Monu's World: Monu and Meethi Fight
Monu and Meethi were best friends and schoolmates too, Meethi being a year older to Monu. But at school they rarely saw each other. The only free time was the interval at 11:00 a.m. when the staff and children had their tiffins. It lasted 20 minutes, which gave just enough time for the kids to eat and drink before the affable peon picked up the hand bell to ring the end of the interval. So, it turned out that Monu saw Meethi at the bus stop in the morning and then next only inside the bus in the afternoon before they started back on the return journey. And once they both got down at the bus stop Monu would walk alongside Meethi thinking of the games they would play in the evening.
In the evenings, the children would sometime go to a small ground nearby and play on the swings and slides. Raka called it 'Jhoole Ki Maatth' and it was a favourite with the kids because they loved the free space it afforded where they could run after each other and get on the swings in twos and sometimes even threes - with one child seated on the swing and two others standing face-to-face, one at the front and the second at the back of the sitting kid. Oftentimes, Teepi K (who was Meethi's younger sister) would be the sitter with Monu and Meethi standing face-face-face and swinging away to glory. But the timid Teepi would soon get scared of the heights to which the laughing Monu and Meethi would carry the swing and start screaming her lungs out. Eventually, Monu and Meethi would get the swing to themselves with a relieved Teepi K hopping off the swing all dizzy and shaken and scurrying away to be with Teepi A (both the Teepis were best friends being of the same age and schoolmates, with Teepi A living near Jhoole Ki Maatth).
When on their own, Monu and Meethi would take the swing to dizzying heights and at speeds that made their hair fly wildly, screaming with delight as the wind rushed past their faces and made their heart race faster. Sometimes, one of them would sit while the other stood in front facing the sitter and swinging the swing, but mostly they both would simply stand facing each other while each swung the swing in forward motions. And Raka would be on the swing next to them laughing away at their wildness and egging them on to increasing speeds. However, there would come a day when their favorite Jhoole Ki Maatth would bear witness to something rather unexpected.
The month of April had dawned along expected lines. It was a day like many others; so typical of the end of spring and approaching harsh summer - rather hot and stifling with very little in terms of even a breeze. The children had all been promoted to the next class and were excited with the school reopening and their new school bags and books. Evenings were spent in playing games that did not involve much running around due to the ever-present heat and dust. Hide and seek was a favorite but the real excitement came from the twilight hours that afforded ample scope for the 'hiders' to hide and became a nightmare for the seeker to find them in the approaching darkness.
Jhule ki Maatth had seen many a contest end in scuffles and whimpering cries. But it still had one more to go. That particular day Monu and her friends - Raka, Meethi and the two Teepis - had feverishly raced to get on the swings in the somewhat crowded ground. They were late however, as the swings were occupied and even the slides had more children on them than usual. Raka and Meethi went shouting to the slides while the two Teepis stood waiting for their chance by the swings. Monu was unsure where to go - the swings were her favorite, but that day it seemed as if the swings would be occupied for a long time - and so, hesitantly she made for the slides.
Raka was shouting while coming down one of the slides with Meethi close behind squealing with excitement. Monu ran up the steps and was behind three or four of the kids as each tried to slide down as quickly as possible to land on the soft and cool sand. When the way was clear and Monu reached the top she quickly sat down and slided down without even bothering to hold on to the hand rails on either side. Raka and Meethi and most of the older kids did the same because holding on to the handrail was seen as something that only the smaller children would do and consequently, was a source of derision which the children would do anything to avoid. She kept her eyes peeled for the swings to see if any of the swings were empty. But they were not and after some time following multiple rounds on the slides, the trio of Raka and Meeti and Monu started a game of 'Catch Me If You Can' out of sheer boredom and frustration at not getting a chance at the swings. Monu was the catcher and she ran after Meethi first as she knew that Raka was faster than Meethi and so would be difficult to catch. She caught Meethi easily and it was now the turn of Meethi to run after them. But Meethi had a tough choice as both Raka and Monu were better runners and she soon got tired of chasing them as they took her around the ground running faster than she could catch them.
