Faster than super computer: True story from our childhood
Winter vacations just started. They used to go to ancestral village in winter vacations but this year father had some office work so father decided that they would go to ancestral village after 2 weeks.
Since school stopped and there were no other kids around. Kids were feeling bore in home. They asked father to get additional magazines from city. Father used to get Nandan, Champak and few comic books every month from city. This time he got additional comic books of ‘Amar Chitra Katha’, ‘Pinki’, ‘Billoo’ and ‘Chacha Chaudhary’.
Bholu who didn’t know how to read, so he just browsed the comic books and hid them in the kitchen. Pappu and Sanju used to have a competition on reading the books first so they searched for the comic books fervently. They did not suspect Bholu and fought accusing each other of hiding the books. Bholu enjoyed their fight as they hit each other with school books and pillows.
Before fight could escalate, Mother came from kitchen with Comic books drenched in water and scolded them for keeping the books in kitchen. Mother had accidently poured water on books. She warned father to not to bring comic books for kids from next month.
Bholu who was enjoying the fight between his elder brothers told them that it was he who kept the book in kitchen because no one tells him what’s written in the books. Sanju attacked Bholu with pillow but Pappu affectionately came in his rescue. Pappu then decided to read Chacha Chaudhary comic to Bholu.
Pappu told Bholu about ‘Chacha Chaudhary’ who was an old man with a mind sharper than a super computer. ‘Bini Chachi’ was his wife. ‘Sabu’ was a giant from Jupiter who decided to stay with Chacha Chaudhary because he liked Paratha and Halwa made by Bini Chachi. And Rocket was their loyal dog.
Pappu read all comic books to Bholu. Bholu was happy but then he had another desire. He wanted to eat Sabu ka paratha.
Bholu threw all tantrums to get Sabu ka paratha.
Mother cooked a paratha made of ‘Sabu dana’. Neither Bholu nor Pappu and Sanju liked it.
Mother then cooked them Aloo ka Paratha. Pappu and Sanju liked it but Bholu didn’t like it. He cried, cried and cried… Every day he was after mother to make Sabu ka paratha.
Father thought that Bholu was looking for a big Paratha. He borrowed a big tava from a community kitchen in nearby village. Mother made a big paratha for entire family.
Bholu was not impressed. He cried and said it wasn’t the paratha Sabu ate.
Mother than looked at picture of paratha in comic book.
She shaped the normal paratha just like it was in comic book. She garnished Paratha with mint plus tomato chutney coloured just like it was in comic book. She then carefully garnished paratha and Chutney exactly like it was shown in comic book. In dining table, mother kept plate with paratha and father opened the comic Book right next to Plate.
Bholu sat on father’s lap, Pappu loudly read the comic book and mother slowly fed Bholu peace by peace by her hands. Bholu was enjoying the blissful moment. He liked the taste and the manner he was treated.
After few bites Bholu cried again as on the other side of dinner table, Sanju had finished all the parathas faster than super computer.