It has been exactly five years and two months that I have been in my friend- my saathi’s life. I’ve been beside her through the thick and thin; her travel adventures, her winter classes, her hiking/trekking, her not-so frequent gym visits. To sum it off, I have been at her side through all the escapades she sought in her life.

These five good years of companionship, and as I am nearing my end, my saathi decides to christen me. Ok! There you have it, I’ve been finally named “The old faithful.” I rest assured that it suits me perfectly. I’m five years old and I’ve been there for her, days- in and days- out. – Old yet kicking. Voila! No coincidence out there eh?

Anyway, my friend who tells me, I am her best non-Homo sapien buddy introduced me to her life with a meager $20. Ironic, but I am told, I am of more value than those bloody $20- a bargain price she tells me.

Sometimes, I am glad I was just paid but those bloody two sets of diez dolares. That’s $10 for you English speaking mono or bi-linguists. If it weren’t for that $20 bill I wouldn’t have experienced half the world that she ventured out on. Reality check here- “the world” here, is just her little world which comprised of her ritualistic summer vacations since 2002, a trip to Nepal and India and countless other minuscule trips hither and thither.

If she has to pay anything over $20, she hardly lets that solidarity take its root.

She tells me I am the most beautiful among my siblings—no she hasn’t adopted whole lot of us, few of my formal siblings and a bunch of my distant cousins—the flip-flops.

Just last year she decided I needed a company and I got a little sister. No, she never asked me if I was ok with that. My little sister in beige is petite and looks a little blanch. We hardly share the same physical attributes- she looks all right. You see, my friend hasn’t developed a liking for her; so she sits there adorning her little shoebox. I pity my sister as she’s missing out on the world, you know- how life has so much to offer and whatever time you have is never enough.

I don’t want to sound immodest or pompous, but I have to admit I am physically blessed. What a blissful day it might have been, when my designer decided upon my current features. I am neither white nor blue, but a combination of both the colors. And I adore that about myself.

If I were white I would have ended up abhorring myself as white siblings of mine accumulate all the attention. The imbecile, spotlight hogers. Had I been just blue I would burry myself in a self made coffin of my friend’s tiny shoebox.

My saathi tells me I have the best complexion. Color in your vernacular. And I am also told, I am super comfortable-she could practically spend years in an isolated island with me-solely her and me. She feels at home with me. I guess it is because of this that she likes to drag me to every place she goes. Rain or shine. I tell you, it can get a little vexing at times, but I love to show-off my ribs in blue, and two stripes in glazing colorless color (I am not even sure what color that is). But they give me that boost of confidence everywhere I go with my saathi. I look so stylish with them, especially in the pictures that my friend takes with me.

I stand out proudly with my two stripes in left and right corners of my two frontal and rear sides. They are like how you, Homo sapiens have dimples on your cheeks—the only difference—I have my two sets on the same side like a couple deeply in love. My dimples are messed up, I tell you that. She-my saathi, sometimes jokingly calls me “jhilke” cause of my gaudy dimples. I adore that, as that’s the cutest name anybody could bequest me with.

Every now and then, my saathi likes to give me that thirty-minute wash. A scrub here, a scrub there; a splash here, a splash there- it comes to an end with a quick wring. As I breathe fresh air into my system, and as the sun’s ray’s pierce through my blue ribs and gaudy dimples, I am back on business. Out in the wild, seeking for more adventures along with my best friend.

If it weren’t for the ruthless American winter days, our comradeship wouldn’t have evolved into what it is now. Flip-flops or sandals are what she fancies, she keeps telling me teasingly.

I dread those days when she nonchalantly would dump me into the washer and then dryer afterwards. She lost my distant cousin, her hiking sandals, on one of her drying cycles. I presume it is because of that she chooses to bathe me. Now, we have our moments together when she’s scrubbing the soot, dirt and grime off of me. I know she’s, sometimes, thinking about giving me the best farewell and I silently tell her “don’t let go off me until I am of no use to you.” And she, as always can read my mind and silences me by her usual “friends live forever..may be not physically but in memories for sure.”

not even wrong-- that never occurred to me...but again, you, as a reader have that at your disposition. You can draw your own conclusions. Btw I, in an attempt to learn to write, just went with the flow of my thoughts. I might have to agree on the autobiography part..but the undertone of this piece of writing was missed by most. This is dedicated not just to my "jhilke" but to people who value friendship. And I believe friendship doesn't have to circulate around humans. It can be between humans and nature, humans and animals, humans and what we call non-living beings..It's your perception of that strong bond that we call "friendship." And let me correct you my friend, I do not think this is what you tagged as "lesbo romanticism." I don't have much knowledge in that field, that I'd go dedicate a whole creative piece of my writing.