Meanwhile, as they ran Monu caught sight of the two Teepis sitting on one of the swings. Meethi had seen this too and Monu knew exactly what would happen next. A frustrated Meethi ran towards the swings and stood staring at the child sitting on the swing next to the Teepis. Both parties on the swing were blissfully unaware of this particular audience as they swung and shouted in glee. By this time Raka and Monu had also come up to the swings and they tied to call Meethi back to the game they had been playing. But an adamant Meethi would not come and stood balking as they entreated her to come and resume play with them. By now the Teepis were aware of a prevailing tension around them and emanating chiefly from Meethi. They looked in mounting surprise at a scowling Meethi who had the look and demeanor of getting into an fight with whosoever threw her the gauntlet first. Unfortunately, for Monu it turned out that she herself would end up as the unsuspecting challenger to set Meethi off, much as a person steps onto a landmine and knows she or he is doomed.
As Meethi stood by the swings with a dark and foreboding expression looking at the by-now-very-uncomfortable child who sat on the swing next to the Teepis, Monu and Raka stood nearby puzzling their heads as to a way of making Meethi move away. Seeing her set shoulders they were convinced that a fight was on the way and gradually they began to notice a somewhat elderly girl stand protectively behind the lone boy on the swing. As it turned out this new entrant was the sister of the boy and perceiving the discomfort of her brother and guessing its source, she had moved quickly into place ready to protect him from anyone who decided to remove him from the swing. Suddenly, in an attempt to stop the swing, Meethi moved towards the child. And quick as lightning the older girl too moved, trying to prevent Meethi from stopping the swing. Seeing what was unfolding, Monu without thinking of the consequence, moved and put herself between the two girls. All three had their hands raised - Meethi and the older girl, each trying to stop something that was going on (Meethi trying to stop the swing and the older girl trying to stop Meethi) and Monu trying to deflect any unsavory action on the part of the two girls.
To the watching trio of Raka and the two Teepis it was as if time were ticking in slow motion. They saw Meethi's raised hand in an attempt to make contact with the steel chain of the swing get stopped in mid-air by Monu's outstretched arms. As for the older girl, she could not get anywhere near Meethi to stop her in any way, and instead ended up with her raised hands get deflected against Monu's shoulders. Monu herself was facing Meethi, and the placating expression on her face seemed to mollify an agitated Meethi. And so the moment, that seemed to encompass several minutes dancing dangerously on the edge of chaos, passed rather innocuously for the three bystanders. As for the participants, it seemed that things had changed in the blink of an eye. As a confused Meethi looked on to find Monu standing in front of her and an equally incredulous stare came from the older girl who looked on with surprise, Raka and the Teepis heaved a sigh of relief at the dissolution of the tension that had hung so heavy just a while back.
But as is wont within the world of children, things can change back within an instant to what they were before. And so it was that a mollified Meethi seemed to suddenly get turbocharged, and without any notice lunged at the hapless Monu. But what had caused this sudden change in Meethi? Well, things had seemed to dissipate when Monu resolutely planted herself between the two warring girls, but just as Meethi had decided to turn away seeing the silent plea in Monu's eyes, it had occurred to Meethi's impetuous mind that there really was no need for her to stand down. If she had been waiting patiently for her turn at the swing, then how could she be in the wrong if, after a sufficient passage of time, she had tried to get what was rightfully hers? And so by that equation, the others were in the wrong to stop her, including her best friend Monu who tried to stop her from claiming her chance. The moment this thought took root in her disordered brain, Meethi forgot for an instant that it was her friend who stood near her, not a stranger. All the frustration and discomfort and tiredness that she had been experiencing in portions and by turns, suddenly came together and multiplied within her to form an emotional bomb that exploded with barely concealed fury at Monu.
As for Monu, she was not prepared in the least to digest what had transpired so vividly and with so little notice. As Meethi charged at her with renewed vigor and barely concealed aggression, she tried to save herself from the impact of Meethi's attack and caught a firm hold over Meethi's wrists. But that did not serve any use as Meethi was almost her equal in build, because of which Monu was no match when Meethi used all her might to push against her. Soon the girls found themselves on the ground with Meethi having fallen right on top of Monu. However, Monu managed to gather her wits and tried to push Meethi away using her arms as shields and legs as levers. But Meethi was not done yet and her anger spilled out in shrieks and protests as she tried to pin Monu down using her body weight and used her fingernails to good effect. Poor Monu's arms were soon showing traces of pink and red where Meethi had managed to get at her. By now, Monu had had enough of the sheer insanity that held Meethi in a vice-like-grip and determined to put an end to the whole spectacle, she gritted her teeth and screaming, pushed Meethi off herself and wrestled her down pinning Meethi firmly to the ground.
