When he first threw up the kite for me, the flight ended in a few seconds. The wind was blowing in the exactly opposite direction. After changing positions, and a few words of caution, he threw it up again. I started pulling at the string vehemently believing, the harder the pull, the higher goes the kite. I found the kite at my feet. A few such clumsy attempts passed by. The kite had now begun a graceful flight up in the sky. Just when I began to smile, I felt the first cut of the manja(glass string). I never expected bloodshed at kite-flying. I thought that was the safest of all games. Aghast at my bloody palm, I dropped the string, my friend dropped his spool, came running to nurse me and we lost the kite to a tree branch.
When I next began to fly with a bandaged palm(I felt like a hero already), I thought I had learnt my lessons. The kite was now flying high and I rejoiced my new position of an expert. I could now fly and talk to my friend at the same time, answer my mom’s tea-time calls and what is more, even sip hot tea. Then misfortune struck and I found myself with an empty string. I had not noticed that the kite was flying dangerously close to a cable and so, did not navigate it out of danger.
One fortnight after my first expedition I was a much better kite flyer, learning the tricks every day.
1. You have to know the nature of the wind, your greatest enabler before launching the flight.
2. You have to pull the string with the right intensity at the right time to set the flight.
3. You cannot care a penny about bloodied palms while flying a kite. That is routine. In fact, that is the motivator.
4. Never take your eyes off the kite however steady the flight is.
Four valuable lessons for a successful and enjoyable kite-flight.
Interestingly, they hold good for a successful relationship too. Hmm..intersting indeed.
