An Extra Push

"Double everything. Double the number of dibbas that you deliver to each household, double the size if gulab janmuns in them and double the chasni in each gulab jamun" shouted Hari Prasad with a smile on his face that revealed double the number of teeth, if you count blank spaces too where once there had been teeth, than a normal smile did. All his life Hari Prasad has always put an extra effort to whatever he did to ensure better or atleast double results; and this time too, his extra effort, an extra push blessed him with twin babies. Both of them boys - so similar in appearance that once when they were sitting face to face, relatives started running their fingers through the empty space to find if there was a mirror between them and on their disappointment they had exclaimed "Ha! Kudrat ka karishma! Nazar na lage" and put a black nazar battu spot on each child's face. With contributions from Dada, Dadi, Nana, Nani, Mama, Mami, Chacha, Chachi, and every possible distant relationship that can be thought of in an Indian Hindu family, the number of spots became so numerous that it made the two babies look like dalmations - twin dalmations in fact. Thats how this do(d/g)gy affair began. This was the day when two so similar babies that there was not even name to differentiate between them came to this world.

To get out of the confusion as soon as possible, Hari Prasad called a Pundit to christen the babies. Hari already had the names in his mind - Luv and Kush. What can be better but the names of twin Hindu Gods. After hours of going through all types of spiritual and religious books Pundit came out with the names of Ajay and Vijay. Hari was not happy so he asked Pundit if they can be named Luv and Kush. Pundit simply regected without telling the reasons - the reasons which will become apparent a few years later. The one sitting to the left of him was christened Ajay and the one on right was Vijay. But as soon as the Pundit left and relatives started juggling the babies between them, they got so confused about who was who that they had to call the pundit again. This time he came out with the names of Ram and Shyam and to avoid confusion he put a red band on Ram's wrist. This consoled Hari Prasad a little. If not the names of Gods, then the names of two famous bollywod movie characters. If not progenitors then imitators.

Ten years later, the fact that Ram and Shayam were not only similar but also interrelated revealed itself when once Ram drank lemonade and Shyam said that it lacked salt. In the same year they discovered what was waiting to be discovered - a Ginnie; a Ginnie metamorphosed into a band by tantras and mantras of a Pundit on the day Ram was christened; a Ginnie whose not only presence but also absence could change the name of its owner. After this discovery Ram and Shyam often used this band to change their names. Ram would become Shyam and Shaym would become Ram in a split second and nobody could say that it was otherwise. They would play this game of changing names often to save each other from their teachers for not doing homework, from the motherly curses of of their progenitors or just for fun. When they grew up they often shared their numerous girlfriends, without them having slightest doubt. They played this game so many times in their life that a few years later while dying Ram would doubt if he really was Ram, or he has exchanged personalities with shyam while playing the intricate games of changing names in childhood; he would doubt if the death he is dying is really meant for him or is it shyam who was meant to die. He would remember his mother's words "oh!God. they are so similar that even angels can get confused." and think if the death's angel has really chosen a wrong person in confusion.

Confusion. Confusion, which is other people's weakness was their strngth; confusion is what has helped them fool the world; confusion was their weapon and they would not do anything that would blunt this weapon. They went to the same school, same graduate college, had similar hairstyle, wear similar clothes and play similar games. They were so much obsessed with being similar that they married two twin girls who were similar like them. One day that was, and that was not, probably Ram or probably Shyam entered a room that was his or not his and made love to a girl who was probably his wife or probably not. Confusion made love to confusion and bred skepticism. Confusion is what they have nurtured like a son and which has grown, like most sons, into something that they did not want it to grow into. Confusion was the weapon which they themselves have sharpened, which Ram or probably Shyam used against the other and killed somebody. One of them died but nobody knew who, except the one that was alive but he was not in a condition to tell his identity ever after this incident.

On the day of funeral Hari Prasad declared both his sons dead. "Double Everything. Double the number of logs required for cremation and double the oil on each log" cried Hari Prasad with double the number of tears in his eyes that he would have normally shed. In so much grief Hari Prasad remembers himself and his wife, making love under the starry night, when they conceived their Luv and Kush, and on her request he tried an extra push.