The drama being enacted had its fair share of spectators from among the children playing on the ground even as Raka and the Teepis watched open-mouthed forgetting to even breathe for the few moments that the entire wrestling match lasted. They had never seen such a thing happen before as Monu and Meethi were known to be like bread and butter and one was rarely seen without the other. No one had ever seen them raise their voice at each other or even disagree on anything. The two girls went everywhere together and were seen laughing and running about or simply sitting and sharing a conversation all the while holding hands or with arms over each other's shoulder. If anyone had ever told them or their friends that someday the two of them would be found wrestling each other none of the children would have believed it. The sight of a shrieking Meethi pinned to the ground by a flabbergasted Monu was something that the kids at Jhoole Ki Maatth that day looked on in shock and mounting disbelief.
Gradually, the motley crowd that stood in a circle around the fighting girls became aware of a lessening of the tension that had held everyone in its sway. The girls had stopped moving - Monu's grip on Meethi's wrists had slackened even as an exhausted Meethi stopped struggling and screamng. The only sound that emanated from the spot of battle was the panting and heaving breaths of the two best friends who had fought each other like wild cats. Seeing Meethi stop struggling, Monu slowly got off her friend and walked away. She walked on away from Meethi and her friends and the rest of the crowd without looking back. She felt as if her very bones would come off their hinges and start dropping down. Walking was painful enough, but the ringing in her left ear that she had got when Meethi's fist connected with that side of her head, was worse. Her mind felt numb - for once her head seemed bereft of any thoughts or feelings. All she wanted to do was go home and lie down and sleep. She only hoped her mother would be busy with the baby (as had been the case for many months now after the baby's birth) and so she could slip into the house unnoticed and go and wash away the mud and grime that had left tell-tale signs of a fight on her clothes and body.
As Monu left Jhoole Ki Maatth, the crowd of curious onlookers started dispersing and soon the ground was back to its usual noisiness and play. Looking at the children running and playing with shouts of laughter and gaiety that bubbled up now and then, it was hard to think that only a while ago all had been silent and still, filled with the screams and shrieks of a couple of fighting kids. The change was dramatic to say the least - as if from the sets of a movie being shot - with a change of scenes.
As for Raka and the Teepis, they felt that they had been witness to something historic - something that would not be repeated again, at least not in the near future. The sight of Monu and Meethi fighting like two wrestling champions had invested in them a sort of pride - they felt that they were privileged to have seen something that each of them had thought impossible and felt rather stirred from the experience. The experience had shaken them up to the extent that for years afterwards they would recount the little facts and details of that day that had become ingrained in their minds for all the reasons that children remember such events - the fact that even the best of friends can turn upon each other in the worst of times albeit in the best of places!
In the evenings, the children would sometime go to a small ground nearby and play on the swings and slides. Raka called it 'Jhoole Ki Maatth' and it was a favourite with the kids because they loved the free space it afforded where they could run after each other and get on the swings in twos and sometimes even threes - with one child seated on the swing and two others standing face-to-face, one at the front and the second at the back of the sitting kid. Oftentimes, Teepi K (who was Meethi's younger sister) would be the sitter with Monu and Meethi standing face-face-face and swinging away to glory. But the timid Teepi would soon get scared of the heights to which the laughing Monu and Meethi would carry the swing and start screaming her lungs out. Eventually, Monu and Meethi would get the swing to themselves with a relieved Teepi K hopping off the swing all dizzy and shaken and scurrying away to be with Teepi A (both the Teepis were best friends being of the same age and schoolmates, with Teepi A living near Jhoole Ki Maatth).
When on their own, Monu and Meethi would take the swing to dizzying heights and at speeds that made their hair fly wildly, screaming with delight as the wind rushed past their faces and made their heart race faster. Sometimes, one of them would sit while the other stood in front facing the sitter and swinging the swing, but mostly they both would simply stand facing each other while each swung the swing in forward motions. And Raka would be on the swing next to them laughing away at their wildness and egging them on to increasing speeds. However, there would come a day when their favorite Jhoole Ki Maatth would bear witness to something rather unexpected.
The month of April had dawned along expected lines. It was a day like many others; so typical of the end of spring and approaching harsh summer - rather hot and stifling with very little in terms of even a breeze. The children had all been promoted to the next class and were excited with the school reopening and their new school bags and books. Evenings were spent in playing games that did not involve much running around due to the ever-present heat and dust. Hide and seek was a favorite but the real excitement came from the twilight hours that afforded ample scope for the 'hiders' to hide and became a nightmare for the seeker to find them in the approaching darkness.
