The Dreadmill!

Dear Maa,

For a change I decide to write something myself.

Ever since this thing you call treadmill, came in our home and lives, I have witnessed all possible actions on it saving the ONE action it is meant to do! I mean I get to climb on it, invite some of my toys as well (despite your continuous disapproval). Oh! save me the 'no no's; don't you see I am just trying to help.

Once you see me on it at all times, you'll remember that the treadmill is around for use! But you don't seem to get the hint. Then I get all blatant and say "mama karegaa slowly slowly walk!" To which your ready excuse to yourself is "I will; once Aarshabh sleeps" which, you should know by now ... happens quite rarely! I mean you need to jam it in the schedule with me MOM! My last resort is "Babu karegaa slowly slowly walk" which gets you all anxious and your "Nos" become louder and firmer.

So today, when Mamu came over for our boys evening, I told him "Babu karegaa slowly slowly walk" He gladly obliged, and put me on the treadmill, switched the button on, and there ... I walked effortlessly on it!

Wow! The experience, I can not even begin to describe, but what I can describe is the look on your face ... horrified, stupified, astounded, dumbfounded! I know if it wasn't for Mamu, you would have had me off the thing even before it started.

So mom, take a chill pill and get on with it!!!!!

Love

Aarshabh.

To my son,

honestly I was scared to see you walking on the treadmill, but I trust Mamu so I knew you'd be safe.

I get the hint, will follow your lead and really 'get on with it'!

Thanks for inspiring me my love :-)

Putra ki Abhilaasha

Every morning, on the Guargaon Faridabad road, that takes us into Phase I, on our way to TARA - my son follows a routine.

He looks out of the rear glass of the car and scrutinizes the traffic carefully until he spots something, and he claps effervescently and shouts "itane saare oto (Auto with a very heavily rounded o sound) riksaa!"

What follows next is "Oto riksaa chalaayegaa babu!"
Then he looks out again, the scrutiny continues ....
"Truck chalaayegaa babu"

The he says with finality "Snowplough truck chalaayega babu"

Oho! ab inse snow plough truck chalwaane ke liye mujhe kahan jaana hoga?????

My first ever movie theater experience

So last evening mummy took you for a movie outing. It was supposed to be a movie outing for mummy and Neha masi, but you needed to come ... well we need a man right, as chaperon ;)

I was anxious, have never done this before, never taken you out in the evening, once Papa and I tried and you cried so much because you didn't quite appreciate so much darkness. This time Nidhi masi was so keen we came, she was so eager to meet you, that I gave it a shot (with fingers crossed)

You were pretty cool about getting ready for ghoomi ghoomi in the evening, insisting on "mama passi jaayega babu" (this is what happens when Punjab meets Bihar - I mean passi and babu??????!!!!!)

Alright my little monkey, cling with me as much as you want, just don't get anxious and cry. Well you were happy that your usual partner Neha masi was also going. In the car, half way through the journey between Gurgaon to Delhi, you were bored with the music and insisted "Ghar jaayegaa babu" So we changed the channel, and kept hoping the radio guys go on playing your favorite numbers, Masi was quite a pro at that - being the jockey i.e.

Thanks to Neha who has way better orientation to places than I do, we reached the venue on time. You took well to the mall, unlike another time sometime ago when as we entered the mall you started howling, getting all stiff and red in the face causing both Papa and me heart attack and we had to come right back.

Infact you were very comfortable with all the lights and people. You were shy (as usual - N-31 trade mark) when you met Nidhi masi at first, and Nani, and Mamu but when you saw Harit, you were happy and shouted "baby passi jaayegaa babu".

It all began in the theater - for the first 5 minutes you sat on your seat like a well behaved child, and then the restlessness started to set in. You were repeating every SINGLE dialogue to the best of your ability. Then you wanted to explore the place. So you hopped off the chair and no amount of mummy's barricading the way with her leg, bag whatever else she could find would stop you.

And so the expedition began, mummy watched most of the movie hopping from one step to the next, holding Aarshabh's hand echoing his 'step down' from the top most step to the last one. We must have done some 100 ish rounds. And yes we even went to the fron row where you chose to break into a dance on the background score, thanks to all the floor lights giving it a disco effect. You stopped by every floor light, explored it in every possible way, touch, bang, hide, chaaaaa, circling it and constantly uttering a running commentary.

You also plunged into the garbage bin which was quietly standing in the side trying so hard not to attract you, and as I pulled you away from the bin saying "chee dirty hai" you broke into a never ending "chee chee chee kya kar diya maasi nein" You continued chanting your chee chee song along the rows, ensuring every one got to know 'kya kar diyaa masi nein"

Then you decided it was time for some academic work so you looked at each alphabet along the rows and started saying "A for apple, B for foot ball, C for cat - cat kaise boltee hai --- meaaooown, D for rita Didi, E for elephant - hathi raaja bohot bade ...and the poem) F for ..... and right up till Z there were alphabtes for which you didn't have names so you used intelligent fillers like H for Mamta didi, N for anima didi, L for Anjali aunty etc.

Completely disregarding an exhausted mother aching to focus on the movie, it was numbers time. And you went on a random number naming spree using words like 'untalis, paintalis, chhabis" etc.

Masi and Rita didi did come to my rescue from time to time, but mostly you wanted 'mama passi'.

