Tuesday, July 31, 2007

And the Cat got the Cream.......Based on a True Story.

I'm sure a lot of us remember the childhood stories we heard - especially the one's which emphasize a moral point. But more on that after the story. Yesterday I was at Dance class a bit early and as the elder statesman there , I was called onto adjudicate between two warring parties. The trouble started with a newcomer to the class last week - a Russian girl - typical- tall, blonde, blue-eyed. And two guys in the class- lets call them B and M - both of them school mates upto +2 and have recently joined different engineering colleges started to take a closer notice of her. We are doing the Cha-Cha recently and we are supposed to dance with partners (preferably the opposite sex) and we have to, at the start of every class, ask out a girl to dance the rest of the class with us.. Good training for the real world (and for those with starting problems in dating). If 2 or 3 consecutive girls refuse you - no matter, you can dance alone - the instructor wouldn't shout at you - but you have to be seen making the effort first (get rejected in front of everyone of course) Any way the instructor was watching hawk-eyed as to who would approach Catherine first (as everyone looked intimidated at her presence) and our two friends came to a gentleman's aggreement - each would ask her out on alternate classes and that way they could share and keep her to themselves. I was as usual waiting for the crowd to thin out and to ask the girls who were usually ignored by the rest of the guys to dance with me. (not because I pitied them or something - just that they would probably dance as bad as me and together things would even out..)

So the thing goes according to plan and B got the chance to dance with the Ruski on Wednesday. On friday M couldn't come to the class and the Russian girl not knowing the rule that you have to be asked out every single time afresh, as a matter of routine - went to B and continued to dance with him. On monday M turned up and was all enthusiastic for asking out the Russian until B reminded him that as per the agrreement it was B's chance today. M went ballistic - but B persisted in saying that it was M's own fault that he hadn't been there to claim his due on the appointed day. And all the while the girl, Catherine was standing there right beside them smiling inanely and not understanding a word of the conversation going on in hot tamil - not knowing that it was she they were fighting for. As things started hotting up a few of us suggested going out to cool it a bit and once outside - I proposed a compromise - let the girl go into the general pool- no monopolizing her at least for today and restart the agreement again from next class. So as we went in, I went straight up to the girl and said "Lets Cha,cha" and took her to my usual spot while B and M fell in on either side of me - watching and gloating that the other hadn't got his hands on the girl..As for me she soon made me regret why I had asked her with the speed at which she was stamping on my poor feet. Now that I am all grown up and mature I find I prefer personal comforts more than "neighbours envy and owners pride"

I remeber reading a story a long time ago about two monkeys fighting over some cream and a cat came by....... Never really believed that people could behave so - but you live and learn something new everyday....

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