Jhule ki Maatth had seen many a contest end in scuffles and whimpering cries. But it still had one more to go. That particular day Monu and her friends - Raka, Meethi and the two Teepis - had feverishly raced to get on the swings in the somewhat crowded ground. They were late however, as the swings were occupied and even the slides had more children on them than usual. Raka and Meethi went shouting to the slides while the two Teepis stood waiting for their chance by the swings. Monu was unsure where to go - the swings were her favorite, but that day it seemed as if the swings would be occupied for a long time - and so, hesitantly she made for the slides.
Raka was shouting while coming down one of the slides with Meethi close behind squealing with excitement. Monu ran up the steps and was behind three or four of the kids as each tried to slide down as quickly as possible to land on the soft and cool sand. When the way was clear and Monu reached the top she quickly sat down and slided down without even bothering to hold on to the hand rails on either side. Raka and Meethi and most of the older kids did the same because holding on to the handrail was seen as something that only the smaller children would do and consequently, was a source of derision which the children would do anything to avoid. She kept her eyes peeled for the swings to see if any of the swings were empty. But they were not and after some time following multiple rounds on the slides, the trio of Raka and Meeti and Monu started a game of 'Catch Me If You Can' out of sheer boredom and frustration at not getting a chance at the swings. Monu was the catcher and she ran after Meethi first as she knew that Raka was faster than Meethi and so would be difficult to catch. She caught Meethi easily and it was now the turn of Meethi to run after them. But Meethi had a tough choice as both Raka and Monu were better runners and she soon got tired of chasing them as they took her around the ground running faster than she could catch them.
Meanwhile, as they ran Monu caught sight of the two Teepis sitting on one of the swings. Meethi had seen this too and Monu knew exactly what would happen next. A frustrated Meethi ran towards the swings and stood staring at the child sitting on the swing next to the Teepis. Both parties on the swing were blissfully unaware of this particular audience as they swung and shouted in glee. By this time Raka and Monu had also come up to the swings and they tied to call Meethi back to the game they had been playing. But an adamant Meethi would not come and stood balking as they entreated her to come and resume play with them. By now the Teepis were aware of a prevailing tension around them and emanating chiefly from Meethi. They looked in mounting surprise at a scowling Meethi who had the look and demeanor of getting into an fight with whosoever threw her the gauntlet first. Unfortunately, for Monu it turned out that she herself would end up as the unsuspecting challenger to set Meethi off, much as a person steps onto a landmine and knows she or he is doomed.
As Meethi stood by the swings with a dark and foreboding expression looking at the by-now-very-uncomfortable child who sat on the swing next to the Teepis, Monu and Raka stood nearby puzzling their heads as to a way of making Meethi move away. Seeing her set shoulders they were convinced that a fight was on the way and gradually they began to notice a somewhat elderly girl stand protectively behind the lone boy on the swing. As it turned out this new entrant was the sister of the boy and perceiving the discomfort of her brother and guessing its source, she had moved quickly into place ready to protect him from anyone who decided to remove him from the swing. Suddenly, in an attempt to stop the swing, Meethi moved towards the child. And quick as lightning the older girl too moved, trying to prevent Meethi from stopping the swing. Seeing what was unfolding, Monu without thinking of the consequence, moved and put herself between the two girls. All three had their hands raised - Meethi and the older girl, each trying to stop something that was going on (Meethi trying to stop the swing and the older girl trying to stop Meethi) and Monu trying to deflect any unsavory action on the part of the two girls.
To the watching trio of Raka and the two Teepis it was as if time were ticking in slow motion. They saw Meethi's raised hand in an attempt to make contact with the steel chain of the swing get stopped in mid-air by Monu's outstretched arms. As for the older girl, she could not get anywhere near Meethi to stop her in any way, and instead ended up with her raised hands get deflected against Monu's shoulders. Monu herself was facing Meethi, and the placating expression on her face seemed to mollify an agitated Meethi. And so the moment, that seemed to encompass several minutes dancing dangerously on the edge of chaos, passed rather innocuously for the three bystanders. As for the participants, it seemed that things had changed in the blink of an eye. As a confused Meethi looked on to find Monu standing in front of her and an equally incredulous stare came from the older girl who looked on with surprise, Raka and the Teepis heaved a sigh of relief at the dissolution of the tension that had hung so heavy just a while back.
