SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I had to pass with tuition in maths in my sixth and seventh standard. In my 

eighth board I could not get science. I took arts. I belonged to the eight plus 

three system. After I took arts my grades picked up stupendously. I stood 

fourth in my class. I also began making new friends and became more 

extroverted which actually is not my nature. Ultimately I finished schooling on 

25/3/1975 and went to see film ‘Dewaar’ in YADAV talkies in Gwalior. It was 

the day before holi.    

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Years went by. I was given a double promotion from my first standard to my 

third. And this resulted in my losing all grip in maths ever, because the basics 

were taught in the second class. It was in that year that I came to stage for the 

first time. Time was routine and uneventful. I studied in the convent till my fifth 

standard and then got admission in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Gwalior in my sixth 

standard.   

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Probably the hind kick was too solid for a five year old. But I did not realize 

this 

then. I asked me worthy friend what had happened. In reply he punched me. 

Probably he thought that I and not the donkey had kicked him. I had a black 

eye for being genuinely sympathetic. We both returned, with my friend walking 

like a goucho.  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Raju called me an asshole and off he swaggered to do the noble job himself. In 

a minute he was chasing the donkey. The beast ran for some time and then 

suddenly stopped. Raju was under the wrong impression that it lacked 

stamina. He rushed and caught the tail. Next moment there was a ball of dust 

and the sound of a base guitar. It was like a blunt object had been thrown on a 

muddy field.

And then I saw through the hazy ground that the donkey’s two hind legs and 

Raju’s legs were going in the air simultaneously. Raju did a back flip and fell 

with a thud. It seemed that the donkey had favored my friend with a back kick 

which had landed on the main point.

He lay there with his eyes glazed, and breathless.

  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

My best friend was one Raju, who was a more of an incorrigible ape than me, 

if 

that was possible. One November afternoon when we two were roaming 

around on the dusty field we spotted a donkey. Raju got enamored by its 

beauty and told me that I could claim to be a real macho if I caught it by its tail. 

I said warily that I was not and if he thought that he was braver than me, he 

should go ahead and do it himself. 

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

In Gwalior I was admitted to the first standard of one Saint Paul school. There I 

met several new guys. For me I everything was new. One fellow asked me

where I lived. When I told him, he declared to all that I lived in a hut. Shocked I 

began crying. The apologetic fellow promised that he will make good the loss 

by giving me pencil and a rubber free. I was appeased but did not know the 

ways of the world. The pencil and rubber are still coming. The name of the 

fraud was Ramesh.  

SQUARE PEG- AUTO BIOGRAPHY

 When I was around four my father took me to the zoo called Maharaj Bagh in 

Nagpur. I tried to give grass to the deers there, but I slipped, fell and scratched 

my legs.

We used to go to Sita baradi and Sadar in Nagpur where we ate Dinshaw ice 

cream. We also went for picnic. I was very fond of looking at two photos in a 

magazine called DIWALI MALAR. One was maroon and depicted the 

Mahabharatha war and the other was yellow showing various kids playing in a 

garden.     

SQUAREPEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 We reached the spot uneventfully. I stood on the ground and Gautam tried to 

climb a tree. Suddenly from nowhere a dozen guys of all shapes and sizes 

descended on  us like apes from a banyan tree. They were all around ten, 

dressed just in half pants, and menacing. Some were even having their vests 

or half shirts on. The leader among them demanded what we were doing there. 

I stuttered but Gautam the brave went at them with his fists drawn. Suddenly I 

saw Gautam vanish under a couple of these goons. They gave him enough for 

his bravado.

A few minutes later all got up and dusted themselves. I was surprised to find 

one round coin shaped scar on each of Gautam’ knee. He was crying. The 

scars were white in color but soon turned crimson.

We came home looking like drowned rats sans what we had gone for. Gautam 

was howling. As I tried to explain my stand, my mother looked heaven wards 

and then gave me a tongue lashing. 

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

My father took me on his bicycle once. My leg got caught in the front wheel 

and there has been an oblong scar on my left foot since then. Similarly I fell off 

a scooter while riding with a neighbor. There was this fellow who was a few 

years older than me and was a regular trouble monger. One evening he 

suggested that we two should go to the nearby police line, eat something 

called Bilai fruit, and pluck what was a long stem with a ball shaped growth in 

the end, called tappoo. I sincerely got excited and went along.   

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

We reached Gwalior in the year July 1965. At that time it looked more like a 

huge village than a town that it is now. As soon as we landed home we were 

that is I and my brotherwere off to play. We were given a quarters called 5/4 

Thatipur colony. Actually it was a series of stables constructed during the 1857 

mutiny, for soldiers. Our house had a neem tree, a front and a back kitchen 

garden with a guava tree. 

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 Even at that age I was stunned. I did not know why I got what I got. Probably 

it 

was the result of some old grouse. The fellow vanished into his house and I 

did 

not want to chase him. I went home rubbing my cheek. After some time when 

my father was returning when he came across this orangutan who was back 

near the 

gate and singing that he will not allow me inside. My father wanted to know 

the 

real reason behind this all but I could not enlighten him. 

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I and Satish were best of friends. We had similar plans and similar activities. 

One day when I had just climbed out of a gutter and was returning home to 

favor my mother with my looks, I saw Satish standing on his gate. He called 

me saying that he wanted to give me something. Pleasantly surprised I went 

to 

him thinking that he was going to give me some sweets or fruits. Instead the 

fellow stared hard at me, reassured himself that I was standing near him in 

flesh and blood and gave me something to remember him by.   

