Genie in a bottle - Nehal Binani (most read books txt) 📗

GENIE IN A BOTTLE- WHAT WISH IS YOURS?


“Oh lord Ganesha, please save me from this insane world. I wish I was Aladdin and a genie would grant me three wishes-oh no, only one would be enough to get me out of this place. How I wish my life would be different.” he said to himself. “Jai! What the hell are you doing on the terrace? Aren’t you supposed to be studying now?” his mom shouted at the top of her voice. “God, she sounds angry. I better hurry up”. Jai thought to himself.
Jai Sethi -awfully rich and wonderfully handsome was the younger son of Mr. and Mrs.Sethi. Living in a, luxurious multi-storied bungalow, Jai’s life was as complicated and as uncomfortable as one can imagine… (Talk about irony!).
By the time Jai got to his study, he realized he had a trigonometry test the next day. A quick glance at his watch showed him that it was 11:00 p.m. already. “Crap!”He exclaimed, slamming down his Math’s book. “Wuthering Heights” brought a smile on his face.
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Meanwhile at the Awasthi house or, condo, I should say, things weren’t exactly at place.
“Mom I told you I would be late. What the hell is your problem, huh?” Aditi said disgusted.
“You want to know what my “problem” is. My problem is that you were out so late ,that too with 2 boys and you don’ even care so much as to give a call to your mother, who has been worried SICK!” Mrs. Awasthi’s voice rose with every word. “Mom will you please like, chill? Next time, I’ll remember to text you, okay?” Aditi replied, before storming off to her room and closing the door with a bang.
“As if I don’t have enough problems already. No,-keep piling up, just
like the garbage near the Ganga ghat!” Aditi was in a bad mood- really bad mood.
Just as she was lying down, after taking a warm shower, she tried to recall what she felt that day. The accidental touch of Aditya- which had shot through her body like electricity. The warm hug of Mayank- where she felt was the only place to be in. Her confusion was increasing with every nano-second, and so were her fears. She didn’t want to end up breaking Mayank’s heart, but she just couldn’t turn away from what she had started to feel for Aditya.
Beep Beep-message received.
Beep Beep message received.
“Two unread messages.”
Flipping open the mobile cover of her i-Phone-she saw that the first message was from Mayank:
“May your eyes outshine the moon,
May your smile stop the world in it’s tracks,
May your touch be as soft and gentle as a rose petal
May you remain as you are.
Gud nite baby.. love you…”
Smiling from ear to ear, she read the message three times-each time with a different feeling. Mayank always impressed her with his new ideas-which were either hilariously absurd or magnificently flattering. She never wanted to let him go.
Thinking this she read the second message. This one was, of course, from Aditya:
“gud nite baby…luv ya…
P.S.-don’t miss me much...wl b rite der in ur dreams..”


“Oh good lord! Please help me out of this mess. I wish I were Aladdin so that a genie would grant me three wishes. Oh no-only one would be enough for me. If only I knew what to do.”
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“HOW MANY TIMES WILL I TELL YOU, DON’T DRINK WATER FROM THIS GLASS.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY FOR OUR GUESTS. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”
Mrs. Poddar, shouted on the top of her voice. “Mummy ji, I am so sorry. I completely forgot. I promise, I’ll wash it myself.”Ayushi replied, tears staining her soft cheeks. “No need for that. We have servants to do the work. Besides you should go and study. If you get 9.5 instead of a perfect 10, then you
just wait and watch.” Mrs. Poddar replied, the threat in her voice couldn’t be missed. “Yes, mummy ji. Yes I’m going. Good night.” “Good night.” Ayushi touched her mother’s feet taking the blessings.
After revising ‘Work and Energy’ for the third time she had been
scolded that day.
“Four.”

It was getting worse day by day-‘she’ was getting worse. “oh lord, I wish I were Aladdin so that I would get three wishes-but no, I would require only one to make my life better. To change myself such that nobody would ever have any complains. Oh, I wish!”

__________________________________________________


December 12th 2009-11:56 p.m.
The sky expressed it’s rage in it’s usual way-crackling thunder, eye-blinding lightning and thick drops of a heavy thundershower. Somewhere near the ‘ghat’ a bottle cracked open-because of the
strength of the three desperate prayers, united by one single word-‘Genie’.
While our three stars were sleeping peacefully in their own perfect-yet-horrible homes, the genie was thinking of a way to approach them.
“Would these three youngsters believe in me, a genie, in the 21st
century?”-this was his biggest fear.
Finally he decided to meet Aditi first, reason being that she was the most superficial of the three. Moreover, she loved reading such stories-and was particularly fond of fantasies. So, there he was, talking to Aditi, making her believe, and promising a better future.
“Oh genie, I feel so stupid. How can I talk to two others people whom I have never met and persuade to believe in you?” The genie in his powerful voice reminded her that without the two other people her wishes wouldn’t come true. “My child, nothing is impossible. Believe in yourself end everything would work out.

