THE CARROM AND THE COUSINS

source: topcricketstore

A well cut and very lightweight piece of wood was brought by my father from Mumbai. I with my elder brother and friends used to play with it. Though, none of us thought about its price and mode of transportation. We all were child with little brain power. We used to play it afternoon, when we came back from our schools. I was very little not enough capable to pick it. I had to take help from anyone others available.

In nineties, everyone in our hometown used to take nap afternoon. So this time we could play without anyone’s interference. No one can disturb us in this time.

In the summer vacation, my cousin brother and sisters came to our home. We became a big team. One of my friends suggested playing thief- police game but my elder brother told that we also had a carrom board. My cousin was more interested in it. She asked, “Where is it?” My brother told her that it was in old room. My cousin asked, “Why cannot we bring it here?” My brother told her, it must be dirty. My brother directed her to go to that room and bring the carrom board. She along with me went to the old room. It was dark all over. She and I extended our hands in the different directions and moved forward. She found something. She cried and called me. I went near to her. She asked me to put his hand on it. I put my hands. I felt that I found carrom board. We pulled it and took near to door. At the door there was some light falling. We in halfway confirmed that it is not carrom board. It is only a piece of wood. We became sad. We employed our whole energy to put it back to its place. We again started searching, my cousin again cried. She again called me. I told her not to make me fool again. She told me, she never saw carrom board before. So she could not confirm. “Oh my God I have to go them.” I said. I went near to her and touched a piece of wood I reminded it as it had four holes. I moved my hands to find the holes. I found it. I told her, yes we found it. We searched it we both pushed it and took near to veranda. My elder brother said, “It is very dirty. We cannot play on it.” My cousin said, “I want to play.”

My elder brother: It is submerged in dust, cannot you look at it?

My cousin: I can clean it. Wait I will bring a piece of cloth.

My elder brother: Just put it back.

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I also told my brother that I also wanted to play on it. My cousin started cleaning with a piece of cloth. I also bring a piece of wet cloth and started cleaning it.

The carrom board was now ready. My elder brother went inside. He came back with an iron box and powder on his palm. My cousin asked, “What is in this box?” My elder brother said, “It is coin and striker’s box.” We sat around the carrom board. My elder brother first of all told us that we have to hit the coins with striker. Our goal should be to hit the coins to push it inside hole.

We played it for sometime but we did not enjoy it. Next day my elder brother again asked us to play carrom. I and my cousin brother denied but my cousin sister insisted us to play.

We all sat. We were playing. My mother came to us, scolding. She said, “First of all you all are making so much noise, hehehe….loser loser and secondly this striker is also making noise of tak tak tak tak…. go all of you and play it outside.

We without saying anything picked our carrom and moved towards pen (animals enclosure). We played some days in pen. It was very peaceful place, though my cousin felt smell of my buffalo’s dung.

It was time when new flower and fruits appeared in mango trees and in blackberry trees. We used to spend more time in our backyard. There were so many trees. Some of them were of mangoes and some of blackberry, lemon and jackfruits etc. We used to play in our trees there. We made a small house over there with mud and wood. We play these houses. We eat some snacks (Murmura and the Daalmot). Sometime we eat raw mangoes with salt.

Everyone decided to shift our playing area from pen to backyard. Four of us picked our carrom and move towards our backyard.

We after our morning tea, spend our time in backyard playing and resting. Some days passed. It seemed someone had an evil’s eye on us. One of my cousin had to go back to her home. Some days later another one also went to his home. I and my elder brother remained alone. But I did not want to be alone. I and my elder brother planned something. We together went to our parents to disclose our plan. My elder brother initiated, “Pappa, we want to go to our nannie’s home like my cousin came to his and her nannie’s home.”

Pappa replied, “What you guys will do there? if you enjoyed well with your cousins.”

I replied, “But Pappa we also deserve love from our maternal grand father and mother(Nana and Nani).”

My mother interfered and said, “But you will not stay there more than five days. I will take you there. otherwise you guys annoy your nana and nani. Arrange your clothes and shoes etc.”

I and my elder brother without any hurry moved towards our room. It was the most exciting and the happiest thing for us.