Kite Runners

The blinds at my office window were down but I could see a moving shadow behind it. Then it hit me! There was a simple brown paper kite suspended a little away. 

So I tried sliding the window glass. It was jammed. Looks like it hadn't been opened in a while. Nail chipped. Left index finger. Dammit.

And then these three boys standing below looked up and saw I had access to the kite. And they start to scream, "Aunty, aunty, patang nikalo please." (Aunty, aunty, get a hold of the kite please.")

 

The three rascals waiting for the kite

 

"Aunty." Grrr.

They must have been 10-12 years old.

I didn't utter a word the whole time. Mainly because there are others working in the same room as me.

 

I had half a mind to yell back and say I wasn't going to give it to them - my own inner child rearing its head for a few fleeting seconds - but then I just smiled at the whole idea. Using my iktara (a single string musical instrument I picked up in Rajasthan*) like a fishing rod, I pulled the kite to bring it closer to the window grill. Realised the thread (manja) was stuck/entangled onto something above my floor. Kept tugging at it. The boys told me to wait and not throw it yet. I guess they were waiting for an audience to come along and earn bragging rights.

 

Finally, they go: "Abhi pheko!" (Throw it now!). So I tugged as hard as I could and voila! The manja broke loose. I had the kite! Managed to click a quick photo of it and I could feel anxious eyes watching from below... 

The Catch

So, I flung it down hoping it doesn't get stuck on another floor's window. The boys ran between the cars parked below to catch it. 

And then, "Thank you, aunty". :)

Happy Sankranti, folks. तिळगुळ घ्या आणि गोड गोड बोला.

 

~j~

 

*PS: I don't play the iktara or any other musical instrument. It was just a nice souvenir from Jaipur.