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The Rubik's Cube

by Bhavna Kapoor
(Faridabad,Harayana, India)

“ Now the CTO of Flower communications Mr Shaminder Singh will give us the details of how high speed data networks can revolutionarise our daily lives.” “ High speed data telephony ……………… a shift from copper cables to optical fiber cables …………………..”

I came running in front of the TV . Each and every word of his speech not just vibrated my ears but brought a quiver in my heart as well. He was Shaminder, one face of our Rubik’s cube, in college. We were popularly known as Rubik’s cube. We were six huge balls of energy and fathom. Shaminder belonged to a small village in Punjab. Very coy but intelligent. Shaminder was the favorite of every one in our group not that he had most agreeable disposition but he could give a tough competition in drinking. 5 pegs and still going steady was his record. Once out of senses he was the best entertainer.

We were always hungry students of an engineering college. It was hard for us to grab our daily groceries from the neighboring village, especially when the mess was closed due to some mess in the hostel. Our only rescue officer was Shaminder who knew the local language and the near by village routes well. On that more than warm sunny morning of an April we set out in search of good food. Shaminder gave us an idea to explore the near by village gurudwara for Langar prashad. We were so desperately fed up of eating magi and egg bhurji that the taste of simple dal and chapatti from the gurudwara made a business case to walk 4 kilometres to fetch this humble meal.

As we entered the remotely situated Gurudwara, I hungrily asked Shaminder the way to its langar hall. The priest asked us to cook the meal for everyone on the name of sewa. “ Beggars are not choosers.” Hence we tried all our recently found culinary skills in the first cooking event. We all could finally eat reasonably good healthy food after many many days. After eating we all showed a more than required gratitude towards the priest and the welcoming gurudwara.

On our way back, Shaminder offered us the white syrupy rasgulla. The rasgulla was an icing on the cake.

“Where the hell did you get it?” Ashwdeep asked with the greatest joy.

“Have one more and enjoy.” He took out hand full of syrupy rasgullas from his bag. The syrup of rasgullas was dripping from his large hands.

Before it could drip any more the round white balls had already taken space in our again empty stomachs. “Oye on whose birthday were you invited?” asked Dheemaan authoritatively.

“When you were all thanking the priest I went inside his room to fetch a glass and I found this treasure there. Not only this, I have got his container of desi ghee and my bag is full of today’s dinner.”

He ran towards the tubewell in the fields to wash his sticky hands when one of a big laddu dropped from his bag.

I picked up the laddu, smelled it, cleaned it and gulped another sweet delight in my mouth.

Shaminder talked to one of the villagers who was ready to give us a lift in his billy jeep to our hostel which was 3500 metres away.

“He gave him a few notes and a few coins.” Boys are known for their shamelessness So were we all. None of us asked him not to spend so much for this comfort ride.

How the hell Did you ransack the ‘aan paatra’.” He smiled sheepishly. “I optimally utilised the available resources.”

"Explain with all the details. Guru’s commanding voice came with all the husk.”

“I put the chewing gum on the tip of the arrow. The notes and coins came easy on that chewing gum. I pulled out the arrow. With repeated attempts I could fetch 120 rupees hard cash.”

Shaminder’s elaborated explanation truly qualified him an engineer. We christened him “Einstein” that day.

I came back to my room. His interview had long been finished. My son was watching cartoon network.

The faces of our Rubik’s cube kept me awake for that entire night. I made an attempt to search all my friends on Face book. I could find five faces. The sixth was not having an account on Face book.

The pull of Shaminder’s rememberance was so strong that I googled the website of flower communications, then wrote an E-mail to his office.

Today we are all well established in our respective lives. The six colors of the cube are located at different places, but I am hopeful that some day this cube will be complete with all its faces together for a reunion.

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