"Dui Shalik Pronam"

If you know what that means -- well, you surely come from my part of the country..

Yes, whether it was the school van, or the school corridors
or even later.. even now this happens sometime..

Shalik or  Indian Myna (yes, just checked on google) is a beautiful and quite popular bird..

Definitely quite common in Jalpaiguri, where i did my schooling..

To see a "pair" of shalik was considered lucky, and seeing one -- unlucky.

I don't know, when did we started believing this -- and it was everywhere.

Any time of the day, -- if we happened to see a pair of Shalik -- reflex action will be to say -- 'Dui Shalik Pronam".  (This means - do shaliko ko pranam - or paying respect to the two birds)

But thats not the problem.

The tricky situation is -- If by chance you see "One"?

you turn your eyes, and head to JUST spot another one!
Sometimes manoeuvre the sight, so that --both of them will be visible in a single frame!

And the surprise is, even now in Bangalore -- it happens -- when you see a shalik
 -- unknowingly (or sometimes knowingly) i find myself searching for the second one!

Here is the bird. (obviously in a pair) :)