"I can do it better"
PAVITHRA SRINIVASAN
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Naren was ever so busy with his school project, essays, posters and the singing competition. It didn't help to have Pareekh hanging around badgering him.
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"I can do that," said Pareekh, as he watched his cousin type something on his computer. "I can type an essay about dolphins in record time," he said lounging on the bed.
Naren smiled. "Actually, I'm writing about Egyptian Pharaohs. And it's for the newspaper."
"Big deal," pouted Pareekh. "You're just browsing websites and pulling out stuff. As if I didn't know. I could do the same, you know. You're the same as me. The same standard, just a different school."
"So you're saying it's because of the school?"
"Huh, no. Mine is better."
Naren smiled again and turned his attention to a song he had been recording. He had entered a Super Singer contest, and had just finished the preliminary rounds and qualified for the semi-finals. His voice rang out, clear and smooth.
"I've got a great voice," announced Pareekh. "I thought I'd join, but I was just too busy."
"Doing what?"
"Just ... stuff."
So much work
Naren shrugged and went back to work. An hour later, he was drawing charts for his school's science project. He had just won the prize for the best presentation on rainforests, and had been asked to do more. Pareekh stood looking through his shoulder as Naren sketched. Within minutes, a beautiful tropical scene took shape in front of his eyes. The colours were fresh and presented an almost three-dimensional picture.
"Yes, you can do that too," Naren said as Pareekh opened his mouth. "Look," he began. "Why don't you try your hand at this too? I have two or three more projects to complete, another article to write and I need a back-up singer for my school's annual day function. Have a go. I know you're very busy, but can't you help me? I need to get it all done by this evening."
A wide grin split Pareekh's face. "I've tons of things to do — but let's see."
That very afternoon, he set to work. He sat at Naren's computer, trying to understand the microphone and the mp3 player. He needed to write an essay on Tamil Nadu's Chola Kings ... but he had to get some information for that. And he didn't have any model for the railway station chart he had to do. Evening passed in frustration a he tried to assemble dictionaries, history.com and poster colours. By the next morning, he still wasn't done.
"I'm so busy - haven't done it yet," he panted as he rushed from chart to microphone. "I think I'll be done by afternoon."
When Naren came in the next evening, nothing was done and Pareekh groaned in dejection.
"You see?" said Naren. "It looked so simple when you saw me doing it ... but there's so much behind it. Do you know the hours I spent practising the song? Or the books I read to write the essay?" He showed a bundle of sketches he had drawn.
Silence.
Then Pareekh shrugged. "I can still do it." As Naren frowned, he grinned. "Just give me two months ... and I won't be such a loud-mouth again!"
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