Purni
I don't remember the first time I met Purni. Maybe because we were born cousins a year apart, and grew up together in the same neighbourhood. Anyway, ever since my memory box started being functional, and memories began to be heaped into it in bunches, Purni featured in most of them. She was there when we first began to ride bicycles around the block, never stopping and going on in spite of the many bruises. She was there when we played house-house, plucking most of the flowers from her house's flowerpots, much to the ire of her mother. She was there when I got my first serious cut, playing hopscotch in the courtyard. She was the one who raised the alarm bell by screeching out aloud on seeing the open wound, and she was there when I was taken to the doctor. We were an inseparable duo, adventurous and ready to try everything. Everyday after school we would meet by our houses and plan new adventures. These were the days when Internet had not crept into our lives and playing ...