What I knew then …

Remember when you were a kid and used to imagine all sorts of scenarios about people around you. I mean I used to know what people were saying about me since way back. What I imagined the people around me were saying when I was -

Twelve
Conversation at Dinner with Mom and Dad’s friends
Loud Friend – “I’m Loud”
Drunk Friend – “I’m really really drunk.”
Dad – “I’m pissed off at POLITICS ! “
Grandfather – “do u know how much money I have ??”
ALL – nodding yes
Father – “Dont give it to kids ! “
GF – “You think ! I’m an old fool”
ALL – “yes” , nodding
Hot Friend – “I had sex. I dont need food”
Mom – “i had sex too but i’m eating”
Loud Friend – “I’m still the loudest”
ALL – laugh
Hot Friend – “Oh I get it.” Laughs

Thirteen while playing cricket
“Oh man, I cant believe that kid Nipun missed that simple catch. How pathetic ! “
“Wait. He’s staring at his hands with a confused expression and rubbing his temple.
Probably something wrong with him. He’s hurt or something. That’s why he messed up.”
“Yeah, that’s probably what happened.”

Fourteen
“Did that kid sitting behind us on the bus just give us a leer ?”
“I don’t know. For a while, I thought that was the case, but now that he’s so engrossed in his
book, its impossible to tell.”
“I guess we’ll never know what the situation was.”

Fifteen
“Why does that kid have a black ‘X’ on the back of his right hand?”
“I bet it’s because he went to some kind of cool rock concert last night.”
“Wow. He must’ve stayed out pretty late if he didn’t have time to scrub it off.”
“Yeah, and that’s probably why his hair is so messy and dirty—because he cares more about rocking out than conforming to society.”
“Even though he isn’t popular in the traditional sense, I respect him from afar.”

Sixteen
“Hey, that kid is reading Che Guevara”
“Wow. He must be some kind of rebel genious”
“I’m impressed by the fact that he isn’t trying to call attention to himself.”
“Yeah, he’s just sitting silently in the corner, flipping the pages and nodding, with total comprehension.”
“It’s amazing. He’s so absorbed in his book that he isn’t even aware that a party is going on around him, with dancing and fun.”
“Why aren’t any girls going over and talking to him?”
“I guess they’re probably a little intimidated by his brilliance.”
“Well, who wouldn’t be?”
“I’m sure the girls will talk to him soon.”
“It’s only a matter of time.”

Seventeen
“That kid is so lame”
“He’s come to the farewell all alone without a date”
“Oh, but he’s that same kid who sits in library all day long and wrote that
scathing poem about the school.”
“Ah, I bet he thinks all girls are phonies.”
“But we are ..are’nt we ?”
“Oh yes. But I’d like to go out with him for sure”
“But he wont ask, you know”
“I know, but then I’d have to refuse him if he asks only because then he’ll be like all the others”
“yeah, wish there was some way I could go out with him”
“yeah, me too”