Monday, October 09, 2006

Match the Following

"Again less marks in Maths. 180 out of 200. How do you think you are going to make the top grade Kaushik?" yelled Dad. I hate this whole exam system. Worse I hate is this enquiry after each and every exam. It’s as if I am a militant on an execution row.

"Look at me Kaushik. Your brother Kishore scored centum in 3 subjects and was the second in district. Dont you want to match him?" Match him my ass. My elder brother Kishore was bloody bookworm who knew nothing about life. All his life was spent reading subject books. He once asked me if VijayKanth and Rajnikanth were siblings. At times when my dad is out there comparing me with my brother, I feel like killing Kishore by the scruff of his neck. But then, that poor fella also got unfavorably compared to my elder cousin Ravi.

Why do we need to be compared with someone? Life is a whole lot comparison cycle. As a kid you get compared to your siblings or cousins. At work place you get compared to your peers (I heard about Appraisal from my cousin). And if you are unlucky enough at old age, your kids may bitch you comparing about the standards you provided them with the rest. I wonder now how unfavorably the wards of famous politicians, artists, sportpersons are compared with them. Aren’t we all individual entities? If we are all the same, then what’s the point?

"Don’t you want to become an engineer like your brother Kaushik?" asked Dad. There we go. The number of engineering colleges was already more than the Punjabi Dhabas and Muniyandi Vilas all over. I had heard that the tea master near our house was also an engineering student who had arrears more than the political parties in India. Why couldn’t I become a painter by enrolling in an art school? I have always been good at drawing. Hell, papa would say that if you had to tell that your son is a painter to the relatives, then the next thing they would do would be to ask to paint their house for Diwali. Here you can be either an engineer or doctor or a cricketer to be regarded respectful.

"Are you going to study or Graze cows?". Man, papa really looks angry. But hey, even this is a good idea. I can have 2 cows and milk them and sell it to the tea boy next street. Maybe I will ask Kishore to lend me some money and buy more cows. With little time I will open a Dairy of my own and import cows from New Zealand. I can even ask Asin to model for my dairy products. Who knows, she may ask me to marry her. Mom can easily be cajoled. Dad? Ahhh...who cares.

"Are you still day dreaming Kaushik?" dad had reached the boiling point.

Grandma came running "Oh Ashok. Is this the way you treat your kids? Have you ever seen you brother Ajay treat his kids as such?"

For the first time in an hour I laughed aloud.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

where's my previous comment???seri watever...sooberah ezhudhirkeenga...

//Aren’t we all individual entities? If we are all the same, then what’s the point?// ippidilaam kekapdaadhu(parents kitta)... :))

irundhaalum asin matterlaam too much... ;)

Aditi said...

That is really funny the ending ie..
and unfortunately u are right.. comparisons are the bane of existence..

Anonymous said...

Harish:

I will say, I want to be what I will be.
Comparison can make a person aggrevate and go beyond their behavior. It can also become negative aversion towards that person with whom you are compared.

Unknown said...

Harish,, I am telling this from the bottom of my heart. Your writing is really great!!!!!!!
Hats off! You can try your hand in some dailies too!

Look at me Kaushik. Your brother Kishore scored centum in 3 subjects and was the second in district. Dont you want to match him?" Match him my ass

:))

All his life was spent reading subject books. He once asked me if VijayKanth and Rajnikanth were siblings.

Yeah, I too knew one girl who didn't know how to change channels in a TV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ofcourse, she was a padips!

I too have been often compared with others! I would feel reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllly bbbbaaadddd! I know my strength and weeknesses are really different from others! And still they are doing this to me! I used to get upset over this! I wud say that i got Inferiority Complex ONLY because of this!!!!

BTW, a WONDERFUL thought provoking post!

Anonymous said...

truly hilarious.. only if comparisons weren't as unfair! how abt the fact that my friend gets to stay out till 1am unlike my curfew time of 12 !! :P these are comparisons too... right?

Syam said...

dhoooool....

//He once asked me if VijayKanth and Rajnikanth were siblings//

//The number of engineering colleges was already more than the Punjabi Dhabas and Muniyandi Vilas all ove//

// I can even ask Asin to model for my dairy products. Who knows, she may ask me to marry he//

//Oh Ashok. Is this the way you treat your kids? Have you ever seen you brother Ajay treat his kids as such?"//

ROTFL :-)

Anonymous said...

Too Good!!! especially
//The number of engineering colleges was already more than the Punjabi Dhabas and Muniyandi Vilas all ove//
But Asin has already promised to marry me. Just waiting for her commitments to finish :)

ambi said...

nice writeup chellam! :) enjoyed well.
//the tea master near their house was also an engineering student who had arrears //
ROTFL :)
final punch is superb! *ahem* again it could be taken as tele serial with nasser as appa, dhanush as yngr son & prathap pothen as elder one. wat say?
U made my Day! :)

smiley said...

very interesting and thought provoking :)

Anonymous said...

nice story :)

nandoo said...

hmmmm.... Comparison trap :) we are all trapped in it... but what to do??? :)

Nice work

Unknown said...

