Twins

I always find it amazing to see how people sacrfice all or most of the pleasures of their lives for their kids. I have seen families who used to go out watch movies, eat at restaurants and suddenly they get a couple of kids and then the hangouts come to an end. May be, today this kina thing seems like a thing of past. But in 70s and 80s, this was very much the case in middle class households. Few days back, I called my sister, her name is Meenakshi..and the conversation went like this

Meenakshi: Hey, you know Vipin has got twins

Me: What??? ( I thought its my neighbour Vipin, who already has twins and now again God has "blessed" him with another pair.

Me: Dont tell me that Vipin has 2 twins, meaning 4 kids now.

Meenakshi: Arrey idiot, its Vipin our relative whose wife has given birth to twins.

I was thinking that Vipin already had one son. And, now he has 3 kids. Thanks to my bringing up in India, the next question followed

Me: So, what is it...err..i mean boy or a girl.

Meenakshi: Boys..

and Meenakshi hands over the phone to my grandma, whom we call "Bibi"

Bibi: Oye karan, Vipin khat gaya (in punjabi it means Vipin's got lucky as he has 3 sons now)

Bibi: I am dying to see them..

I was confused what to say..I am what..happy??? I dont care.....with some effort I behaved as if i am also a part of the celebrations which are going to happen..

Is it India's Gold or Abhinav's?

Abhinav Bindra has won a gold at Olympics in Beijing and obviously it was one of the most celebrated sporting feat of the recent times in a "medal starved India". Newspaper and TV say that India has won its first gold in 112 years. But, has India won or only Abhinav won?

Abhinav Bindra stays in Chandigarh in a posh bangalow. He has his own gym, swimming pool everything a Karan Johar movie has in it for its hero. His dad has said that INDIAN OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION AND INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO ROLE IN HIS SON'S ACHIEVEMENT. The father's businesses are worth some Rs 600 crore, which is not the market capitalisation of hundererds of companies listed in Indian Stock Exchanges. The family has spent lakhs of rupees on Abhinav's training, his rifles. Moreover, on his confidence building training (i am sure MBAs must be amused to hear this) which happened in Germany.

Heres a guy, Abhinav Bindra, who has nothing Indian (at least economically) about him, whose family has borne the expenses of everything, which they would have anyways done if he had been in India or any other damn country. Ironically, the medals tally says Indian Gold 1 Silver 0 Bronze 0..It should be Abhinav Bindra Gold 1 Silver 0 Bronze 0.