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    My Twin Brother
    My Twin Brother
    My Twin Brother
    Ebook108 pages1 hour

    My Twin Brother

    By Vinay Jalla

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Ravi and Balu are twin brothers living thousands of miles apart. Ravi lives with his father in Britain, and Balu is in India with his mother and his ever-caring grandmother. Balu has the love and comfort of his family and friends. Ravi, on the other hand, has problems living with his father. Read how the twin brothers make grand plans to unite their parents.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherVinay Jalla
    Release dateNov 7, 2009
    ISBN9781301272266
    My Twin Brother
    Author

    Vinay Jalla

    Creative writer and journalist with over 15 years experience in print, online and broadcast media

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      Book preview

      My Twin Brother - Vinay Jalla

      My Twin Brother

      Vinay Jalla

      First Published in 2013

      Copyright © 2013 by Vinay Jalla

      All rights reserved.

      Smashwords Edition

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting

      the hard work of this author.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or

      actual events is purely coincidental.

      CHAPTER 1

      Balu! Come and have your breakfast. It’s getting late… called out Balu’s mother from the kitchen.

      Balu was in his bedroom, standing before a full-length mirror and knotting his tie. He polished his black shoes until they sparkled.

      Coming, Ma! Balu replied loudly.

      He then arranged his textbooks and notebooks according to the day’s timetable. He looked at his wristwatch and hurried his packing. He never wanted to be late to school.

      Balu’s Grandma observed Balu getting ready for school. She liked Balu in his school uniform - navy blue trousers, short-sleeved white shirt, red tie, black leather shoes and a shining, golden-coloured badge with the emblem of a lion and an eagle. She asked, Is the young man ready?

      Yes, Grandma, said Balu and ran to the kitchen where his mother had placed a plate of steaming moon-shaped idlis and coconut chutney on the dining table.

      His Grandma called out, Young man, it’s time to say good morning to God! Have you forgotten?

      Balu raised his eyebrows and smiled. Sorry Grandma. I keep forgetting. I am really sorry. He went inside the little prayer room, which was next to the kitchen, and recited a sacred verse. He recited a few lines and rushed to the dining table.

      He finished his breakfast, drank a glass of hot almond milk and dashed to the compound. His Grandma said, Balu, don’t be in such a hurry. There’s plenty of time.

      No, Grandma, our school bell rings very early… he said and pedalled on his red bicycle to school – the Indian High School, which was four kilometres away.

      When Balu had left, Grandma felt lonely. Such a smart boy he is. He’ll grow up to be a computer engineer like his dad, she said.

      Balu’s mother, Shantha, grew furious when the words ‘computer engineer’ were uttered. She loathed that profession!

      On his way to school, Balu had to cross an overhead railway bridge. His school bell rang exactly at nine. He looked at his watch. O it’s already eight fifty five! I’ll be late… he murmured to himself.

      Around this time, the Karnataka Express would pass the bridge every day, creating a traffic jam on the road underneath the bridge. Balu was anxious to pass the bridge before the train arrived. If he went late to school, he knew, the physical trainer, Pashupathi, would scold or even whack him with his wooden cane. He never wanted to take a beating from him. He cycled faster, exerting his calf muscles.

      As he was nearing the bridge, he heard the loud siren. Oh! Not now! he moaned.

      As usual, whenever a train crossed the bridge, pedestrians and two-wheeler riders, who wore no helmets, waited below for the train to pass. They did not want to start the day with some muck dropping on their head.

      Balu was in a state of panic. What a jam! If only I had come a bit earlier I would have crossed this wretched bridge. I hope Pashupathi sir is ill today… he bawled.

      He tried to remain calm. The serpentine train finally passed after three full minutes. The time was 8.58. Balu had just two minutes to reach the school and avoid Pashupathi’s punishment.

      He cycled hard and reached the school just when the bell was ringing. His nerves eased a bit. He parked his bicycle in the cycle stand, locked it and joined his best friends: Ganesh, Shankar and Mani. They were anxiously waiting for Balu to discuss the previous day’s cricket match played between India and South Africa.

      Balu, what a match! yelled Shankar. Sachin’s batting was great!

      Yes, it was superb! replied Balu.

      If not for Sachin’s eighty four runs, India would have lost, pointed Ganesh. Mani, not being a cricket buff, just walked silently with his friends.

      They entered their sixth standard classroom and sat on their respective wooden benches. The first hour was Maths. Balu hated the subject. He never got more than the minimum required to pass, though his friends, especially Mani, got more than eighty per cent. Balu’s favourite subjects were English and Art.

      The day ended quite uneventfully, as usual. Balu had written notes of all the subjects. The last hour for the day was Physical Training. Luckily for Balu and his classmates, Pashupathi was on leave due to diarrhoea. Being a physically fit man, he often suffered bouts of this problem and was irregular to school.

      Balu and his friends cycled homewards. At the market junction, they branched out. Ganesh and Shankar lived at the west end of Nandapur. Mani’s house was near the railway bridge. Balu’s house was the farthest.

      Balu reached home and opened the little gate. Tony, his pet dog, leaped in joy and licked Balu’s ankles.

      Hey, Balu! How come you are early today? asked his mother.

      PT sir was absent… diarrhoea again, he chuckled.

      She placed Balu’s short pants, which she was sewing, aside. Now, come and have a snack.

      "No, Ma. I’m not felling hungry. I ate some samosas in the school canteen."

      Did you? Shantha screamed. I keep telling you not to eat such dirty, oily things… you don’t listen to me at all.

      Grandma, who was sitting on the garden bed, said, Shantha, why do you keep fussing the little man. Don’t worry about his health. He has the capacity to digest even pebbles!

      You don’t support him. It’s only because of you he’s getting spoilt, Shantha retorted and went in.

      Okay, calm down, said Grandma. He won’t eat anything outside from now. It’s my guarantee.

      Balu nodded and winked at Grandma.

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