But as is wont within the world of children, things can change back within an instant to what they were before. And so it was that a mollified Meethi seemed to suddenly get turbocharged, and without any notice lunged at the hapless Monu. But what had caused this sudden change in Meethi? Well, things had seemed to dissipate when Monu resolutely planted herself between the two warring girls, but just as Meethi had decided to turn away seeing the silent plea in Monu's eyes, it had occurred to Meethi's impetuous mind that there really was no need for her to stand down. If she had been waiting patiently for her turn at the swing, then how could she be in the wrong if, after a sufficient passage of time, she had tried to get what was rightfully hers? And so by that equation, the others were in the wrong to stop her, including her best friend Monu who tried to stop her from claiming her chance. The moment this thought took root in her disordered brain, Meethi forgot for an instant that it was her friend who stood near her, not a stranger. All the frustration and discomfort and tiredness that she had been experiencing in portions and by turns, suddenly came together and multiplied within her to form an emotional bomb that exploded with barely concealed fury at Monu.
As for Monu, she was not prepared in the least to digest what had transpired so vividly and with so little notice. As Meethi charged at her with renewed vigor and barely concealed aggression, she tried to save herself from the impact of Meethi's attack and caught a firm hold over Meethi's wrists. But that did not serve any use as Meethi was almost her equal in build, because of which Monu was no match when Meethi used all her might to push against her. Soon the girls found themselves on the ground with Meethi having fallen right on top of Monu. However, Monu managed to gather her wits and tried to push Meethi away using her arms as shields and legs as levers. But Meethi was not done yet and her anger spilled out in shrieks and protests as she tried to pin Monu down using her body weight and used her fingernails to good effect. Poor Monu's arms were soon showing traces of pink and red where Meethi had managed to get at her. By now, Monu had had enough of the sheer insanity that held Meethi in a vice-like-grip and determined to put an end to the whole spectacle, she gritted her teeth and screaming, pushed Meethi off herself and wrestled her down pinning Meethi firmly to the ground.
The drama being enacted had its fair share of spectators from among the children playing on the ground even as Raka and the Teepis watched open-mouthed forgetting to even breathe for the few moments that the entire wrestling match lasted. They had never seen such a thing happen before as Monu and Meethi were known to be like bread and butter and one was rarely seen without the other. No one had ever seen them raise their voice at each other or even disagree on anything. The two girls went everywhere together and were seen laughing and running about or simply sitting and sharing a conversation all the while holding hands or with arms over each other's shoulder. If anyone had ever told them or their friends that someday the two of them would be found wrestling each other none of the children would have believed it. The sight of a shrieking Meethi pinned to the ground by a flabbergasted Monu was something that the kids at Jhoole Ki Maatth that day looked on in shock and mounting disbelief.
Gradually, the motley crowd that stood in a circle around the fighting girls became aware of a lessening of the tension that had held everyone in its sway. The girls had stopped moving - Monu's grip on Meethi's wrists had slackened even as an exhausted Meethi stopped struggling and screamng. The only sound that emanated from the spot of battle was the panting and heaving breaths of the two best friends who had fought each other like wild cats. Seeing Meethi stop struggling, Monu slowly got off her friend and walked away. She walked on away from Meethi and her friends and the rest of the crowd without looking back. She felt as if her very bones would come off their hinges and start dropping down. Walking was painful enough, but the ringing in her left ear that she had got when Meethi's fist connected with that side of her head, was worse. Her mind felt numb - for once her head seemed bereft of any thoughts or feelings. All she wanted to do was go home and lie down and sleep. She only hoped her mother would be busy with the baby (as had been the case for many months now after the baby's birth) and so she could slip into the house unnoticed and go and wash away the mud and grime that had left tell-tale signs of a fight on her clothes and body.
As Monu left Jhoole Ki Maatth, the crowd of curious onlookers started dispersing and soon the ground was back to its usual noisiness and play. Looking at the children running and playing with shouts of laughter and gaiety that bubbled up now and then, it was hard to think that only a while ago all had been silent and still, filled with the screams and shrieks of a couple of fighting kids. The change was dramatic to say the least - as if from the sets of a movie being shot - with a change of scenes.
As for Raka and the Teepis, they felt that they had been witness to something historic - something that would not be repeated again, at least not in the near future. The sight of Monu and Meethi fighting like two wrestling champions had invested in them a sort of pride - they felt that they were privileged to have seen something that each of them had thought impossible and felt rather stirred from the experience. The experience had shaken them up to the extent that for years afterwards they would recount the little facts and details of that day that had become ingrained in their minds for all the reasons that children remember such events - the fact that even the best of friends can turn upon each other in the worst of times albeit in the best of places!
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