The Tiffin Box Story

8. The Tiffin Box Story

Tiffin boxes form a very important part of everyone's schooling... I am sure no one would disagree on this. Our story was no different, may be more eventful than what you would have expected it to be. We were special!

Two rules were almost always followed - everyone liked the others' more than theirs' and everyone shared theirs' (I think the first does guarantee the second!)

This would be a list of whatever I can recollect about our tiffin boxes -

• Starting off the with the most famous - Idli's idlis - for almost 3 - 4yrs everyone saw the same thing... no wonder he looked like one! Then there were the 'kutty idlis with a fork' of Naresh - more popularly known as 'button idlis' as Idli had named them... not to forget the leg-touch game we used to play just outside the class!

• Next best according to me was Uppi's huge box - which weighed more than the books in his bag and he weighed less than anyone in the class! The most remembered of his was the dosa.. he continued his legacy with serving us dosa on our trip to Shirdi (Note: He made / cooked / .. them!)

• Then my box - most awaited was the biryani! It didn't come very often but when it came it used to turn me into a sprinter and Uppi & Vijju into businessmen... It is true that I was forgiven for an overthrow in a cricket match the moment these guys came to know that I had brought biryani! I think this continues to be the dish everyone likes even now.. Uday keeps telling me that... next time all of us meet at my home with a huge dish full!
  

• Uday's and Sastry's most common - chappati with pickle - both of them ate very less of what they brought! Uday used to get a huge hot pack when ever we went out for some competition. Out of the 3 in our team he was the most sincere one opening the box first... but as a ritual, he used to eat just 2 spoons of whatever he brought (most often - lemon rice) and then used to survive on LAYS for the rest of the day... he made me eat so much of LAYS that, what was once a hatred is now a liking!

• Arvind's box in box - his was the most unique one... a rectangular box having another rectangular box for the curry... mostly chappati with a curry (I don't know what they call it) which almost everyone liked..

• The most famous incident - Vijju dashed into *******'s brother on the staircase and said saale... everyone of us followed... Vijju meant it!!!! For further details contact Vijju - vijay7287@gmail.com

• The most infamous incident - Class 2 - I was being chased by Tija for a share in my box... running and fell onto a concrete block... deep cut on the head... severe bleeding. Most irritating of all - the never ending lecture by one of the teachers!
  

• The daily routine - Get out of the class.. check how many stairs each can jump at a time... run to the ground, put all the boxes opened on the wall... eat whatever you want, clean up all boxes.. go play football!

• The best use - If you can't tackle, throw the box at the ball... while playing football with the small ball! Most of our boxes were shapeless because of these... ramuk yaniv, ramu, uday, vijju, tija, kozi... were among the most popular at this art. I had tried it only twice.. once I missed it by a huge distance and the second time I hit Naveen straight on his knee... that was the only time I ever saw him angry!

Other participants included pp, purri, tarun, nikhil, nili, laxmikanth, srikanth, twins... unfortunately I don't remember much of their tiffin box stories! Laxmikanth had to listen to our complaints about Mrs.Veenarani everyday during the break... after all, she was his aunt..

I am sure I had missed a lot..

This was the last post of the year..
Happy New Year! May it bring in loads of joy and memories..

--buddi
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29 - 12 - 2008