Over confidence kills

As a 7^th grader, playing carom was addictive of all the games. With the meeting of my boyhood mate, it became more addictive than nicotine. As soon as we hear the last toll of the bell, we would excitedly rush towards the market side.

Frequenting town became our pass time after we came to know that carom was our common interest. The chemistry of our friendship grew ever stronger thereafter.

Quite astonishingly, when I was just picking up the fundamentals of the game he was already the kid of the town. With him, i honed my skill and soon my name was on the list of becoming new kid in the town. Unfortunately it did not happen. He coached me and two of us formed a good team. From kid of the town, soon we became talk of the town.

source: google

Every one, grown-ups or elders, hesitated to challenge us. Many times we won the match in just three rounds of play. Sometimes the game would get over with one of the opponent not even touching the striker. Such was our level.

Empty pocket we would play. Pocket full we went home after the match. There was no doubt that if two of us team together, many turned up reluctant to play. On most of the occasions we were only permitted to coach and not compete.

Can’t resisting the itch to push the striker, we would play by offering points not more than twenty. The game being over at thirty. Still it was herculean task to overthrow us.

Even in interclass competitions, we emerged as winners. Some envied our partnership and tried several lucks only to get thrashed and thicken our pocket.

But there was one thing many friends wanted to witness. It was the match between the two carom giants.

We played and the match tied several times but he earned the maximum admiration from rest of our friends.

One time our over confidence mortified us before the mass.

My tag came penniless. I was penniless either and joined the league. The thought of winning overwhelmed us as usual. We played casual, conceitedly offering points. Not until our counterparts took away two consecutive boards, did we realise that the game wasnt ours. I fumbled my jean pocket only to find emptiness inside and facing from the other end was my friend standing motionless. Nervous we both stood.

Having nothing to give and knowing not what to do out of embarrassment, we planned on escape when they were busy celebrating the victory.

Hardly had we finished crossing the rusted barb wire than the voice clamored from behind. “Charo charo....bet kalay” (friends, where is our bet)

I stared at his face and he stared mine, froze and blushed, in between the age old cold wires and uttered stammered speech………….we will give….give…you. Later, he managed to manipulate and promised to pay afterwards.

That day, the two kids of the town to whom all extolled champion of carom, learnt a lesson that too much of confidence is good for nothing.

The same incident took place last autumn.

Our school dispatcher compelled me to challenge him carom. Upon my several supplication, he would not listen. We fixed the date and bet.

He was taken to surprise when I outdid him for two continuous rounds and like me, discovered a lesson to not underestimate the power of common man.

Pay hike and my house owner

Of late, my house owner who is a dutiful man is often seen missing from his daily chores of tending cattle. Other times, he would even not dare to let them out of his sight, let alone setting them free in others area. Quite strangely, my friend’s kitchen plot which is of little size was robbed out of everything and when enquired, it was my owners’ cattle. Initially, I refuted saying that it might not be his cattle but to my dismay, it was the maroon colored cow that did the damage.
Later I conveyed my friends’ panic to him and asked if he was keeping well, because I have never heard of any complaints from others before. He wittily responded, “Everything is sound and commiserated for the damage”.

Wondering over his frequent absence out door, I felt that he was having problems but I didn’t intrude further pondering it was not my business.

Not until few days that I came to know about his cause of remaining indoor. He was covertly keeping strict check on the national assembly discussions and BBS news. From Shingkhar Gorkhan highway to tobacco control bill, he was updated on everything tabled in the parliament house. On the particular, he was more curious on the pay hike and housing allowance pledged by the government during canvassing period.

I was amazed by his way of vigilance on everything deliberated in the house when he was still oblivious of where his cows were straying. Luckily, it was too good of his cows that they did not encroach into others area in his absence and hauled him into trouble.

Anyhow, it was a clear indication to me that the house rent should be increased any time after the revision. However, since the vacillation of percentage in pay hike because of various plight of the current economic status, my owner seems to be disappointed and uninterested. He didn’t quite like the idea of parliamentarians on not being decisive.

As usual his presence outdoor became prompt. From what I surmised is that he was not very much into the assembly deliberations thereafter and even appeared reluctant to know what percentage of hike was discussed in the house.

With so much of fluctuation in the decision, he was equally confused as to what percent he should increase my house rent.

While it remains as his supremacy to inflate the house tariff, I wish he is as well aware of the tenancy act and impose accordingly.  It has not yet been two years since I last rented his house. Whatsoever, he is not going to spare me from snowballing the rent.

This is the side effect of pay hike on tenants.

How is your house owner reacting to the pay inflation?