Ayushi, she decided, would be the first one to befriend. The genie had explained the other two wishes (“what a freak”-Aditi had thought) and Aditi came to the conclusion that it would be the easiest to convince Ayushi, given the fact that she was such an idiot. Explaining Jai on the other hand, would be difficult. On the basis of what the genie had said, Jai sounded like a stubborn guy who couldn’t be wooed with her sexy smile. Aditi did not have any trouble sneaking out, she had done that before. And besides, the genie had already worked up some charm by which no one would be able to hear her.
Out on the street, they reached Ayushi’s place in a flash. Aditi hadn’t expected her to be rich and on seeing her room, she was surprised. “Why doesn’t she make use of all that money?? Look at her
clothes. God!” She wondered.

It turned out just as Aditi had planned. Ayushi wasn’t hard to convince, though it took some time for Aditi to tolerate her stupidity with patience.

“We have a deal then. Now all we have left is the other freak. Then our wish will come true.”


With that, they set out to our last character.

One can imagine what Jai might have felt finding two girls (add the good-looking factor to that too), on his window at the middle of the night. But that wasn’t his first thought.

“What the ….. Who are you? Did my friends send you guys? I swear I am not that kind of a guy. Its true, I’ve never had a girlfriend but that doesn’t mean …..”

“Shut up” he was cut off by Aditi who made a very evident cut-the-crap face.

“Yeah I’ll do that,” Jai said, his embarrassment knowing no bounds. “But, would you mind explaining what the situation is.”

And so, Aditi and Ayushi (with her interruptions) related this event. The Genie made his appearance at the right moment, playing his part.

Seeing him, Jai opened his mouth to scream, nothing came out. Realizing he looked lame, he shut it.

_____________________________________________________

30 MINS LATER>……….

“So here we are, the riverside seems very quiet today.” Ayushi commented.

“Yeah right. Maybe that’s because it’s 1 a.m. and no sane person would be here right now. I still cant believe I’m doing this. For all we know, this might be a trap!” Jai still couldn’t believe all of it.

“But then you don’t know that for sure. Maybe it changes our lives forever. What have we got to lose, huh?” Aditi said, trying to make everything clear.

Jai shrugged his shoulders in response. The Genie seemed to appear out of nowhere.

“Great, so are we ready?”

“Gosh, you startled me!” Ayushi said- her hand on her chest.

“Yeah, you are after all the timid one.”

In no time all of them were seated in a circle, our three stars on one side, and the Genie was opposite them.

“So I propose that without any delay, we should begin. Here’s how it works:

You tell mo your story, incidents that describe you. But, min you, you don’t directly tell me your wish. Each one of you- relate your account one by one.” He paused for a second or two, as though waiting for the information to sink into the young minds. “Jai, let start with you”

“Uhh… OK

So here’s how it begins:

My family has always been traditional. Well, not religiously, no. But traditional in the sense that they believe in family customs. Which means, what my granddad has done, I should do too, respecting his accomplishments. Now here, my granddad and dad, both are C.A’s graduated from St. Xavier’s College. My brother, Abhishek is doing the same. He is a ‘brilliant’ student of second year, Commerce batch, Xavier’s.

Maths is a mystery to me. It has always been. I’d rather mug up history all night than solve Trigonometry problems. “

“Oh, yeah?” Ayushi exclaimed.


“Yes …. Now can I continue??” he asked her, irritated.

“Of course, of course.”

“So as I was saying….

I was different. It didn’t take time for my family to realise that. They found many novels in my room, from Sidney Sheldon to Emily Bronte.

“Mister, you literally have a library up here.” My dad had said.

Before any family get together or occasion, I am advised to stay quiet and speak only when spoken to, because my relatives spoke ill of all writer, wasting away their lives- I usually spoke up in revolt and this offended them as well as my family. The fact that my brother never attempts to support me doesn’t help either. Friends are oblivious to this, so even as I speak, my chances of taking a different career sinks and the fear of giving up my passion, my life forever, increases. My life is a torture, it is hell. I have to be put in people’s choices, and guess what? I’m the last one to be picked out, be it sports or family. I similarly have to make choices- study or read, write something original or write my mugged up exam’s answers. But this time, I have to make the most difficult choice- either my family, or my life.”

Aditi clapped. Jai stared at her. “That, my friend, is the best freaking speech I’ve ever heard” she said, looking impressed.

“I don’t know whether it is a compliment or not, but still, thanks.” Jai replied.

“Brilliant. Now Aditi- lets hear your story.” Genie said abruptly.

“But you won’t grant me my wish?” Jai asked visibly confused.

“You have to wait, Jai. What wish is yours, will be granted later.”

With that, he turned to Aditi “what are you waiting for get going.”


“Ok. Well, I’m not as