I was happy to be with you because the movie was clearly not for you, very loud at some times and violent at other times. Each time anybody would scream, I'd hide you in my arms. Twice I had to take you out of the hall, but thank God you were so engrossed on your exploration that you were oblivious.

When I took you out, you just sprinted in the corridor not ONCE turning to look out for me, as though the whole place belonged to you!

I was telling Nidhi masi - "he seriously wanted to ensure that the money you invested in making this event successful is utilized well, so he enjoyed every moment of it".

I mean you were at it till the end, the movie ended at 11.30 and there was still no stopping you.

The only good it did was that once home, one did not require any effort to get you to sleep, you dozed off the minute you hit the bed and mama had to change your clothes while you slept peacefully.

But I must admit, it was extremely tiring for mama, and mama couldn't really focus on the movie. Even then, it was a good movie and Mama thoroughly enjoyed seeing you have so much fun.

I wish G could have been here. (But I told him every thing about it and he really laughed).

Gaur-e-talab hai what Sushant mamu said "it was such a pleasure watching him through out the movie, no marks for guessing he is your son, possesses the same spirit and chirpy enthusiasm like you possessed back in school".

And I grin being the proud mother. Iss par aapke Naanu kehte

"maa par poot, pitaa par ghodaa
bohot nahin toh thodaa thoaa"

My son is all grown up!

So we struggled this morning waking him up for Tara.
So he resented every routine ... brushing, bathing, eating ...EVERY THING!
But we just went on with the rigmarole completely disregarding tantrums.
In the car when he saw all his attempts failing, he did what he resorts to as his brahmastra (yeah Honey! I know all about it, I've seen it before, Neha masi grew up right under my nose ... and ... well it takes one to know one!!)

Well he started coughing with so much effort, khouwn khouwn as though inviting the khansi kaa devtaa to come to his rescue. Which, the silly Devtaa obliged and with enormous generosity. Aarshabh threw up right there in the car! All over himself and me.

(Oh! Shit!!!) I instructed the driver to take a u turn back home, we were almost near Tara when this happened. On the journey back, I called school to say I will take the day off, need to focus on battling with this lingering cold and cough both us mother and son are struggling with. Aarshabh's medicines are running out, need to get more from Delhi.

So as we reached our apartment building, I was thinking my boy is so uncomfortable with all this wet and sticky stuff around him but no .... he shouted "Yeah! ghar aa gaya!" I looked at him with amazement, normally people throw a fuss with all the mess .... but this guy is so thrilled to get home that he was happy to go up without me with Rita didi.

I dropped him and left straight for the medicine shop. When I returned, I was a little anxious - my poor son must be cranky, anxious, crying for mummy.

I opened the door to see this chilled out guy with Rita's mobile in hand and swinging away to Chaskaa chaskaa

I mean what was that supposed to mean!!!!!!!

My first serious scratch

Last week while playing 'Fountain in the mountain' you fell down and got up sporting a huge red patch of blood clot. You whined a little at first but got busy with the outdoor yet again, and my heart started bleeding.

Back home, my hands were trembling when I was applying dettol to cotton and was so nervous to clean your knee. I prayed to God and started reciting Hanuman chalisaa (however much I know) loudly so you could get distracted by the chant. And with shaking hands and tear filled blurred eyes, I put the cotton near your knee, and then with one swift attempt - on the bruise. You cried loud and I cried with you. I am sorry you got hurt.

It kills me to see you in pain. The other time I could not contain myself was last December when you were hospitalized owing to extremely high fever and they were making a prick for inserting the cannula. Normally I am very strong as I feel I need to give you all my strength when I am asked to hold you, your hand etc, but this time I was asked to step out - and God, even as I write this, my eyes well up ... turning away from your child who is communicating so much through his eyes is the most difficult thing to do. I just stood behind the door trembling, wiping my tears and praying to God to help you go through this.

I don't think I am as good a mother to you as you are a son. I feel I could not provide you the best start, I am still struggling to provide you all that I want to.

I just wish I am able to do justice to the amount of love you have filled my life with.

Now I end this teary eyed emotional drama with a little song :-)

Aansun tere niklein dil meraa roye,
chot lage tujhko to dard mujhe hoye,
tere zakhmon pe apnee zubaan rakh doon,
aa meri jaan main tujh mein apni jaan rakh doon!

You are the bested baby in the whole universe!

So you are learning to throw your weight around

This new thing you've started doing these days when in company of young children (your peers).

If you take a liking for a child, you just go and sit in their lap regardless of the fact that they are old enough to accommodate you.

You go and hug in such enthusiasm that the poor other child is knocked over and you fall all over them.

You treat your peers like dolls, you pull them by the legs while sitting, cuddle them, squeeze them like they were a soft toy and sprawl all over them.

Mrs Ahmed from Tara says its all very normal because you are finally recognizing your presence and getting a grip on life.

Your dad is always hyper and nervous and wants to know why his son is becoming a bully to which I reassure him that you are not being a bully just playful.

And before making complaints, I feel people need to see that you are definitely in need of more daddy time, which could perhaps be the balancing effect. Mummy is very nicely wrapped around your little finger.

It would be so nice if your dad could be there for you too.

Would make mummy's job far less challenging and help mummy be far more chilled out!