shoe fetish po ho?

arko pali palta arkai interepretation aauncha hola surely

okie i got it now after reading the nth time

next time, instead of english use some crypitc writings just to make it a lot more difficult to dechiper the mssg haha

u really made a fool of time

u really made a fool out of me

vanna khojeko khas

LooteKukur— You are so predictable K...

hehe avani,
so u expect me to be around you everytime huh? :p. and i thought you got over me ke :P.....addicitve i am, ain't i? :P :P

btw, do i even have to say, keep writing? what is lined up for next? "old, predictable, sweet, cute, adorable and nosy ---my pet"? :P


LooTe
PS Flips, now i think everyone but you got the gist :P :P

Have a good one!

Disco dancer-- I am sorry. That wasn't intentional. As I said earlier, I just went with the train of thoughts. I had this urge to write something, and there I was giving my "jhilke" his ritualistic scrub that the idea of penning it down stuck me. Eureka!! The same way Archimedes discovered a method of detecting the alloy in the mixture of gold.

For next time, I am gonna try writing in my ethnic dialect, lets see how many reviews that earns me . On a serious note, I don't think I'll be able to achieve that for many more years to come. We are yet to finish the work on the script of the dialect.

had to read every line very carefully to understand the cryptic writing fully.. good one..keep it coming..

" friendship doesn't have to circulate around humans. It can be between humans and nature, humans and animals, humans and what we call non-living beings..It's your perception of that strong bond that we call "friendship."
- absoultely right

Nepal ko chora-- Thanks for your feedback. I need to work on my sentence structure and definately punctuations...God willingly (though I shouldn't drag Him here) I might get another motivation to ride the same train of thoughts soon. Lets hope, all these reviews will help me grow into a better writer. Something I aspire to become one fine day..even if its when the sun is setting on my horizon.

Hey Avani,
Shoes centiments rite?It is the same with me..I still miss my white Nike sneaker which stayed with me for many years till my mom threw them out coz my pet had become really fond of her. .And now I have other pair of Nike which is ready to say goodbye anytime..but I cannot let her go.With time we get so attached to them...it hurts when u see them no more in Shoes Rack..

This is an amazing story not the least because it takes on a different meaning each time I check in! :)

Avani - LTNS = Long time no see ;)

Loote da Hunk -

" so u expect me to be around you everytime huh? :p. and i thought you got over me ke :P.....addicitve i am, ain't i? :P :P "

It's not that I called you Casanova for nothing :P You are at your classic best there, bud ! :) Man, you've gotta hand it to Loote!

Have a good nite!

I really cant tell if this is a travel journal or a phone sex conversation...

Perfect timing!

This "casanova" of yours is too loud that he is sometimes unseen! :)

On a serious note, I personally had a thrill time going through this article and as Captain has pointed out it is even more exciting to see/hear different conclusion every time I check in.

Av, shall I entitle you Agatha Christie in the making? :-P What's coming next? ;)

I am in accord with flip-flop. This piece does indicate that "someone" is indeed Agatha Christie in making. I was thinking that it was "something" else till I read about washing machine and dryer. I was like how come you can put "that thing" in washer and then dryit in dryer. It must be something else. Had to read again to figure out what exactly the criptic writing is pointing towards...
:-)

Your story lets one see the world from a different perspective and that’s what I find interesting. I think your writing is like a puzzle for people who cannot put themselves in somebody else’s shoes :P will be looking forward to reading more from you.

ignorant sob that i am. but wah! what a piece of sh*t (in a good way i must say) you have written. i wonder how people come up with the idea of writing entire article on a pair of freaking shoes. i can't think of anything but women when i start writing, ah well thats me. right now i am fraustated/embarrassed perhaps for my ignorance.

nice work avani! you are already on my list of *must read*.

I think I should take this time to thank everybody who inspired me to write this post and also go public with it. This “thank you note,” feels much like how Kiran Desai must have felt after having received her Booker Prize. Anyway, without much adieu, I’d like to thank my dear friend Flip-flop without whom, I wouldn’t have enough chutzpah to publish this story here. I owe one to oys_chill for having gone public with his memory lane, sum_off, john_galt to name a few Sajha guilders that I read so frequently. And to sum it up, definitely Khaled Hosseini for having written such a beautiful novel in the form of “The Kite Runner.” If you haven’t read it, I suggest you go ahead do that. This one, I personally feel, shouldn’t collect dusts in Barnes and Nobels or other bookstores.


