Weight of the Genes
I never knew what was getting into me or what already went through. They think it’s in the genes but it doesn't pass just like that. Does it? May be, I've got a long way to go.
Going back to history, when the English guys were all around us, my dad's father or my grandfather, whom I wasn't blessed enough to see, was an inspector of police. Earnest, steadfast and truthful, my dad says. A lot of those (the qualities, and not the post) passed on to my dad. Yes, it's the genes quite obviously. Before the English left, they honoured my grandfather with one of their surnames, Peet. That meant something to the society. Grandpa played his part well. He earned his reputation by contributing a piece of his life to the nation and it was my dad’s turn to live up to it.
Six years after India's independence, when the country was still fine-tuning the term called freedom, when we were too ignorant of the term and didn't know what to do about it, my father got his independence from the womb. Although I haven't observed my dad's childhood, I knew what he went through. Sometimes from my mom, sometimes from the immediate family, I heard what he was made of. I won't go into the details now. This is my story. Like his dad, my dad, too, earned his reputation. Being a news correspondent by profession, he directly & indirectly contributed to the society. It's the blood, you know. Both, grandpa and dad gave a piece of their life to the masses. Although my dad didn't have any additions to his name, he made sure his name produced enough sound. He's been receiving rewards and recognitions left, right and centre. People recognize my dad when they hear my surname. I hope that explains how much weight I carry. Most of them assumed, I too, had it in my blood. I will tell you how.
Two years after India won its first cricket world cup, when the sport was slowly turning into a religion, when people started talking about the little master's retirement (even then), I made my entry along with my fraternal twin sister. The year was designated as the international youth year by the United Nations. This, too, had its own impact accidentally. For the first 15 years, I didn't realize the amount of history my blood carried. I felt light until a school teacher made me realize what had got into me. He asked if I was going to be like my dad. Immediately, with that question, my weight increased by 10 pounds. I didn't answer him then, but I wondered what made him ask that question. That is when the genes came into picture. People who knew my background expected me to do something big. Naturally, with so much weight around, I was supposed to throw some of it on the society. Since then I got used to such encounters. I still don't know if I have it in my genes. I've inherited the physical length perfectly but I'm not yet sure of the mental abilities. Did the nurse swap me with someone else when I entered this world? My suspicion grows stronger when I look at my fraternal twin. The question doesn't bother me. It's too late to even think about it now. Even if I'm the wrong child, I can't escape from the clutches of karma. I've got to do my part no matter what.
So here I'm today, still carrying the weight of my blood, working in a closed cubical and building up the web history for now. This is much easier. Although I earned my own share of rewards, none of them really made an impact to the outside world. I might have made a difference to the organizations I worked for, but it’s not what I really yearn for. There is a difference between domestic cricket and international cricket. That doesn’t mean I aim to be a revolutionary. All I want to do, before I kick the bucket, is to pass on this weight of my blood and make my kid(s) curse me for adding additional weight to this already bulky piece. How they deal with it might eventually create another story.
Going back to history, when the English guys were all around us, my dad's father or my grandfather, whom I wasn't blessed enough to see, was an inspector of police. Earnest, steadfast and truthful, my dad says. A lot of those (the qualities, and not the post) passed on to my dad. Yes, it's the genes quite obviously. Before the English left, they honoured my grandfather with one of their surnames, Peet. That meant something to the society. Grandpa played his part well. He earned his reputation by contributing a piece of his life to the nation and it was my dad’s turn to live up to it.
Six years after India's independence, when the country was still fine-tuning the term called freedom, when we were too ignorant of the term and didn't know what to do about it, my father got his independence from the womb. Although I haven't observed my dad's childhood, I knew what he went through. Sometimes from my mom, sometimes from the immediate family, I heard what he was made of. I won't go into the details now. This is my story. Like his dad, my dad, too, earned his reputation. Being a news correspondent by profession, he directly & indirectly contributed to the society. It's the blood, you know. Both, grandpa and dad gave a piece of their life to the masses. Although my dad didn't have any additions to his name, he made sure his name produced enough sound. He's been receiving rewards and recognitions left, right and centre. People recognize my dad when they hear my surname. I hope that explains how much weight I carry. Most of them assumed, I too, had it in my blood. I will tell you how.
Two years after India won its first cricket world cup, when the sport was slowly turning into a religion, when people started talking about the little master's retirement (even then), I made my entry along with my fraternal twin sister. The year was designated as the international youth year by the United Nations. This, too, had its own impact accidentally. For the first 15 years, I didn't realize the amount of history my blood carried. I felt light until a school teacher made me realize what had got into me. He asked if I was going to be like my dad. Immediately, with that question, my weight increased by 10 pounds. I didn't answer him then, but I wondered what made him ask that question. That is when the genes came into picture. People who knew my background expected me to do something big. Naturally, with so much weight around, I was supposed to throw some of it on the society. Since then I got used to such encounters. I still don't know if I have it in my genes. I've inherited the physical length perfectly but I'm not yet sure of the mental abilities. Did the nurse swap me with someone else when I entered this world? My suspicion grows stronger when I look at my fraternal twin. The question doesn't bother me. It's too late to even think about it now. Even if I'm the wrong child, I can't escape from the clutches of karma. I've got to do my part no matter what.
So here I'm today, still carrying the weight of my blood, working in a closed cubical and building up the web history for now. This is much easier. Although I earned my own share of rewards, none of them really made an impact to the outside world. I might have made a difference to the organizations I worked for, but it’s not what I really yearn for. There is a difference between domestic cricket and international cricket. That doesn’t mean I aim to be a revolutionary. All I want to do, before I kick the bucket, is to pass on this weight of my blood and make my kid(s) curse me for adding additional weight to this already bulky piece. How they deal with it might eventually create another story.
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