Youngest Gatecrashers & A Wedding Anniversary

My parents added yet another 5 to their marriage date-05/05/05 after completing 5 years yesterday. Our earlier plan to head out to Nainital had to be shelved due to lack of time and my mom was certainly not happy about that.......Papa's promise to redeem it in some other form fell on deaf ears initially......but as the day progressed, my mom's mood began improving and in the evening we decided to go out for a family dinner. As my mom's phone isn't working anymore, my papa decided to buy her a new phone as her anniversary present. So, he took her to Chroma Store on the way; but too much of variety ended up confusing my mom......In the end, she decided to return after some online research on the currently available phones.......

Family dinners for us usually means dining at IKay's for their accommodating nature towards kids....Prying eyes don't follow kids every moment and we are good to be left alone to do our bit while elders eat their lunch/dinner......Yesterday, we found company in couple of other kids.....so four of us were doing "round and round" with ocassional fights......And, who else but me was the one who would beat the other two as and when they tried to bully my Rudra bhai.......

While everyone was busy having their dinner, two of us sneaked out. My papa was vigilant enough to take note of sudden silence and ran out to find us standing outside the door of the adjacent pub- with me talking to the tall and big bodied bouncer.......The bouncer jokingly asked us- "do you want to go inside" ......... "YES" was the loud answer; he wasn't expecting us to be so prompt with our reply.......As he was busy trying to figure out his reply, somebody opened the door to come out.......And, that was all we were were waiting for; we barged in even before they could come out.......leaving the couple and the bouncer smiling.........

With my both hands raised over my shoulders and my Rudra bhai by my side, we quickly hit the dance floor......the bouncer uncle allowed my papa to follow us......Our entry on the dance floor didn't go unnoticed to the boisterous crowd; and the entire attention shifted to two of us, infact three of us, as by then the third kid inside the Ikay's too joined us.........The DJ changed the song to

to make it little soft on our ears......We were indifferent to the song, as all we were interested in was to tap our feet. By them my Ashu chacha, Shikha chachee and mom too came in........As my papa wasn't carrying a camera, one of the guests handed his camera to my papa allowing him to capture the moments; ......moments that had to be cut short as we were quite late............Gatecrashing ended soon thereafter and the bouncer was all at smiles-very unusual sight to see them smile!

My papa is now waiting for the pictures to arrive on email; but for that guy's thoughtfulness; he would have lost an opportunity to capture something this great!

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Free For All!

Both, I and my Rudra bhai are relishing and making best use of our "free for all" days as we moved into our new house yesterday. With everyone busy doing something- firstly packing and now unpacking stuff/belongings; watchful eyes don't follow us like a shadow.......they peep in and out at fairly longish intervals; in between we get enough time to do stuff that we are good at- playing with mud-slush (after rain effect), run around everywhere, sneak out downstairs (new house is on first floor and they have not gotten used to bolting the door from inside), throw things around, eat anything that comes in our hands; the list just doesn't end; words do!.......

With such a huge list of available activities, a constant tussle is always on to outsmart the other and be on the driver seat. Net result is nothing but fights at regular intervals......few bites here and few there, one slap here and another there......And, despite my age, I am the one who gets to win most of these battles.......... with my Rudra bhai mostly at the receiving end.......However, after every such act, I have made it a habit to ask him- "Davayee (Hindi word for medicine used by me to ask him should I apply ointment?)........ But biting him on his hand and then asking him if he needs ointment are two separate and mutually exclusive acts ...It just happens that I am the one who is the doer of both!......

As my papa is writing this, I just did something that made him shout and laugh in quck succession......And, you know what I did?

Well, I just pulled my Rudra bhai's long hairs moving them in circles and singing "round and round-round and round".....until my Rudra bhai started shouting for help.......thus prompting my papa to shout at me........I quickly figured out that I am at fault so I went upto my papa and raising my right cheek, I said-"idhar maaro" meaning (slap me here)......my eyes were closed waiting for the imminent......Once, my left cheek's turn got over, I got down from the bed.....went upto our dressing table and started shouting again- "Davayee (meaning should I get you some ointment?)..........Although, all this was not meant to be a joke, but for some reason, it was good enough to make everyone burst into a laughter!

Now, what else would you expect from a eighteen month old......yes, turned eighteen months today!`

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Gaa-dee Hatt (गाडी हट)!

These days, गाडी हट (me telling a vehicle in front to give way to our car) is my favourite "phrase" when seated inside our moving car.....I say it whenever a vehicle in front obstructs my view of outside thus prompting me to ask for a right of way.....

