This was when i was nineteen. I was addicted to Whatsapp, hooked to Facebook and forever in front of the television watching football.
So my parents took urgent measures to curb this. My cell was taken away, the internet was banned and the cable was cut. Doomsday was upon me and i couldn't do a thing about it.
After a week of surviving hell, a ray of hope finally presented itself. My parents and our neighbours, the Sharmas had been invited to a marriage function. I was appointed babysitter to look after the Sharmas' two year old son, Vivek. And thank my stars, the neighbours insisted that i come over to their house to look after him. My rehab was coming to an end for a day and coincidently Barcelona were playing Real Madrid. NIRVANA!
After they left, i sat comfortably in front of the T.V. and put on the sports channel. As i settled down to see my favourite team play, i looked around to make sure that Vivek was fine.
But the little guy was no where to be seen. I searched the entire house but there was no clue as to where he was. As i emerged in the hall again, the pesky little trouble-maker shot out from below the sofa with the precious remote in his hand. The channel had been changed to a depressing Saas-Bahu serial in which the mother-in-law was plotting the end of her daughter-in-law. 'DAMN,' i muttered under my breath and ran around the house chasing mini Usain Bolt. I was soon panting as the stupid Bahu on T.V. was running from goons out to kill her. The match was to begin at 10 p.m. and it was already 10:15p.m. And in a desperate attempt, i lunged at him but caught empty air. But the channel had once again been changed to the sports channel in which it seemed Barcelona was dominating the game. I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down once again when the brat materialised again making faces and taunting and changing the channel to a kids show. I bore it and expected him to settle down in front of the T.V. But instead he switched off the T.V. and threw the remote. I watched my precious break in front of my eyes.
I thought i heard a snigger from him and once again it was a game a cat and mouse. I had forgotten all about the match and this was about my honour. I had lost my cell phone, my unlimited access to the internet and T.V. and now Vivek, the innocent kid that he was, had broken the T.V. remote which had taken away with it the last shred of my sanity.
I do not know how long it went on but eventually i did catch him when he slipped on some of the water he had flung on my face in the wash room.
Now as i stood victoriously over him, he started bawling his lungs out threatening to awaken everyone in the building. My ears tore open and the next hour was spent in dancing around like a lunatic, offering to play with all the soft toys he had and even inviting him to ride me like a horse. But he did not stop and i cursed my immaturity. As i thought nothing worse could happen, the bell rang and i froze on the spot. After a moment or two, gingerly opened the door allowing the Sharmas a full view of their wailing child. I expected a deadly barrage of verbal scoldings from them but to my shock and the biggest twist in this story, his father calmly walked up to Vivek and handed him his smartphone. The kid immediately shut up and started playing games on it.
My parents showed no surprise and waited to take me back home.
'WHAT THE ...,' i muttered as i was dragged back home with Vivek playing angry birds on the phone.
So my parents took urgent measures to curb this. My cell was taken away, the internet was banned and the cable was cut. Doomsday was upon me and i couldn't do a thing about it.
After a week of surviving hell, a ray of hope finally presented itself. My parents and our neighbours, the Sharmas had been invited to a marriage function. I was appointed babysitter to look after the Sharmas' two year old son, Vivek. And thank my stars, the neighbours insisted that i come over to their house to look after him. My rehab was coming to an end for a day and coincidently Barcelona were playing Real Madrid. NIRVANA!
After they left, i sat comfortably in front of the T.V. and put on the sports channel. As i settled down to see my favourite team play, i looked around to make sure that Vivek was fine.
But the little guy was no where to be seen. I searched the entire house but there was no clue as to where he was. As i emerged in the hall again, the pesky little trouble-maker shot out from below the sofa with the precious remote in his hand. The channel had been changed to a depressing Saas-Bahu serial in which the mother-in-law was plotting the end of her daughter-in-law. 'DAMN,' i muttered under my breath and ran around the house chasing mini Usain Bolt. I was soon panting as the stupid Bahu on T.V. was running from goons out to kill her. The match was to begin at 10 p.m. and it was already 10:15p.m. And in a desperate attempt, i lunged at him but caught empty air. But the channel had once again been changed to the sports channel in which it seemed Barcelona was dominating the game. I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down once again when the brat materialised again making faces and taunting and changing the channel to a kids show. I bore it and expected him to settle down in front of the T.V. But instead he switched off the T.V. and threw the remote. I watched my precious break in front of my eyes.
I thought i heard a snigger from him and once again it was a game a cat and mouse. I had forgotten all about the match and this was about my honour. I had lost my cell phone, my unlimited access to the internet and T.V. and now Vivek, the innocent kid that he was, had broken the T.V. remote which had taken away with it the last shred of my sanity.
I do not know how long it went on but eventually i did catch him when he slipped on some of the water he had flung on my face in the wash room.
Now as i stood victoriously over him, he started bawling his lungs out threatening to awaken everyone in the building. My ears tore open and the next hour was spent in dancing around like a lunatic, offering to play with all the soft toys he had and even inviting him to ride me like a horse. But he did not stop and i cursed my immaturity. As i thought nothing worse could happen, the bell rang and i froze on the spot. After a moment or two, gingerly opened the door allowing the Sharmas a full view of their wailing child. I expected a deadly barrage of verbal scoldings from them but to my shock and the biggest twist in this story, his father calmly walked up to Vivek and handed him his smartphone. The kid immediately shut up and started playing games on it.
My parents showed no surprise and waited to take me back home.
'WHAT THE ...,' i muttered as i was dragged back home with Vivek playing angry birds on the phone.
