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“Dhiskayoon, Dhisshhh, Dhoom…..    Netaji almost killed Lord Clive, aah , no no no… it should be Lord Mountbatten, the British, Baba has corrected this many time, and how Clive won over Siraj Ud Daula, when the later had a bigger army … very confusing. 

Now how about the bombs being hurled by Bhagat Singh or Khudiram Bose, who did that first?

Next again comes Siraj Ud Daula’s fight with Lord Clive, if I were Siraj, I could have easily managed a win, Dhiskiyaoon, Dhoom (not Mountbatten, this time I am correct, so I am going to get full marks in History, sorry, there is no History in Class I, why they don’t have a history in Class I, only they have English and Maths, so confusing – let’s get back to the fighting, now there was a Rani from Jhansi, and what a fight she did put up.

But which one happened earlier, now I am again getting confused, I think Siraj was killed by British first, then they killed Rani”.

  

“Wake up, enough of this Dhiskiyaoon, Dhoom” I could hear a voice similar to the voice of Ghouse Baba of Jhansi from the movie ‘Manikarnika’…..”

Now who is this baddie shaking me in the night, “don’t bother me, I have to wait till the end, I need to know how Prithwiraj got killed..”

“Kiddo, now this is your father, your history session is over in your dreams, if you now go to Prithwiraj’s time from 1947, you are definitely going to miss your school today, you have to be ready for school” I understood Baba is trying to keep me awake.

“How many times I have told not to let him watch this ‘Manikarnika’ movie” Baba is shouting at Ma, Ma replied “And who is telling him all these historical things, are these to be told to a 6-year-old boy.”

“At least History,….not some daily soap opera” Baba quickly responded to Ma.

 

In the meantime, I am still confused “Baba, if Mughals and Marathas were fighting together against the British in the movie ‘Manikarnika’, how were they fighting against each other in 1600s, we just saw in ‘Tanhaji’. ”

“Beta, so many questions in the early morning, are you done in the bathroom?”

“Tell me na, how come Akbar die in Pakistan, in Lahore?”

“Beta there was no Pakistan at that time.”

“Then why did we create it? Baba if the Mughals are from Uzbiiisaaaannnn, are they still in India, why did they come.”

“Beta, it’s Uzbekistan, and Mughals have also become Indians after staying here for so many centuries, see first they fought against Marathas, then became Friends with them and fought with the British, so now we all are Indians.”

 

Again I am getting confused, I have to get ready for school, but now I am not understanding why everybody has fought so many wars, and if everyone is Indian now, should be using our national flag.”

“Yes, beta, that’s exactly what we are doing now beta.”

“No Papa, I have seen different flags on a Mandir and on a Masjid”…

2 minutes silence in the room…..

“Baba, why are you silent.”

“Beta, I don’t know all these, but you are right, we are all same…”

“Baba, can we go to Aslam’s house one day, he is one of my best friends, I have been to everybody’s house, but not his!!!”

“Sure beta, and ask him to come to our house also with his parents also”.

“Yes Papa, and will play cricket”, finally I could see a smile in Ma’s face, but she prompted ”Now go to school, enough for the morning” and then she started at father ”Don’t know how to handle this boy, when you are not around, so may questions”…..but she kissed me on my forehead…… “Jeete raho mera beta.”