This recent trend started on the day we were coming back from Dehradun after I noticed a big truck on the Delhi border. As I love trucks, I exclaimed "Truckkkkk" as soon as I saw a big one......with a smile on my face and fingers pointing in it's direction. However, my papa corrected me that it's not a truck but a concrete mixer..... Mixer?????- to which he replied Yess-mixer! And, my eyes started following it soon thereafter.....However, crazy Delhi monday morning traffic started obstructing my view of that mixer. I wasn't enjoying that obstruction and soon my patience caved in; I shouted "गाडी हट"- telling the vehicle in front to leave my view. Although my shouting wasn't of much help in improving my view but it has become a car riding ritual ever since!

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My Phone Conversations!

I love to talk on phone especially with my dada and dadee; here are excerpts of some of our conversations:

Me: Daaaadeeeeeee!
Dadee: Prishuu, kaisey ho (how are you?)
Me: Theek! Theek hooooo?? (I am fine, how are you?-both hands folded and lips on the phone screen (that's my way of saying hello to them over phone- always starts with a kiss)....
Dadee: Kuch khaya (have you eaten something?
Me: Aaaaann ( yes)
Dadee: Papa- mummy theek hain (How are your mom and dad?)
Me: Theek......(we were in the moving car)
Dadee: Car kaun chala raha hai (Who is driving)
Me: Aalooot (Alok is driving)
Me: Daadaaaajeee (meaning want to talk to Dadajee)
Dadajee: Prishuuuuuu kaisey ho
Me: (Repeating my folded hands and kiss routine)...theek...aap theek?
Me: Doon.....Lion.....meaning I want to go to Dehradun and see the Lion (there is a painting of a Lion and a cub that I have developed a liking for during my recent visit)
Me: Aalooot doon jaana...(Alok take me to Dehradun)...

And the conversation is stuck at my insistence of being taken to Dehradun!

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My Latest Dehradun Trip

I was in Dehradun (or “Doon” as that’s how I call it) making good old blogger to wait for this post……came back yesterday morning only after a quick-fire visit to Doon after leaving Gurgaon on the evening of Saturday. Actually, my papa was supposed to leave in the morning but he didn’t because of a head-ache. We decided to accompany him only after he failed to postpone his meetings by a week- mom didn’t want him to travel alone late hours.

We reached Cheetal Grand around 8 pm; in fact we were the last ones to leave the Hotel allowing my papa to do what he is good at- build a rapport with strangers…..and, this time it was none other than the hotel owner himself; common Uttarakhand roots helped.

While my papa was busy chatting up with the Hotel owner, I decided to take a tour of the place……saw various species of birds, fishes and also posed for a photo atop an antique Triumph……here are few photographs….







We left Cheetal Grand after spending close to an hour at the place……. reached Dehradun at around 12.30 in the night. My waiting dada and dadee embraced me as soon as we reached our home……..Seven hours of travelling wasn’t enough to tire me and I began inspecting all the rooms…….running from one room to other. My dada and dadee felt that I have grown in height. They felt happy to see me after more than a month….....My tired papa went to sleep soon afterwards; however I had completely different plans…….and kept everyone else awake till 4 am, playing with them…..

Next morning started bit earlier than usual; and I continued from where I had left in the night or early morning, so to speak…….Now was the time to inspect outdoors; so took a tour of the entire lawn, vegetable garden and the perimeter wall…………but what attracted me most was the kid pool that my dada and dadee got constructed for us……….My dada found it difficult to rein in my natural instincts to get inside the water but per my mom’s advice he didn’t let me get in as water was very cold- my mom has still not started giving me cold water baths….crazy moms, you know!

I must say that the pools looks great for us……I kept going towards it at regular intervals and my papa didn’t forget to get his camera work this time…….here are some pictures….


You know that beauty of being in Dehradun is that you can actually feel the time walk with you at your own pace unlike Delhi- it keeps running ahead of you in Delhi, you know……….We were so engrossed with our time that by the time we realized, day was all over…………Even our earlier plan to go and watch circus had to be shelved as the tickets were available only for a 9pm show……. As we had to leave for Delhi next morning at 4; my papa promised to bring me to Dehradun again for that circus show……We went to bed little earlier than usual and left for Gurgaon at 4 am as planned…….to join that mad Delhi race again!

Let me end this post with a picture that sums up my Dehradun trip best- me laughing out loud....

Have you noticed my tummy?

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