Story 9: Tamatar Tinku’s Big Blunder

It was a bright Sunday morning in Sabzi Nagar, and Tamatar Tinku was bubbling with excitement. “I’ve decided,” he announced at the nukkad, “I will become the town photographer! I have perfect red cheeks and a sharp eye for detail.”

“Do you even have a camera?” asked Bindi Bai, suspiciously.

“Almost,” grinned Tinku, holding up a cardboard box with a bottle cap glued to it. “It’s a work-in-progress.”

“Beta,” said Aloo Amma, raising one brow. “That’s a dabba.”

“It’s a vision, Amma,” said Tinku dramatically.

But Tinku didn’t give up. He borrowed Bhutta Bhaiyya’s old phone (which only worked when kicked gently), tied it to a stick, and declared it his “Tripotato.”

He set off to click everyone’s “natural expressions.”

Trouble began quickly.

• He caught Bindi Bai mid-yawn with her hairnet on.

• He clicked Mithu Mango just as he was secretly sniffing his own armpits.

• And worst—he caught Bhutta Bhaiyya flossing his teeth with a corn husk!

By the end of the day, half of Sabzi Nagar was chasing him with belans, umbrellas, and rolling pins.

“But I was capturing truth!” cried Tinku, running in zig-zags.

“We’ll give you truth!” yelled Bindi Bai, throwing a slipper like a ninja star.

Mithu Mango finally stopped him near the banyan tree. “Tinku, photography is not just about clicking. It’s about timing, permission, and not making your friends look like goblins.”

“Oh…” said Tinku. “I thought it was about being sneaky.”

They all sighed.

To make up, Tinku printed the most flattering picture he’d taken (which was actually of Aloo Amma looking heroic with her ladle) and gifted it to her.

She smiled. “You’re still a laal topa, but you have potential.”

Moral: Capturing memories is great—but always respect others’ space, and never click someone while they’re flossing!