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

As a child I and another punk like me on Satish took upon ourselves to clean 

the gutters of Nagpur. We were always in some gutter running after some stray 

dog with a stick in hand. The same Mr. Kashinathan used to tell his wife that 

while my mother was taking great pains in cleaning me up and dressing me, I 

would look like a scavenger in a minute.

  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Ultimately my father did get the transfer. There was one gentleman one Mr 

Kashinathan who lived in the neighborhood. He had a cute child called Renu 

who was a couple of years younger than me. This kid howled and ran after our 

rickshaw when we were going to the Nagpur Railway Station on a rainy day. 

Now I feel very sad about the incident which is still clear in my mind. Wish her 

all the best.   

  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

As my father belonged to the Madhya Pradesh cadre, and Nagpur was to be 

transferred to Maharashtra, he was supposed to be transferred to a town 

called Gwalior. I and my brother were jubilant because this was a chance to 

travel by train. So we prayed to god almost daily in the evening that he should 

be transferred.

  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Years passed on routinely. I passed by LKG & UKG. One day a teacher came 

to the class with lots of painting boxes. Every student was claiming his or hers 

for the painting boxes actually belonged to them. There was one which was 

unclaimed. I took it saying that it was mine. I and that fellow who had teased 

me with his tiffin box, became best of friends. We wrestled under the desk.  

  

MY STORY 'PRECIOUS'

Dear friend,                                                                      14^th April 2016               

 Subject: My stories in Amazon

I am happy to announce that the following of my stories have been published 

by Amazon on Kindle:

Anirandana

Kid brother

Struggler

Mitravar

Juaari

Janam janam ke phere

Square Peg

Paanye Lagoon Thakur

Progeny

New Moon

False ego

Mist

Enigma

Precious- Published on 14^th April 2016

Kindly add these to your kindle collection.

Kindly forward this mail to your family and friends regards

Regards,

TSV Raghavan

EMAIL: triplecrossthambi@gmail.com

             ts.vijayaraghavan@gmail.com

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

After some time I got used to the daily grind of going to school. My elder 

brother had the habit of saving new three paise coins. He kept them in a bottle. 

I sincerely felt that this was a waste of money. So I took the coins to the nearby 

shop and bought lollipops with it. One day my brother caught me red handed 

by following me. My mother tied me to the window.

  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

One my first day in the school, I was feeling very morose as it is. And it began 

raining very heavily in the evening. I feared that my father will not come any 

more to pick me up. I got scared and began crying. There was this kid with a 

round face and big black eyes. He stared hard at me and made me more 

nervous. Then he took out a steel box which was rounder than his face. He 

opened the lid and I saw in it one small bread, with another tiny box which had 

ladyfinger curry. I thought that he was going to feed me. He stared at me with a

smirk, then made a morsel of bread, and curry, brought it near my mug and 

then gobbled it. PUNK.   

  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

When I was around five, I was admitted to the junior kintergarden of  

PROVIDENCE GIRLS’ HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL in SEMINARY 

HILLS, Katol Road Nagpur. It was very rainy. My father took me on his cycle to 

the school. I wept a lot and hated going to school. According to my father, my 

schoolbag was bigger than me.  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I remember that as a child I used to walk here and there aimlessly inside the 

house. Unlike my brother I was not allowed to go out. Then one evening I saw 

by brother brought home by his friends, because he had stepped on glass. I 

also saw a man caning a young boy in the neighborhood.

  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I was a born singer. Smartly dressed in just one shirt I used to regal every one 

by singing film songs. Every day I would inform my father that a big worm had 

entered our house. It was actually an ant. I used to walk around with the 

wooden churner saying ‘Dambididi’. My mother had quite a time raising two 

brats together.   

  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I was a born singer. Smartly dressed in just one shirt I used to regal every one 

by singing film songs. Every day I would inform my father that a big worm had 

entered our house. It was actually an ant. I used to walk around with the 

wooden churner saying ‘Dambididi’. My mother had quite a time raising two 

brats together.   

  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

One day I was playing with tamarind seeds. I was around two. And my brother 

was around three. We had a big fight over the seeds. My brother gave me a 

push and I fell on a pan of hot butter. I gave out a wail and my brother did not 

know what this commotion was all about. Probably that was the reason for my 

right thigh getting a permanent dimple.

  

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

One day I was playing with tamarind seeds. I was around two. And my brother 

was around three. We had a big fight over the seeds. My brother gave me a 

push and I fell on a pan of hot butter. I gave out a wail and my brother did not 

know what this commotion was all about. Probably that was the reason for my 

right thigh getting a permanent dimple.

  

Square Peg- Autobiography

For the first few months I remained in Bengaluru. In the month of March 1959 I 

came to No.6, Katol Road, Nagpur which was a government quarters. When I 

was an infant, my brother and my two cousins who were two, and three 

respectively got worried that I was hungry. Actually I was just gasping for 

breath. They fed news paper bits to me. Luckily my maternal grandmother so 

this good Samaritan act of theirs and prevented it. 

SQUARE PEG- AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Sorry, the place I was born in was called Malleswaram and not Rameswaram. 

When I was born I was so black in complexion that the nurses thought I was a 

blue baby. It was when I was twenty days old that the real reason was evident 

to all. I was suffering my an umbilical chord septic and my whole body was 

poisoned. Doctors had to give my twenty day old body some thirty two 

penicillin injections to cure me.

  

Square Peg- Autobiography

On 15^TH NOVEMBER 1958 At around 12.05 pm I was born in a government 

hospital in Rameshwaram, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. It was a Saturday and 

my sun sign was scorpio. According to the Hindu calendars, my star sign was 

Poorvashada, and my Rashi was or lunar sign was Dhanush. I was the second 

child and my father was employed in the accountant general’s office in Nagpur.