My brother Arjun and I are identical twins. My name is Karan, by the way.
Karan-Arjun. Sounds cliche, right? But what else would Bollywood-crazy parents name their twins?
When our grandparents demanded an explanation, our parents claimed that our names were from the Mahabharat. Hence, no further ‘Mahabharat’ around the selection of names ensued. After all the names were epic and from an epic.
Thank God Mummy and Daddy didn’t tell them that their first choice had been Salman and Shahrukh.
Arjun and I are two peas in a pod. Two bodies, one soul. We are currently eleven months old, and the apples of our parents’ eyes. Everyone adores us and calls us cute.
Obviously. Have you seen our pretty our Mummy is?
Being twins means that we are different from other babies. Some of the questions that are directed our way are strange, and I like to come up with amusing answers. For example,
“Are they twins?”
No. There was a ‘buy one, get one free,’ offer at the hospital.
“Do they act same-same all the time?”
We are brothers, not clones. And no, we don’t do the same thing. Never mind what Salman Khan told you in Judwaa. The amount of misinformation in that movie is frightening.
“When one sneezes, does the other too?”
Of course not. Even if we did, it is more likely due to germs, or dust.
“Do they complete each other’s sentences?”
Arjun says ga-ga. I say goo-goo.
“Was it a difficult pregnancy?”
Definitely.
I’ve heard our parents say that they were both elated and scared. Mummy’s tummy swelled up to the size of a watermelon, housing two boisterous tenants. When we were in there we would kick, especially when ‘womb service’ served us sweet treats. Mummy giggled every time we did that. Sometimes we just kicked to hear her laugh.
Such a silvery, chirpy sound.
We entered this world together, unafraid, because we had each other. When we were newborns, the nurse handed us to Daddy. He looked at us, swaddled and cradled in his arms, and burst out crying. Big, fat tears rolled down his cheeks and his nose went all red. Mummy remembers this incident even today and makes fun of him. He claims that he cried thinking about how much he would have to spend on our education.
Liar!
Yes, we need two of everything now, but the good thing is that we are never alone. First, we were wombmates, now roommates. We do things together and learn stuff together. These days, we are trying to walk. When Arjun holds onto me, together we fall. Plonk! Sometimes we laugh it out, sometimes, we cry. And when we howl, we can be pretty loud.
Soulmates for life; the power of two!
Last night, Arjun and I kept each other awake. Every time I tried to sleep, he chatted with me. Gosh, he had a lot to say! And then I replied, and the conversation just flowed. It was already 5:00 AM, and Mummy was in tears. We felt sorry for her, and like good children, we went promptly to sleep at the crack of dawn.
We heard her complain later, “Look at those devils, keeping me awake all night, then sleeping throughout the morning!”
Twins are doubly adorable but double the work. Daddy will attest to that. He claims we are a nightmare to manage together, and he wants to fit us with leashes. He is scared that while keeping an eye on one the other might manage mischief.
Once, he tried to diaper us at the same time. We just wouldn’t sit still.
Newton’s third law of twins. For every action of a twin, the other will have an equal and opposite reaction.
Somehow, the diapers attached themselves to Daddy’s head. He looked funny with his diaper crown. Sadly, he didn’t feel very royal. However, he did learn the importance of sequencing over parallel processing.
One baby at a time; else neither shall be ready.
Last night, Mummy put us to bed and quietly crept out to the hall. She called Daddy, asking him to join her for a movie. Arjun was sleeping soundly. I had a mischievous idea. I woke him up, and together, we howled.
Mummy and Daddy rushed in to calm us down. Then they slept next to us, and the movie was abandoned. Arjun later told me it was evil on our part to do that, but my argument was that they deserved to rest, and not watch some meaningless movie, only to come up with new ideas. (I don’t want to hear ‘Mere Karan-Arjun Ayenge’ ever again). Arjun says I will become a lawyer when I grow up.
Hehe.
Today, I overheard Mummy tell Daddy that she was nervous her year-long maternity leave was coming to an end. She freaked out that she was leaving behind not one, but two babies.
I wanted to tell her not to worry. So, I said……
Goo-goo, ga-ga. I am a baby, remember?
However, if I could speak, this is what I would say:
“Daddy, you are doing a fabulous job, and you are such a big support to Mummy! Mummy, don’t worry, Arjun and I will be there for each other. We will try not to keep you up all night and not get into any trouble! Daddy and Mummy, you call us your ‘double blessings’, and on days we are naughty, you call us ‘double trouble’. We just want to let you know that we will give you double the love, double the affection, and double the gratitude. Now, and forever.”
Gosh, I’m feeling emotional. Look at Arjun. He has fallen asleep.
I have to wake him up and tell him about our new resolutions, even if it means breaking them. Hehe.
(This was an entry to the anniversary contest ‘TWO’)
Facebook Comments