@KK

But Asin has already promised to marry me. Just waiting for her commitments to finish :)

Like Dipika Pallikal promised to marry me. Is it? :)

Ganesh Ranganathan said...

hehe...very funny post...

Thank god I never had any older or younger siblings I was compared to... :-))

Krithika said...

haahah..so nice!! superbbbb!! :)yes..I hate comparisons..its u,ur life,ur fate..that really matters
aparam enna asin modelling ah..overra ila? :)

kuttichuvaru said...

gud one dude!! enna ennoda name adipaduthu?? copyrights vaangave illiye!! lol!!

Anonymous said...

OMG!!!! that was one awesome post harish!!! thoroughly loved it!!! i am gettin so obsessed wid each one of ur posts..

the ending was superb... so very true n real...u play so well wid words!!! loved it tons!!!

Has to be me said...

This one was reallly really good harish....enjoyed this soooooo much cos its so true & u've bought it out in a nice hilarious fashion! LOL @ Diwali paint!

EarthlyTraveler said...

very true.Too good post. Hilariouspa.Last 2 line edhirparkala. enjoyed reading.--SKM

Anonymous said...

me was in this scenario wen i was in the school, not anymore :)

Avial said...

just happened to pass by.. enjoyed reading ur post

Anonymous said...

Came blog hopping. And not at all disappointed.
"Oh Ashok. Is this the way you treat your kids? Have you ever seen you brother Ajay treat his kids as such?"
Good one.

மு.கார்த்திகேயன் said...

//He once asked me if VijayKanth and Rajnikanth were siblings//

ippadiyum person irukkaangala harish..

//The number of engineering colleges was already more than the Punjabi Dhabas and Muniyandi Vilas all over// LOL naalum nijam..

Anonymous said...

//Like Dipika Pallikal promised to marry me. Is it? :) //
Nope, Manithar unarnthu kolla ithu manitha kathal alla athayum thaandi punithamaanathu :)

Harish said...

@Gopal
Chumma masala kku thaan Asin matter pottaen :-)

@Aditi
We cant do without them aditi...kind of necessary evil

@Priya
Thats rite. As in RBK "I am What I am"

@Soulasylum
Any comparison for that matter is unfair

@Syaam
Thanks thalai

@KK
Idu konjam overa illa

@Ambi
I guess neengalum naanum inda velaia vittut pesaama mega serial illana tele serial edukalaam. namakku nalla edirkaalam irukku :-)

@Smiley
Thanks yaar

@Nandoo
Romba simple. Lets not compare and spoil the lives of the next generation

@Karthik
Makkka...sutti sutti anda Deepika ponna maatum vida maatengara

@Krithika
Enga?Asin dairy kku modellaing panna koodada...illa en hero a kalyaanam panna koodada :-)

Harish said...

@Kuttychuvaru
En pa..naan narayya peru use pandaren..pora pokka paatha patent right keppa pola :-)

@Prithz
Know what? Such encouraging words only makes me blog. Else I feel at times so bored and out....and wonder what am I doing. Thanks for keeping this ship upfloat :-)

@HTBM
It is a bitter pill to swallow. Tried to wrap in a diwali sweet :-)

@SKM
Actually...i was wondering how to end it...it just came up as i was typing it on notepad. Just happened !

@Brute
Damn....most of us were....

@Madhu
Welcome and Thanks yaar

@Gayatri
Welcome and Thanks a ton yaar

@Karthik
Read Karthik B S comments boss...there was a guy in my training room who asked if Irfan Pathan was a pakistan terrorist

@KK
Unga rendu perukkum idae velaya pochchu

Harish said...

@Karthik
First of all...THANKS A TON
You made my day when i read this. I was grinning from ear to ear.

Its one stupid system that we have of comparing others. We are all so different and so unfairly compared. I guess pissed off by the appraisal process when someone tells that he/she is not as par with someone else. It could be true if you work on same environment. But they are different as well.

So I started it from where it all begins....School. And yes...please dont get upset or feel inferior over this. People love you because of what you are....and yes...you are indeed lovely :-)

Unknown said...

hmmm.. thanks

People love you because of what you are....



true!

Krithika said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Krithika said...

cha..cha apdi solla ve illa..daaralama panna laame..:) I meant asin dairy kku modelling panna overra irukkum..thats all:)

Harish said...

@Karthik
Yes..thats 100% true

@Krithika
Oh..i was kidding :-)

Harish said...

@Raz
U r welcome any time :-)

Heidi Kris said...

very true! It's always the comparision that happens in every walk of our life. Bench marking is good, but not always!

Its very bad to have a sibbling, that too elder, and worst when it becomes that he does well in studies than you and you are dead for your life-time! Poor me :( Real life experience speaks!!

Dimplicious said...

he he...loved d endin nw...n pretty nice way of puttin up too..n those comments from dads..man damn true!!ultimately a funny n a thot provokin one!!!