Joseph had called yesterday. He wanted to know about Board Painters (Artists)!! I had given him a few clues as where to find them. Later he told me that he had finally passed his MBA and wanted to display JOSEPH MATHEW MBA in front of his house!

Too many jokes nowadays! I forgot to laugh at that time.

No, I didn’t intend it. Don’t call it a prank.

April Fool’s Day takes me back to the past like a mad cow chewing all day’s grubby grass-rolls with a fascinating smile. With a demure slightness, the day pings back all those ‘horseplays and fooling arounds’!

A simple prank proved out to be a bit worrisome last year. I had called up my friend 3G’s (name changed to provoke him) momma in Kerala and gave her some shocking news! I informed her that he got married in Mumbai and was coming back home. With ample seriousness and convincing voiceover, she was told that this wife of him was a Punjabi, the only daughter in her family and hence the Sardarjis in Mumbai were about to make a riot in search of the girl. 3G was on his way of eloping with his wife.

The poor lady just asked me what I was saying as she couldn’t believe what I was saying. Her voice tapered and she was about to break down. She made a shrill cry and handed over the phone to his sister, who was watching all these.

Poor 3G, no one in this planet can think of him doing like that. Why about eloping and marrying, he even stays away from looking at a girl right for a while! But this mom believed with pain that her son got changed once he came to Mumbai 2 months before.

His sister told me that her mom was not feeling well. I couldn’t hold it any more as I got frightened that something wrong would happen. I told her that it was a prank directed by me. Though she did not really understand the meaning of April Fool’s day, she didn’t abuse me over the phone!

During my schooling days with my brother, innovative pranks used to give us brakeless laughter. Once we had created a ‘paper tiger’. We coiled rubber bands tightly on a matchstick and wrapped it in gift wrapper. At various crucial points on the walkway, we placed them and hid near to watch the fun. I still remember one of our innocent victims who took it with utmost care. After confirming that no one was watching him, he opened it like a greedy dog ragging a food trash. In a moment, he got shocked as the rubber band loosened matchstick and it created a krrrrrrrrrrrrr sound on the paper! Sure, our victim was not having a nice time! Wasn’t it creaky?

Another outstanding prank I did was with a friend, Jose. We superglued coins on some public places and roads. And the result was beyond our laughing limits!

Along with its fun, April Fool’s day has its difficult moments too. As an active prankster, you tend to disbelieve others even if they tell you actual facts. Theeppathi Muthalali died on April 1, but we refused to believe the person who first brought the news. Muthalali was a businessman and he used to run the main grocery store in Edamon, a place where we used to live. By the time we confirmed his death, he went under the soil.

One more April Fool’s day is in. My friends, I don’t really know what I should do to all of you. But 3G, Joseph and Jose, be sure, there is something on your way!! And of course, you too dear Jackass!!

Shobha weds Ashok, the gatepost read!

While passing this ceremonious entrance of that wedding reception with my friend Joseph, I barely had thoughts about writing this story in a blog like this.

Some things are like pickling. You would salt them away in memories, and when recollect later, they would put in more sense to your contemporary life.

When you are hungry, you won’t essentially do any adventures. But when you don’t have funds to buy your food, you might be forced to carry out some adventures to fill your stomach. Like attending a wedding! Attending a wedding is auspicious! But attending it without an invitation can be suspicious! And that will be very adventurous too.

Joseph looked like a gentleman among the reputable folks there, like a one with loads of responsibilities to bear in the function. I just tried to stand beside him and make my presence clear of doubts and glaring eyes.

He performed well, ran here and there, passed on messages, delegated orders, cracked jokes with seniors, and even helped the bride’s father to arrange the folks in line.

After this, he had also posed for photographs with the newly wed couple. The bride as well as the bridegroom smiled and shook hands with him! His face looked broadened with a smile. (Did he try to taunt the bride in between? I don’t remember now!)

By the time, I could realize the secret behind his Oscar-sizeable performance! The bride’s men would have thought that he was from the bridegroom’s side and the bridegroom’s party would have thought vice versa too.

The functions were over, and now it was time for our grand dinner. Wine and dine in a nice shining night! We consumed the day’s food altogether.

I remember Joseph, scolding the wine-server for making the guests waiting for a little longer on the cozy seats!