“Bhava*, you just had your first Valentine’s Day date! Super cool!” Mahesh exclaimed while ribbing Vijay for his recent escapade. Baring his crooked teeth, Vijay cheekily tightened his collar even as the large green chutney stain on his faded shirt blatantly peeked out. Both of them were eighth graders in a government-aided school and known pranksters. Identified by their short stocky builds, unkempt hair, filthy uniforms, tattered school bags, worn-out shoes and a devil-may-care attitude, they were a nuisance teachers chose to ignore. Their classmates steadfastly avoided them lest their repute trickle down to others. Yet, they were thick as thieves and never missed enjoying a few guffaws at someone else’s expense.

Vijay and Mahesh resided in a small town in Western rural Maharashtra that provided little in terms of entertainment. Their modest families couldn’t afford a television set while the word computer hadn’t appeared in their lives yet. They spent most of their days playing stone skipping in a nearby lake, tyre and stick racing, shooting marbles and inventing other extempore games. Thanks to a city cousin who recently visited them, they had listened with rapt attention while he bragged about his Valentine’s Day date plans with his imaginary (they didn’t know that!) girlfriend.

One lazy afternoon, Mahesh was hanging onto a branch trying to steal pluck ripe guavas when Vijay, standing guard, sheepishly confessed his true love for Lata. A shocked Mahesh crashed in a heap on the hard ground hollering expletives that would make anyone blush. Vijay, nonplussed, continued raving about how the new girl in their class had claimed him from the moment he set his eyes on her. She had recently shifted from a border town and had a heavy Kannada accent. Her dusky complexion and lanky frame made her stand out from other girls. He gushed how her serpentine curly braids wrapped around his heart and how the tinkling of her anklets took his breath away.

“Bhava, you’re a total waste now!” Mahesh held his tummy and chortled raucously after Vijay concluded his love-adled monologue. “Don’t say that Bhau*, tell me what to do. Your brother mentioned that Valentine’s Day date thing na? We have to gift and feed the girl or something. I don’t have money for gift but I can take her to the vada pav stall. You think she will come?” Vijay asked hopefully. Suddenly thoughtful, Mahesh pondered aloud,“This might work. We’ll have to devise a plan to ask Lata. Stall wala Dada will give you credit too if you request nicely. Let’s go.”

Fortunately (or not), they saw Lata standing at the vada pav stall with a couple of girls from their class. They were laughing merrily at some private joke but silenced the moment they spotted them. Walking a step behind, Mahesh nudged Vijay to go ahead and initiate a conversation while he twitchily reddened and refused to budge. Lata was calmly watching this drama unfold. After much prodding Vijay awkwardly approached her and meekly said, “Lata, I want to talk to you.” Visibly incensed, she asked her friends to excuse them. Acting uncharacteristically understanding Mahesh left them alone too.

“How did your Valentine’s Day date go? Did you say something or stood there like a drunk elephant?” Mahesh probed excitedly as Vijay joined him at their usual lakeside adda. He failed to observe the chutney stain as well as the apparent unsettled expression on Vijay’s face. Before he could reply, enraged shouts pierced the air, growing louder as they rushed towards them.

Vijay’s tight collar dropped lower than his academic performance and he ranted out, “What Valentine’s Day date, Bhau! Before I could open my mouth she chastised me left, right and centre for staring at her in the class. I couldn’t understand many things but figured that her father is apparently some pahalwan*. She irately threw her half-eaten vada and chutney at me. Stall wala Dada took her side and promised to fill her Dad’s ears. What a tattletale. That’s probably him looking to bash me up. We must run. Now!”

*Bhava/Bhau – Bro in colloquial Marathi

*Pahalwan – A brave warrior (Here, a strong, well-built man capable of causing severe hurt)

This post was created for the Blogaberry Creative (Monthly) Challenge with Theme word – DATE.

This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Sameeksha Reads.

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