Kikki

By Kaushal Vijay

From printing birthday wishes in the newspaper to helping him get into his dream college, Kaushal’s father went through countless hardships. Now, it’s Kaushal’s turn to take his parents’ efforts and turn them into success, for himself and them. Through memory losses and no hope for anything, Kikki talks about everything that Kaushal’s family went through for him and his struggle to do justice to it. An extraordinary story of an ordinary family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Point Six Technologies Pvt Ltd
• Release date: Apr 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9789352019182

Kaushal Vijay

Kaushal Vijay was born and brought up in the Educational City – Kota, Rajasthan. It was too earlyin life when he faced situations that forced him to become mature. He got crushed; inexperience brokehim. But on the other side, he was getting stronger, stronger like never before. He was taught to face anykind of struggle with smiles and also spreading them to lower the pains of others. With spreading smilesand happiness, he learnt a lot; a lot got inculcated inhim to be perfect, to get essence of what he is now andwhat he will be in future.He has a degree in Civil Engineering from NITJalandhar. Currently, he is living with his parents inAhmedabad and working as a Project Engineer in anurban planning consultancy. He is very passionateabout storytelling

Book preview

1

Happy Birthday Kikki

28th January 1994

Papa woke up earlier than usual in the morning and immediately walked towards the main entrance. He looked out for something, but it seemed like he didn’t find it. He came back towards the room and started roaming here and there.

Mummy watched him, trying to guess what he was doing but couldn’t. She asked him, What happened? Why are you running around the house so early in the morning?

Papa replied, every day, the newspaper is delivered by 5:30 a.m. but it’s 6:15 now.

Mummy asked, what happened? Any special news coming today?

Papa snapped, just wait! Once I get the newspaper, I will show you!

Mummy frowned. Okay, fine.

Next moment, they heard a newspaper being dropped near the door. Mummy sarcastically told Papa, your newspaper arrived. Now show me that special news you are so excited about.

Papa immediately rushed towards the door and picked the newspaper. He rushed towards Mummy, opened the fourth page, and showed it to her.

Mummy investigated the paper and excitedly jumped up!

Oh wow, that’s why you are so excited! she exclaimed. Papa nodded.

Let’s go and show it to Kikki.

They came near to me but I was asleep. Mummy taking me in her lap woke me up. I started rubbing my eyes and they put the newspaper’s fourth page in front of me. My eyes shot wide open when I saw my photo in the newspaper. It was published for birthday wishes from my family. I became 3 years old. Mummy pulled my cheeks and kissed me. Suddenly, they started chanting the happy birthday song to me. My one-year-old sister Minni was sleeping there. Because of the noise, she woke up and started crying. Mummy took Minni in her lap and started chanting again.

Around 10:00 a.m. Papa and I left home for our PCO shop at Chawani Circle. Papa ran a shop in partnership with my youngest maternal uncle. He had a business of purchasing and selling commodities. It was running well.

Our first stop was at a kachori shop. Kachori is Kota’s renowned spicy dish made with lentils, white flour and other spices.

The shop owner knew us very well. Where is he going all dressed up? he asked while pulling my cheeks.

Papa replied, today is his birthday.

Oh, that’s great. That’s why he is looking like a hero today. Happy birthday, beta, he said. He put his hand on my head and blessed me.

We reached our shop. My maternal uncle and Papa’s two friends were sitting there. I touched everyone’s feet. They blessed me and gave me chocolates too. A few minutes later, a tea vendor came and served tea to everyone. When my uncle was about to give the money to the vendor, Papa stopped him.

Papa told everyone, today is his birthday so he will give the money. He gestured me to give the money. He had already given me a deck of five-rupee notes before leaving home. I extended the whole deck towards the vendor.

Papa stopped me and said, what are you doing, son? Just give him two notes.

You will surely make me poor very early if you go around giving full decks instead of ten rupees. Everybody started laughing.

I took out two notes from the deck and handed them to the vendor. He smiled and took the money. He also wished me a happy birthday and blessed me.

After that, we went to the market near our shop and bought a bicycle for me.

Invitation cards were already distributed for my grand birthday party on that evening at Bhitriya Kund. Bhitriya Kund is a historical place on the bank of the river Chambal. It has a Lord Shiva temple and a kund (pool) with a garden. It was one of the best places located in the city for such feasts. You could worship there and enjoy the scenic view of the Chambal River amidst the dense greenery all around.

More than two hundred people were invited to my birthday party. At 6 p.m., I cut the cake and everybody started chanting the Happy Birthday song. After that, the Royal Rajasthani feast (Dal–Bati–Churma) started. Simultaneously, the photographer started clicking my photos with my family members. I was delighted to receive so many gifts as well as blessings from everyone in the party.

28th February, 1994

Exactly a month after my birthday was the fourth anniversary of my parents.

Around 8 a.m., a doubtful uncle’s family came to our home. Doubtful uncle was our neighbour and a very close friend of Papa. Papa gave him that unique name because he always had doubted everything.

Uncle asked Papa, so what is the plan today?

