The Little Boy

This is the story of a little boy now grown up married and a father.

He had his initial schooling in kolkatta. He had more girlfriends than boyfriends.

He used to threaten them in the first language he learnt Bengali. 'Ami tumake ranna kore khabho meaning I will cook you and eat you.

Then he used to be overly friendly and invite them home saying he will make dosas for them. All this while in nursery.

When his father used to come from Dubai , he used to bring perfume bottles.

Once the mother was startled when the boy's principle asked her for a bottle of perfume. She said the little one had told her his father had got perfume bottles.

The mother had to gift the principal a perfume bottle.

He shifted to Chennai with his parents.

He was admitted in class one in a reputed school.

When his mother went to pick him up, she found him sitting facing the wall in a corner.

When enquired, the teacher said he spoke too much.

The mother wondered in which language he would have spoken.He could speak Bengali. Sure the children in class would have been more fluent in Tamil which he was yet to pick up.

Then he and his parents moved to Africa where he got admission in a British School.

Luggage was nil and he had a pleasant time.

Then it was back to Chennai.

Got admission in a school in Chennai through recommendation when half yearly tests were about to begin.

He had plenty to note down and study.

When the mother went to pick him up, a girl student came and enquired if I was looking for my son. She pointed out to him playing in the school ground and requested the mother not to scold him. She had helped him with writing all his notes.

Another boy, a classmate used to rush when the boy came to school, take his bag and carry it to the first floor while the hero used to follow him like a king.

Then it was Hyderabad. and Delhi.

In Delhi, he used to bring all the friends home who had scored less marks than him and then ask their marks to impress his father.

In Delhi too he had a lot of female class friends. They used to come home and tell the mother how helpful he was.

One day the mother asked him why he should have so many girlfriends and he answered Main Bhowra Hoon, Ek Phool se Kaam Nahi Chalta.It means, he is a bee and one flower is not enough.

His father was insistent he take up Engineering. He was very interested in Hotel Management. The father told him HM can be done any time, doing Engineering was the best option.

In fact children are not supposed to be forced to do something they don't like.

But he managed to pass his Automobile engineering, his father did not rest, enrolled him in a reputed College in Benguluru to do his MS in Automotive Engineering and then an MBA.

He should be thankful to his father for these qualifications.

But as fate willed, he has started living his dream of being in the Hospitality Industry. He is a famous food blogger and enjoying what he is doing alongside his main work.

His son too seems to be going the father's way as he is very keen on cooking.

All readers might have guessed.

The boy is Pravin Menon my son who also calls himself Pheno menon.