Rishi's mundu

"I got a mundu....I got a mundu", Rishi started singing at the breakfast table.

"You got a what", Dhaval asked looking confused.

"Mundu yaar...Oh sorry u guys don't know malayalam right", Rishi said with a smirk. "Mundu...lungi....dhoti...understood?"

"Acha you mean you finally got something to cover your lower body now. Great. Never thought I will live to see this day".

"Hey how about this :- we can stick Rishi's mundu onto a wall and ask everyone to autograph it. You can keep it as a souvenir from our class", Sagar suggested.

Ignoring all the teasing, Rishi continued

"Yeah yeah make fun how muchever you want but the fact is...I got a mundu...I got a mundu"...and the singing continued.

After sometime I asked Rishi,

" So how did you get your mundu. You bought it or someone gave you?".

"Or did you steal it from some poor mallu. Poor guy must be searching for his mundu now".

"I got it as a gift from my college junior".

"College junior? Why?".

Rishi became sentimental. Flashback.

Black and white film.
Location : Rishi's room in bangalore.
Time : 2 years ago.
Scene : Rishi standing. Junior squatting on his knees, at Rishi's feet, with folded hands. Rishi holding out his right hand and blessing his devotee. Analogous picture would be Hanuman squatting at Lord Ram's feet.

Junior : "Sir aap dhany hei"

Rishi : "Nehi beta, mei Rishi hu"

Junior : "Nehi sir, mera matlab tha tussi great ho".

Rishi : "Aisa kyu wats"

Junior : "Agar aap nehi hote tho na jaane mera kya hota iss bangalore sheher mei. Mei ye waada karta hu ki jis din mera naukri pakka hojai, os din mei aapko ek mundu mail kar doonga. Muche aashirwaad dedo sir ki muche naukri mil jaye aur aapko aapka mundu".

Rishi : "Ayushmanbhava wats Ayushmanbhava".

Flashback vanishes.
Location : Back to the breakfast table.

Rishi wipes the tears from his eyes that he tried hard not to show to others. Well, can't blame him. Such sentimental and emotional stories can make even a stone cry.

"And so, now that he has got a job, I have got my mundu".

After wiping off his tears, Rishi turned to CP.

"What kind of a mallu are you. You don't follow your own culture. Mallus have to wear mundu, but I have never seen you wearing a mundu. This is bad. See I am following your culture by wearing the mundu. Look at me and get some inspiration".

Now no one can taunt a lion and get away so easily.

CP : "So you are following our culture".

Rishi : "Yes"

CP : "And you are a Bihari".

Rishi : "Yes".

CP : "You are a Bihari. But you follow mallu culture. So basically that means you don't follow your own culture. What kind of Bihari are you?".

No one heard any more mention of mundu after that.