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Journalism of Courage
We didn8217;t know it then but he was an exceptional mimic. A close family friend, he once invited us on Holi eve for an informal lunch. His wife ushered us into their aesthetically decorated drawing room. My uncle took a seat and motioned us to do the same. Barely had we made ourselves comfortable when a terrible growl filled the house followed by a series of barks. We jumped in our seats and looked around. Since when has there been a dog in the house? Even as we wondered, Mr K came into the room. 8216;8216;Did you find the dog?8217;8217; he asked, breaking into peals of laughter.
The warm-hearted and jovial Mr K was truly an accomplished mimic. It was always good fun having him around. He was in great demand at parties. His perfect techniques were endless. Animal cries had a special place in his mixed bag. Jackals, hyenas, lions and birds 8212; no animal was too difficult. Motor cars horned, trains sped by, dogs barked, anything could happen when he was around.
Once he was summoned by a neighbour to help feed their parrot. Of the twin pair that the neighbour owned, one had died and the surviving parrot would not accept any food offered to it. Till another parrot was procured Mr K visited his neighbour8217;s house regularly, hiding himself in a backyard and imitating a parrot8217;s voice. To everyone8217;s astonishment, it worked.
Once we were motoring back from a picnic when we got stuck in the middle of a crowded market place. To our dismay we discovered that the horn had failed. The policeman growled, the car in front kept crawling, the traffic behind us piled up and the constant hooting of other horns reached a high-decibel climax. I panicked at the steering wheel and so did the passengers.
But Mr K kept his cool. Arching his palm over his mouth, he did a perfect imitation of a jeep-horn. A series of such authentic sounds and the unsuspected crowd that was swarming in front of us fell apart, opening out a royal pathway for us. I shook my head in disbelief, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. That was Mr K8217;s moment of glory.