Papa replied, nothing now. You didn’t inform us before that you are coming, or else we would have surely made some plan.

Uncle said, what’s the issue now? Let’s go to Gapernath.

Gapernath temple is an adventurous place 200 ft. below ground, surrounded by heavy rocks and landmasses. A natural flow of water pours on the Shiva Linga directly, which makes this place unique and attracts a lot of people from nearby places.

Papa was ready for parties and picnics any time. He immediately made the plan and invited his friends and relatives. At 9:30 a.m., we left for Gapernath temple. We celebrated their anniversary to the fullest. It was the first time they celebrated their anniversary at a place like that and happiness could easily be perceived on their smiling faces.

After the astounding party, we returned home in the evening. But the celebration was not over yet. We went to the very popular Riddhi Photo Studio. The trend was initiated by Papa since their first wedding anniversary. The owner knew the trend set by Papa. First, he clicked the pictures of Papa and Mummy then all of us and at last, of me and Minni.

After the photoshoot, we went to Papa’s favourite New Maheshwari Restaurant for dinner. Post dinner, we went to Kota’s chaupati area for desserts at mummy’s favourite Veer-e-Punjab shop.

9th May 1994

It was peak summer time and Papa planned the outstation trip to Mount Abu on Mummy’s birthday.

Sitting at Guru Shikhar, the topmost point of Mount Abu, Papa told Mummy, in the last three years, we have taken a lot of trips to Jaipur, Udaipur, Mount Abu, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Chittorgarh and Delhi. Let’s make a plan for some new city now.

Mummy immediately said, yes let’s go to Bombay.

Papa got excited and said, yes, I also want to go to Bombay once in my life. We see Bombay only in movies. Now let’s go to see the real Bombay. It’s final, we are going to Bombay and Goa.

Mummy interrupted and asked, why Goa?

Papa replied, yes dear, when we are going to Bombay then how far is Goa? We don’t know when we will get the chance to go again. So, we will also go there.

Our lifestyle was like what every family dreams off. Papa was living a life king size. The way he was moving in his life created a memorable era of a lifetime for us. We visited many cities of Rajasthan and nearby states in a very short span of time. He was fond of new vehicles and changed his vehicle nearly every six months. I remember the time when he left home with an old vehicle in the morning and returned with a new one in the evening. He had planned to establish his own business and already had arranged all the resources required.

2

A Blow

24th July 1994

Papa frequently went to picnics with family and friends. He went to Bardha Dam with his two best friends, Akshat and Sushil on his bike. It was a well-known picnic spot located on the outskirts of Kota. There was a waterfall too, which attracted the most visitors. There was always a huge crowd of people around the falls.

Papa wanted to share with them some important decisions of his life that he was going to execute in the upcoming months. That’s why he planned the trip with only those two.

They sat down near the waterfall. Papa was very excited as he told them, now everything is going well and I want to upgrade my business. I plan to buy a shop in Bhamashah Mandi this coming Diwali.

Akshat uncle said, that’s great, brother; this means you will become a boss. Wow, congratulations!

Yes, brother. Thank you so much. I am also planning to buy a car this next month, Papa said.

It’s too much effort to come here on a bike, next time we will come by car, Papa added with a smile.

They were delighted after listening to the surprises. They were very happy for him.

It was a time when we were just ten years old and had started a business of buying packets of bread and selling loose slices of bread at old Kota’s clock tower market, Sushil uncle said.

Papa and Akshat uncle nodded with a smile.

Sushil uncle continued, do you remember when we went to Delhi to buy plastic bags and sold them in Kota?

Papa replied, yes! At that time polythene bags were rarely used in Kota. What didn’t we do to make money?

Everybody laughed, remembering their old times, and enjoying.

Papa said, you remember the time we dressed up as Lord Krishna’s tableau and sat at the nearby Lord Krishna temple on Janmashtami?

Akshat uncle started laughing loudly and said, yes and after that, we went to watch a movie with the money collected from the donation.

They all burst out laughing.

I want to tell you one more thing, Papa said after they all silenced.

They got curious and asked, now what brother?

Papa said, next month, I am going to Bombay and Goa with my family. Now, Amma and Bauji (my grandmother and grandfather) are on a chardham yatra. When they will come back, we will go to Bombay.

Akshat uncle said, great! It seems like today is the happiest day of your life. Since morning you have given us a lot of good news. Really, you made us delighted by sharing your plans. It is unbelievable that our childhood friend became so big. We are very proud of you and I am sure, we have a bright future for your family waiting ahead.

Sushil uncle said, the best thing about you is that even after being friends for so long and financially grown much more than both of us, there is no change in your behaviour at all. I really admire you for your down-to-earth attitude.

Papa was also very happy after sharing the surprises he wanted to execute. He told them, now it’s time to go home.

Papa insisted that he would ride the bike and they agreed. They left the waterfall.

Ten minutes later, the bike collided with a jeep. Papa fell unconscious the moment he dropped to the ground. His friends were not as injured and took him to hospital. His whole body was stained with blood. His eyes were closed and his body