Asha and I would often talk about the kinds of clothes we used to wear or types of clothes we liked when we were small.

For the first four years of my primary school, I was in shorts, no matter what. Throughout the four seasons, regardless of how cold it was outside, you could not find me wearing any long trousers.

The shorts that I would wear were made of cotton, very short to a point that you can see most of my legs.

The reason for my peculiar determination to be in shorts was, for one, my desire to stand out in this big group of kids in a school, and two, to show that I was strong and healthy to my fellow classmates, all through my fashion.

If someone had asked me whether I wasn’t freezing, I would outright shut them down. But given how I my thighs showed good signs of chilblains, it was obvious that my response was a display of empty pride.

There were three of us short-trouser lads in the class, all with their empty pride intact. Come winter, it became somewhat of a class competition to see whether any one of us may give in to the temptation of a long pair.

I thought about the type of mix&match I would do with a pair of shorts to which I came up with short trousers with short socks, a turtleneck, a pile-lined hooded jumper, and a knit cap. Looking at my tragic ensemble of super-cold bottom and super-warm top, my mom would often laugh and say that I looked like a boiled egg standing with two toothpicks.

“So what made you decide to wear a long pair of pants?”

Asha was cracking up at my childhood story and asked when she finally calmed down.

“One day, a new denim shop opened in a local high street. That was the first time I discovered a long pair of jeans which just looked so cool. The only reason that I was persistent about wearing a short pair was to stand out in class, to look cool. But when I discovered this even cooler pair of denim jeans, my obsession for shorts just went out the door.”

“But being a sore loser, I didn’t want to lose in our shorts competition, so I suggested that we make a pact and pick a date when we all stop wearing shorts and put on denims jeans.”

“That sounds so silly but cute,” said Asha, still laughing.

“I can still remember. I think it was February 1. All three of us who always wore shorts suddenly showed up wearing denim jeans. Everyone, including the teachers, were surprised. But we were very proud.”

When I put on the denims for the first time, I was amazed at how warm it was. Then I saw how cool I looked in the mirror as it went so beautifully with the pile-lined hooded jumper.

“So I went from being a boiled egg with toothpicks to a stylish lad.”

“You know, I actually have a similar episode…,” said Asha.