Cleopatra— I didn’t realize I had that in me, until I wrote this piece. I feel deeply for several things: mostly nature but this time I presume it was my “jhilke’s” turn of getting some attention.


Captain H— Thank you again for your visit here. You bring in that fresh breath of air that is much needed. I’d have to admit, just like you, as I keep revisiting my copy of “The Old Faithful” I assess it from different standpoint. Looks like all those years of reading Shakespeare and poems that hardly made any sense then, has actually taught me a lot.


Loote K— No, I think I like my personal space better. Just like my “jhilke,” I haven’t developed an affection for spotlight. Btw, thanks for giving me ideas. I might have to explore my capacity in the four-legged creature.


Khaobadi— Sorry to dishearten you. Neither of your perspectives is accurate. As mentioned before, the idea with which I sat down to write this story was to celebrate the bond of friendship I share with my “jhilke.” I wonder what made you come up with such a preposterous view. But again, thanks for your thoughts.


Flippu/ Nepal ko choro— No, entitling me as “Agatha Christie” in the making might put Ms. Christie to shame. I don’t think I got such a caliber. I scribbled my thoughts in the process of becoming more expressive and affluent with words. That’s all, nothing less, nothing more. Hence, keeping high hopes might just backfire.


Sajhauser— That was the whole idea. In today’s fast paced life we are so deeply engrossed in getting things done that we forget to LIVE let alone try to view the world from someone else’s perspective. Hence, here was just a small attempt from my end. Thank you for appreciating that.

Avani -

I have never watched the awards ceremonies of the Booker or Pulitzer but I must say your little address and note of thanks was Oscar-worthy! :) he he he

The Kite Runner is on my list. I have the book but haven't gotten a chance to flip it open yet. Unfortunately, my crazy work schedule doesn't leave a whole lot of time for reading:) I am on the last few pages of Naipaul's Half a Life - actually, to be honest, I have been at it for a while now ..he he. I am debating whether I should go for Magic Seeds, which is the sequel to the book or the Kite Runner next.

BTW, because I liked the Inheritance of Loss, I am planning to buy Hullabloo in the Guava Orchard. That should get me through the next six months as far as reading goes! LOL!

"Looks like all those years of reading Shakespeare and poems that hardly made any sense then, has actually taught me a lot. "

Aghhh ... I too dreaded Shakespeare in school! Ha ha ha. Back then it was Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet. I still remember the torture of having to sit through what seemed like endless hours of Shakespearean speak. I refused to believe people ever spoke like that!

Have a good one.

:)

Naipaul ko kura garda ta Captain, I couldn't refrain but reply instantly. Haven't read him yet, but he's on my top echelon of authors that I must read. I can't pin point what it is beside the obvious- cultural backdrop, that I find the works of Indian writers or writers with Indian background very enchanting. All the ones, you enlisted are on my list too, and I hope I will get to read them all before your six-months deadline :-) May be you could lend me some of your copies that you are done with.

As for "The Kite Runner" you get so hooked to the plot and the author's approach, that once you start reading you don't want to let it go until you finish, my personal experience..but again you have your obligations that might hold you back..:D

Happy Reading & Have a good weekend!

Avani -

Yeah, I like reading South Asian writers too. All the more when you can relate to what they are writing about. Most of what I have read of Naipaul has been non-fiction with the exception of "Among the Believers" which I thought was a fascinating account of his travels in and observations about the Muslim world. Sometimes the constant backdrop of rural Trinidadian brahmin life can draw a few yawns, like in the House for Mr Biswas and Mystic Masseur, but at the end of the day, when all is said and done, I have always ended up enjoying his books.

"....and I hope I will get to read them all before your six-months deadline :-) May be you could lend me some of your copies that you are done with."

Hey, I have no problems lending you my stuff, but you'll probably need to fix your Sajha email address in order for me to do that - mail to that address currently bounces back with an "inactive email address" message :P ;)

Thanks for the advice about the Kite Runner - I need to dig it up and dust it off - let's see if I can get to it during the holidays.

Hope you have a great week!

:)

Damn!!
I can't believe that I missed this piece!! Wonderful piece of biography!! Tyo bachha bela ma hunthyo ni "Write a biography of a coin" bhanera aungreji ma!!!..made me nostalgic!!..ma teacher bha bhaye 100 ma 200!!..:p

<<---- Instant Fan!! Take a cup of hot water and deep and stir it to take in instantly!!..:D

Hope ur writing won't stop here!!
*Taallllliyaaaaaaan*
Gosh I can't stop applauding this piece now!!..:)