Whistling and our family

Ours is a family where whistling is almost a tradition. Situ dada taught me the simplest form when I was around 8. I remember my classmates pretending to be outraged by it (I'm sure they were impressed, maybe even a little jealous). I understand that studying as we were in the RSS run Saraswati Shishu Mandir, it was expected of them to take the moral high ground all the time.  

The more elaborate whistling (with fingers) was taught in a more elaborate class held by Cheeku dada, spanning various ceremonies in the course of Shraddha didi's wedding. Kids of all age-groups were welcome to learn the art, and the course was followed by practicals exams.

Now, be it in college auditoriums, after winning cricket matches, in cinema halls at item numbers, Dil To Pagal Hai style whistling on an empty moon-lit roads, while dancing at baaraats, tapori style whistling, or whistling for the heck of it at family gatherings - this is a tradition that has helped us connect with each other and baffle others over the years.

Here is to many more years of whistling our way out of blues!

Did you know?

1. RD Burman has used whistling in his songs a number of times.

2. Anu Malik is an accomplished whistler. He often whistles for his own songs (like Main Hoon Na title track)

3. I found the Sanskrit prayers we used to say in our school on the wikipedia page :D

As Kids - (Part 1) Our escape from home

We were three - Pallavi didi, Sonu (my sis) and me. They're both two years older to me. We had formed this "secret" detective agency, called RP99. It was Richa-Pallavi and their ages. I was not a partner in the firm yet! :P

How serious we were with it! We'd actually go to all sort of weird places, and do real jasoosi. Our targets were usually any odd-looking person, all the patients (we live in doctor's colony), any big houses/kothis, the water tank of our colony (that was such a suspicious-looking place, secluded & dirty), and the crematorium near our colony. :)) In the hot summer afternoons when everyone slept, we'll spend hours looking for clues of any kind of crime. We spared noone. Everyone was either a criminal or a victim. We even had code names. Mine was Rakhi, the others were Rekha and Sridevi I think. What names!! Come to think of it, we were perhaps the most stupid kids around, but blessed with the best imaginations too.

One fine day when we returned home at 7 or 8 pm, having spent the whole afternoon & evening taking notes, keeping eye on all the 'criminals', mumma was furious! We got a good (verbal) thrashing and decided this was not the place for us. We had to find another home for ourselves.

The very next day, we took some bread, a comb and 25 paise each, and set on our journey. Where to go, everyone was keeping an eye on us (so we thought). We just roamed here and there, not talking to anyone, hiding behind trees & bushes for no reason and walking through dried up naalis. At last we saw a big house. Ah! Pallavi didi said "Dekho, hum Nagpur aa gaye. Yeh meri mausi ka ghar hai!"
R: "Andar chalein kya?"
K: "Mausi ghar par to nahin batayengi na?"
P: "Arey hum bas unse milke aur khana kha ke chale jayenge yahan se"

Knock-knock! Standing before us, a policeman with moustaches.
P: (to us) "Lagta hai Mausi ko kisi ne kidnap kar liya hai!"
R: "Bhaago!!"

And we ran for our lives. I hated it. Why did he had to kidnap Mausi, I was so hungy!

A few minutes of walking, and we were in the main market of Rewa. There's a place called Peeli Kothi, which was abandoned then (now it's been converted into a museum). A perfect place for us to live in, we thought! We went to the first floor using the creaky stairs. The first thing that we saw there was the scores of lizards and cobwebs all around us. Shrieking, we ran down the creaky stairs, which almost gave way under out feet.

We went to a shop. "Uncle, paani milega kya?" "!" We sat there, planning what to do next. I wanted to go home, I was so hungry! (I think they were too, but being elder to me they could not say this)
"Arey Sonu, tum log yahan kya kar rahe ho?" It was our uncle. "Munna mama?" (Thank God Rewa was a small place) I dont know of the others, but I was happy. At least I'd get something to eat now. He took us home. Where, before anything, we got lots of scolds and love, all mixed together. I dont know whether mumma was happy or sad or angry. I got to eat my favorite Gulab Jamuns that night. Lots of them.

Looking back at it, it's hard to believe we really did all this. There's so much to be said, I could write a book about our adventures. The Adventures of RP99. (Perhaps that's the reason I like Tom Sawyer, Calvin, Rusty and Swami so much.) :)