It doesn't happen every day but yesterday was different. For the first time in a decade, I had ended up watching a few classic flicks by the legendary Bollywood comic, Mehmood late into the night. Did I forget to tell you I was on an unplanned trip to Manali for a day to collect some copies of land deeds from the Municipal office. With no intention to splurge on a good hotel, I crashed into the house of an old friend of Dad and that's where it all began. My benign tryst with comedy flicks! I don't know when I dozed off watching those antics of Mehmood and sailed into a distant dreamer's paradise.
Here I was in a medieval, luxuriously done palatial mansions of King George IV, and guess what, in such motley clothes that it was a tad difficult to know if I was a state prisoner or a half-baboon pulled out from the exotic East! However, very soon my inner chaos ended and I knew I was not alone in the proximity of the King himself. Besides, the royal guard, there were two more of my ilk doing funny things in the middle of the court. Very soon I realized I belonged to the elite club of King's Jesters!
With the existential anxiety well settled, a long, quick, probing gaze confirmed that the day was a special one with few foreign dignitaries in court. The day was all set for some unusually entertaining performances. From hula dancers to magician acts to acrobatic performances, the mood was one of excitement and fun. The air was getting thick with song and merry-making voices. I knew, I too had to roll out an act, and, it had to be something big!
While the celebrations were on, suddenly I let out a loud shriek claiming that I have been poisoned by the queen mother herself using her hair pin to inject the venom. Feigning to cry and clutching my belly, I landed on the ground with a loud thud, crushing my fake scepter and my brightly colored gown in the act. And guess what happened next! Before anyone could take a breath, I saw the King himself descend from the throne, rushing my way to see if the hair pin indeed belonged to his Ma! Before he could come nigh, I rose on my nimble feet and lunged for the royal throne, placing my thick frame into its rich upholstery. It was time to declare, "Hail the new King!" while holding my master's staff in the air. Everybody was in splits and I carried the day remarkably well! Upon seeing my master, I alighted from the throne and was moonstruck when I got a bear hug from him!
I woke up next morning with a start when I found my old host snatching the TV's remote from me. It was time for the 8:00 am news!
Here I was in a medieval, luxuriously done palatial mansions of King George IV, and guess what, in such motley clothes that it was a tad difficult to know if I was a state prisoner or a half-baboon pulled out from the exotic East! However, very soon my inner chaos ended and I knew I was not alone in the proximity of the King himself. Besides, the royal guard, there were two more of my ilk doing funny things in the middle of the court. Very soon I realized I belonged to the elite club of King's Jesters!
With the existential anxiety well settled, a long, quick, probing gaze confirmed that the day was a special one with few foreign dignitaries in court. The day was all set for some unusually entertaining performances. From hula dancers to magician acts to acrobatic performances, the mood was one of excitement and fun. The air was getting thick with song and merry-making voices. I knew, I too had to roll out an act, and, it had to be something big!
While the celebrations were on, suddenly I let out a loud shriek claiming that I have been poisoned by the queen mother herself using her hair pin to inject the venom. Feigning to cry and clutching my belly, I landed on the ground with a loud thud, crushing my fake scepter and my brightly colored gown in the act. And guess what happened next! Before anyone could take a breath, I saw the King himself descend from the throne, rushing my way to see if the hair pin indeed belonged to his Ma! Before he could come nigh, I rose on my nimble feet and lunged for the royal throne, placing my thick frame into its rich upholstery. It was time to declare, "Hail the new King!" while holding my master's staff in the air. Everybody was in splits and I carried the day remarkably well! Upon seeing my master, I alighted from the throne and was moonstruck when I got a bear hug from him!
I woke up next morning with a start when I found my old host snatching the TV's remote from me. It was time for the 8:00 am news!
This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
RSS Feed