The one with The Legendary Photo

Ok. Not "legendary" :P

You might think this surely is the reason why I do not like being in photos. However, my annoying not-being-in-photos “policy” is a crazy part of my system that has not been flushed. Yet. Reasoning is an irrational, futile & mad exercise.

So, on the contrary, or not: I love this photo very much. This has been, for me, a beautiful snapshot of a time I do not have any memories of.

Everybody definitely has one of these photos, right? The ones that you never knew could last, nay, haunt you forever. Those that were recalled with stunning clarity at awkward family gatherings. Ah! The ignominy of sitting through those conversations!

• “Beta, tera woh photo dikhana uncle aur aunty ko”
• “Yeah, we always wanted a girl...but then we had him” (sigh and silence)....(?!)
• “Don't be shy...show it to her” (The "her" referring to some chick with whom the prospect of even having a tiny decent conversation has now been nuked in the bud.)

At some point in my childhood I had serious doubts as to whether my parents were, at some point in their lives, kids. I went through all of that but came out pretty happy actually. Could be attributed to the fact that there was an equally devastating naked-sam photo. Anyway: so here it is. The guy is Sam, my brother. The “girl” is me. Age unknown but the photo is priceless.

Those were the days. Indeed.