kal, aaj aur …kal

On one of 90s Saturday night, before sleep my younger sister (pooja) told me “kunu, tomorrow is Sunday. Will you wake-up me?”

“Yes, I will.” I said.

But there was something different in my mind.

I woke-up early in the morning and carefully left the room so my sister couldn’t wake. Hurriedly I rushed and switched-on the TV. Hema Malini was about to start Rangoli at 7 a.m. I felt so relaxed. Around 8:30 when my sister woke and starred at me with complain that why? But she didn’t tell anything to me. Next Sunday I missed to watch because she didn’t wake me up!

It was then where a mischievous game started between us. Most of the times I won and sometimes she won to watch early Sunday programs. As we grow, we had little mutual agreement and we started to see Sunday programs together. We were always eagerly waited for Sunday mornings and very much upset on Sunday night.

“Will you both go to bath or I switch-off the TV?” was first default sentence from our mother we heard on every Sunday mornings.

Without proper bathing and breakfast, again we used to sit in the front of TV like statue. How can we move when we are seeing Mile sur mera tumara and Baje saragam. Again we knew that to see Mogli we have to wait a while, especially to sing Chaddi pehn ke phul khila he. Kaka chale wanka was very humorous serial based on amdavadi uncle, where he used to fool everybody with his wisdom. Ramayana was very amazing when we see Hanuman went bigger in size and sometimes smaller. I still remember that there were more than ten neighbor come to our home to watch Mahabharata. I was especially interested in war episodes. Where before left the arrow Arjuna close his eyes and read some mantras and then starts fire from the arrow with jankar beats sound effects. It was always thrill for me.

One of my uncle always used to come on Sundays to meet us. Those Sundays was horrible for us as he did not like TV.

“kunu, Get some khaman-dhokla [A Gujarati Food Item] from the market for uncle” Mummy said to me.

“Where is it?” I said without watching to them. I was busy watching Potili Baba Ki.

“aree! You don’t know Jalarama Khaman House.”

“ummmm. Don’t know exactly…. ahhh.”

I tried my best to keep watch my program and I was almost succeed till my uncle said.

“I think I will try to remember you”

He switched-off the TV and said “Now?”

With highly disappointed expression I started to run from the house and in less than ten minutes I returned home and switched-on the TV. Potli and Baba both were gone!

“Will you both come for lunch or I switch-off the TV?” was always a second default sentence from our mother.

After lunch, it was always crucial time for us to watch TV. Everybody used to eat very heavy food with mango ras, puri, and shak. Unfortunately after lunch, they always preferred to sleep in front room where our TV was. But we were never hopeless. We already found the solution. We used to sit in front of TV with distance of three to four inches and watch White Elephant documentary movie or any Gujarati Movie with very minor sound. I liked Gujarati Movies because of Ramesh Mehta’s comedy. My right hand as back-up was always at the switch-off button, as soon as I realize that anybody is waking up because of the sound, I switch-off TV and ON again after five seconds as I start to hear their snores.

We both had to struggle to watch alone till night. Everybody wants to watch at night. So as evening starts it was very easy to keep watching continuing. Flop Show by Jaspal Bhatt, was highly humoured program. It was the only program that we laugh after we see that everybody is also laughing. We should too. But I liked Surabhi. It was like I am travelling to different parts of India by sitting at home.

*

“Go to Sleep. Sunday is over. Tomorrow you have to wake-up at 6:30a.m, not to watch Hema Malini but to watch School Rikshaw.” With smile, Mummy said.

We said “ “

When my sister asked me before sleep “kunu, how many days after next Sunday will come?”

“Six. Unfortunately” I tried my best not to cry but she cried already.