A laugh a day…

Regardless of your resolutions to stay away from banters, there are certain things or people who can set your tongues wagging. At times, it’s not about how much control you exert upon yourself but some personalities come up with interesting anecdotes making you laugh. There is nothing exclusive in what they speak but the way they do it adds spice to the entire episode. Their manner of narration forces you to keep logic aside and be party to playful conversions. What’s more important, it prompts you to be sporting enough to take everything in a light vein.

My recent encounter with a younger cousin kept me in humorous mindset for a couple of days. Naughty and mischievous, I recollect how he would give sleepless nights every person around him through inane activities in childhood. His mischief had landed many in trouble. Our family members, guests, kin, neighbours, teachers, even servants were victims of his impish ways. I wasn’t in touch with him for many years. And whenever we caught up, our interactions were limited to exchanging greetings. Recent, I met him when all our family members came together for Diwali.

Nothing had changed! Years had gone by yet his mischievousness hadn’t faded. He had excelled in the field he had chosen. In spite of a busy schedule, playing mischief was still fundamental for him! I was wondering if I could really have long conversations with him. (He found me too ‘serious’ to interact with).

Talking with him, I realised all I had to do was laugh heartily. A laugh a moment, that’s that interaction went. He made all my ‘seriousness’ evaporate. I knew, pursuing his studies, he had become a big fan of a famous kirtankar. He shared with me a recording of some religious discourse. It was very unlike of me to listen to it but I did. The piece seemed interesting. The orator appeared as funny as my cousin. It was less of a discourse and more of a comic stuff.

It didn’t stop there. Two full days we spent together were equally amusing. He admitted how he loved to give people sleepless nights. He narrated an incident when he was in Class VI. A teacher made him stand out as punishment. He climbed up a parapet next to his first floor classroom and told the teacher he was jumping down! Alarmed, the teacher readily asked him to sit in the class and swore he would never punish the guy!!

When I told him he hadn’t changed a bit, he said he never planned anything. According to him, he never intended to pull anyone’s leg but people ‘loved’ to be fooled themselves.  He went on. He had topped a state-level entrance but his teachers were not ready to believe it. When he understood I was enjoying his narration, he started spicing them up. I heard of many funny characters, milkman, paperwallah and all. The narration was studded with his opinions on different communities, modern ways, girls getting too ‘liberal’ and what not. For two days, he was continuously talking and I was laughing. Sometimes, I did not respond openly but laughed my heart out within.

I found him entertaining but yes, he sounded sectarian. He needs guidance and direction, I said to myself, if he has to exploit his potential. It hardly mattered to him, probably.

We can’t always get along with such entertainers but everything in life needn’t be serious either. What these people do with their potential is another story but they cheer people up with playful banters, don’t they?

-KanChan