Golhu, Manu’s cousin brother, was a little brat of a kid. He was very little when he was 10 years old, and looked like he was 6. But at that age, he knew many tastes of this life and could defeat anyone in the video games he played at Titu’s shop. Manu and he shared a special friendship. Manu was 2 years younger than Golhu, but was taller than him. When both of them walked in the streets, everyone was delighted to look and it looked as if 2 kings of the street were walking. All the dogs of the street - Sheru, Tommy, Rocky - the descendants of hallaq kuttaq - behaved as if their favourite people were walking. Golhu was more worldly, Manu was Andy (from the legend of Andy), and both of them seemed ready to conquer anything.
Once it happened, Manu was not there in Kharkhoda. The sun was bright, the day was lazy and Golhu was dragging himself in the street with nothing much to do. Both hands in his nikker’s pocket, he walked listlessly. Suddenly, Oh suddenly, he couldn't believe, oh, how he would believe, on the side of the road, he saw a 100 rupees crisp note. He picked it up. Crisp like a potato chip, crisper than the mountain air it looked, and now suddenly, royalty descended on Golhu, as if he was the king of the world. He thought how is it possible without Manu, but here it was, Golhu with the hundred rupees bank note.
His boredom evaporated. The stalls of samosas, kachoris, golgappas, sweets, sharbats suddenly attracted him towards them. Pappan golgappa was shocked to see the note in Golhu’s hands and Golhu gulped 20 golgappas all of a sudden. Then, he went to the sweets shop and gulped half a dozen laddoos and rasmalais. Golhu was on the top of this world. At last, he also saved some money for a video game or two at Titu's shop. He also wanted to have something at Billu’s shop but considered that Manu wasn't with him, so he didn't.
When he was playing the game at Titu's shop, suddenly a hand came to his ear from behind and twisted it. Golhu screamed in pain, the hand was Lilu’s as his son had been observing with envy all that Golhu was doing, and had told Lilu all about it. Lilu took Golhu to his home and told everything to Golhu’s mother. Golhu's mother asked Lilu to mind his own business and wiped Golhu's tears. She also fed him more laddoos and the special halwa she prepared for him.
When Manu returned to Kharkhoda, Golhu told him about all his adventures and they had a wonderful story sharing session…
© Manan sheel.
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