DVD ! … yes, but I’m not talking mainly about the high-tech stuff here .. want to introduce an interesting personality, who our friend circle knew by these name initials, to you all ..

Ok, just so that you don’t try to find her (yes, HER!) in your six globally acceptable and sanctioned connections, I’m going to stay with DVD .. no expansion, no contraction, else the clever ones can and will google the personal id.

Since the school days, DVD was known as a tomboyish rebel character .. verrrrry innovative, verrrrrry intelligent, verrrrrry outlandish in views and verrrrrry entertaining – for us students, that is – but sort of a problem for teachers, who tended to transfer that problem promptly to her home folks through complaints. You see, she used to get “special treatment” of staying back after school hours for her practical pranks! But she was so intelligent that competing with her in academics was a challenge for us all.

.. we left school and got going along our own paths to future life. Then personal contacts with most of us, guys and gals, got lost or faded away in the new pursuits, dreams, successes and failures of the moments that greeted us along those paths .. but whenever we thought of DVD, the memories always forged a real smile and an occasional laughter.

Then years-into-the-adulthood later, suddenly bumping into her was a great fun .. and what an instance it happened …

While on a holiday back home with family, we heard a loud scream and shout of a lady from a running car, a jeep .. “bachaao bachaao …” (help, help!) .. everyone turned and saw the car whiz past us turning into the road bend and a female hand outstretched. People immediately shouted for the police, who was luckily standing nearby. The police jumped into his van and went chasing the car. We stood watching the chase. By this time, the woman’s car was way ahead but couldn’t race further due to the traffic light. Then to our utter surprise, it veered round, took a U-turn at the light (which was luckily green for the U-turn) and came back on the road towards us with the police van in tow some distance behind.

The car stopped where we were. A good crowd had gathered by then around there. The car stopped. The woman jumped out. The police van too speedily came near it.

The woman was still saying “bachaao”. With a serious countenance, she looked at us all and pointed to the driver. That moment we saw two small children in the back seat, saying “mommy please come in”.

The woman was well dressed, seemed educated and from a well-to-do family. Then with a faint smile she said, “that’s my husband. I want that ‘barf ka gola’ (ice ball on a stick)” .. she pointed to the hawker cart nearby .. all looked at the hawker and his gola cart.

She continued, “but that my dear hubby there, in car, wouldn’t let me have it. He says, the water used for that ice gola is unhygienic. He always forces his views on me, I want someone to bachao me.”

The hubby stepped out. “sorry guys, this wife of mine has a habit of playing practical jokes. I promised to give her a gola at a decent café where I can be sure of more hygienic procedures. She insists on this gola, but I’m not giving her this even if the police orders me. Sorry guys, I wanted to let you all know that, so I turned around.”

Both hubby and wife started laughing. Their children were laughing too. The looks on the faces of the onlookers and the police were real watchable now – shock, smiles, laughter all mixed together!.

I was aghast .. wow, what a way to bump into DVD .. and the old habits die hard!

We met. And stories of more outlandish pranks came out from the hubby. Seems, on one such evening outing during another weekend, they came across a street stall selling artistic-shaped vivid colored balloons. DVD insisted on buying a dozen different kinds. Hubby discarded the idea, even their children were out of the balloon-playing age.

But DVD insisted and when hubby wouldn’t budge, she started crying loudly on the street, like small kids, in full view of the onlookers. People gathered and when they came to know about her joke, they got the balloon seller to give her one. He obliged smilingly, with one of the most magnificent balloons – free – for her prank.

There were many more .. but it’s better to hear about them first hand from her hubby .. They travel around in their jeep .. and always carry their candid camera .. they have a collection of her mischiefs and the people’s reactions ..

It’s hard to say which were more entertaining – her sense of humor and practical jokes or the people’s reactions when caught in those situations.

Be on the lookout .. you could be caught by the candid camera too .. and the DVD, both the person and disk records of what she did!