floor and sang our hearts out.
"We got rid of it!"
Achan looked at the both of us. His anger turned into a smile and he joined in our laughter.
"Where is the Chooral? " Amma asked us.
Both of us had the "why should we tell you" look on our faces, and a grin.
The Family sat back in our sofa and soon got engrossed in a movie playing in Asianet, while the Chooral stayed stuck behind the back grills of our huge sofa!
The end!
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