Chennai Express

“Don’t underestimate the power of a common man” was a quote said by Shah Rukh Khan at least 5 times in the movie ‘Chennai Express’, a comedy movie.

Three-fourth of the girls in my class watched that movie, and everyone liked it.

Now at school we all imitate him and say “Don’t underestimate the power of a common girl” all the time.

I really loved it too. It was really funny.  But Mom did not feel about it the same way I did, because she had seen many movies before similar to this. Also, when the fight between Tangabali and Rahul started, she had got up and walked around the house for some time since she did not like fight scenes. And I got that very gift too. So I was mostly looking down at my feet and admiring my toes during the fight. But I watched the rest of the movie with Dad and Mom.

The three of us were sitting on two comfy huge armchairs. For some time I sat next to Dad on his armchair but his tummy got in the way so I sat next to Mom in hers. Both of us fit perfectly.

Every day the prefects and teachers at school check if we are wearing proper uniforms, school shoes, if our hair is short it should be tied in a ponytail, if it is long, it should be in plaits, etc.

One day, our class teacher caught hold of a few girls whose hair was long enough to be plaited but wasn’t. She sent them outside the class and asked them to plait their hair.

So pretty soon, Chandana’s hair was being plaited by Sauda, Sauda’s was being done by Rabia at the same time, Rabia’s by Rafa, Rafa’s by Nida’s and so on. 

There were about 6 girls, and all of us inside the class were trying not to laugh.

Nida’s hair got done and she came inside the class looking grumpy. One of our friends, trying to cheer her up said “Now you look much better than before, Nida”.

“Oh, shut up” was the response.

At last, the train of girls outside came in. The girls who did not know how to plait properly had made the hair of the girls they had experimented on look like they had just got an electric shock.

(My portrait by Shreya Sharma)