We decide to go out for a walk. I say [all conversations in Marathi] 'let us go out, are you coming with me?'
Our young lady just nods her head, she is very pleased. She takes out her pair of sandals and tries putting her feet in it. She is not good at it, she struggles but does not ask for help, so I volunteer to help. She is now ready.
A flying kiss to her grandma and then we are in the lift. She says ‘khaali, khaali’ [down] to the liftman who understands and obliges by pressing 'L' button.
We come out, the watchman waves and says ‘Good morning mhan, baby’ [Say Good Morning, Baby]. She just smiles at him.
‘Pijaan payje, bhu bhu payje’ [show me a pigeon and a dog] she orders. ‘Okay, I will get them in front of you.’ I say.
There are plenty of pigeons and stray dogs in the vicinity. She runs after a pigeon. ‘What is he doing?’ I ask her. ‘Danaa, danaa’ [grains] she says and signals that he is eating it. She moves closer, and pigeon flies away. She watches pigeon fly away. This surprises her. But it does not disappoint her.
The dog is another story. She stays away from the dog. Instinctively she knows that it is safe to stay away. Dogs also have not discovered this lovely lady so far. So it suits her.
Now she spots a crow perched on a tree nearby.
‘Kau, kau’ she mimics. Crows go about the business in their own way. Then she draws my attention to another crow. This is a smaller one is sitting on a small branch above the first crow. ‘Tyacha baal aahe?’ [Is that his baby?’] she asks me. I nod saying yes. She smiles at this father and daughter [or son?] duo in the crow family.
We move ahead and see a red car. She inspects it closely. Her dad has a red car too. Then she concludes that it was not her dad’s car. I do not know how she came to this conclusion, but she was right.
She spots an aeroplane. ‘Bimaan, bimaan’ she shouts. Yes she is right again; I too spot an aeroplane in the sky. Machines seem to be of interest to her, the site of a flying machine excites her.
‘Thelithopther’ [Helicopter] she says, perhaps she is enquiring why it is not there up in the sky. Every day Singhanias fly a helicopter at about 11 am to reach Raymonds in Thane, she has seen it many times. But they are obviously unaware of this little admirer of their asset. ‘Thelithopther’ [Helicopter] she shouts now, demanding to see one. Pigeons, Crows are not enough; a helicopter is what she wants to see.
For the first time, I feel bad about not owning a helicopter! The price of a helicopter would far exceed my lifetime earnings!! So I tell her ‘Udyaa, balaa, udyaa’ [I will show you one tomorrow, baby]. I know I will have to say this to many of her demands.
We return home. ‘Aajoba, Thelithopther, udyaa’ [Grandfather will show me a helicopter tomorrow] she tells her grandmother.
My young lady is cheerful, lives in the present and so optimistic, taking words of her grandpa to be true. She thinks her grandpa will make her every wish come true.
Her grandpa is rooted in the past, regretting that he is unable to fulfil many a desire of his grand-daughter, though he does not take her helicopter remarks seriously, it just makes him pensive once again battling with his dilemma: whether he failed or succeeded in life.
Rising and Setting stars see the two different worlds indeed!
Vivek
