Julie & Kishore Read Online Free PDF Page A

of
bold remark was not acceptable for an Indian boy and before he reached home his
Father was already there to scold him, angry with his son for being so blatant
in public and bringing shame to the family. The boy was rather puzzled, how did
his Father know what he’d been up to? Then he realised, the gossip network.
Someone must have seen him then told someone else, who told someone else and so
it went on until his misdemeanor , at lighting
speed reached the ears of his Father.

 
    The
burning heat of the New Zealand sun compares to the sweltering hot summers in
India called the ‘dry season,’ a hot hanging heat no one can escape from. The
kind of intense heat that makes a person continuously perspire, even the most
well dressed, meticulously maintained lady can have sweat dripping down her
face with wet marks on her underarms and back. The air is hot to breathe - men
and women always carry a handkerchief to mop their foreheads to stop sweat from
constantly dripping in their eyes. A man or woman cannot cool down by putting
on a pair of shorts, they’re considered a young boys garment and are just not
part of the clothing attire.
    Kishore’s
Mother washed the family’s clothing by hand and after ringing out each item she
would place it in a bucket. By the time she was ready to hang them on the
washing line they were already almost dry , due to the intense heat. On these stifling days she made lassi, yoghurt that
was whipped with a little sugar added, similar to a smoothie, a delightfully
cool and refreshing drink. Air conditioning at that time was thought of as a
luxury, the heat was unavoidable in most households. It was just a thing to
have to put up with, a long cool glass of water being extremely refreshing to a
dry parched throat.  
    Just
as hot were the nights. It was hard to find refuge from it. After a long,
sticky, almost lethargic day, the family was grateful for the arrival of
evening when the air became a little cooler. Kishore’s family carried their bed
cots up onto the roof-top balcony. The beds had a frame and legs of metal but
they did not contain mattresses, the base was woven with jute. This was quite
comfortable and the family would sleep happily under the stars in the cool
night air. Kishore covered himself with a light sheet to escape the bite of the
mosquitoes and would eventually fall into a slumber in the early hours when it
finally cooled down enough to be able to sleep.
    Kishore
loved to go to the cinema with his friends, especially in the
summer when the air conditioning was on inside the theatre. The boys would meet
on a Saturday morning and head off into town by bus. The buses were always
overly packed with people - in fact men could be seen hanging off the sides of
buses. Kishore and his friends would try to sneak onto the bus without being
seen by the conductor to avoid paying. This was achieved on most occasions,
although once or twice they were thrown off after being caught. Once the group
of friends arrived at the theatre they were pleased to get inside out of the
heat. People bought tickets just to sit for a few hours to cool down. Kishore
found great pleasure in watching the scenery from other countries and escaping
into another world while being engrossed in the plot.
    Electricity
in Delhi is spasmodic and the wiring from house to house is haphazard to say
the least. Power cuts are frequent but this is the way it always has been.
While growing up, Kishore’s family did not own a television. The Singh ’s who lived downstairs were the first family in
Kishore’s apartment block to get one and when movies were shown, three sets of
families would crowd into the Singh’s family living room in eager anticipation.
He thought it was like having your own movie theatre next door. Everyone sat
anywhere, furniture or floor, to admire and marvel at the wonders of television.
Invariably, as soon as everyone was settled and eager for the movie to begin,
the power would go off – to the