Taare

I am talking about Radhika Jonty Anu and the special Malvika , these were my society kids while I was in Bombay for one year. We used to play Ring-a-Roses, Lock and key Chain, Chain Chain, and it was the first thing for which I would come back from office on time before they would head back to their homes for dinner.

They are the "cutest" reason for which I miss Bombay so much.

The bubbliest of them all, most talkative, always giggling and really cute ,Radhika, was short and would just, almost, reach my waist. Jonty was the smallest, light weight, with one front teeth missing. Anu was chubby, and golu molu, always smiling. And Malvika, she was different, with whom no one would play, because she was different than others, she walked, talked, smiled differently, and she was the dearest of them all to me.

They have made me sit and listen to their songs, see their dance which they have prepared for a society show and listen to their gossips, resolve their fights. But before all this actually began, I had to bribe them with chocolates and Gems so as not to call me "Uncle" anymore, which they used to, anytime they wanted a chocolate from me.

There have been times when I have been completely moved by their sweetness, their simplicity, the depth of their thoughts. I just loved being with them, pamper them, play with them and be the Den almost everyday in "Lock and key chain".

One day Radhika she looked at the Flat Number vs Owners Name chart in the apartment's lobby and asked :
"Which one is your flat bhaiya ?" . I replied "304" .
"But this is not your name na bhaiya?" . "Yeah Radhika I live in someone else's flat".
"Ohh to aap rent par rehte ho, fir to aap ek din chale jaoge yaha se."
(So you live in a rented flat, that means you would leave us and go somewhere else one day)

Just before leaving Bombay I brought a gift for each of them, for Radhika I got a story book and a small stuff toy key chain, which was cute looking but not as cute as her. I wrote my cell number and email address behind the story book, and she said, I know yeh computer waala address hai na, main aapko email karungi.

Jonty , as soon as he sees me, he would stand still, with his head tilted to one side and both arms raised straight in the air pointing towards me. With a sweet smile on his face, and an expression which silently asks me to pick him up in my arms, he says just one word "Bhaiyyaaa .....". I used to pick him up from right underneath his arms and move him in circles with his legs in air and me rotating with him in center.

He picked up the funkiest hotwheels car from the gifts bag, before anyone else could even lay hand on it.

Anu was a good dancer, and the chubbiest of them all. She was always smiling and pretended to be the Daadi Maa of them all, even mine. I took lots of videos of them dancing, singing, and doing crazy stuff. Anu would always take hold of my blackberry and Radhika would capture my cellphone. So one day Radhika threatened me that she would delete all their pics and videos from my cellphone, to which Anu immediately stopped her and said, "agar tum pics aur videos delete kar dogi, to bhaiya humko yaad kaise karenge."
She did not took my gift directly, but asked me to give it to her small 4 yr old cousin. She feared her mom so much, that she thought her mother would kill her for accepting the gift and actually bringing it home.

Malvika - My Real Taara. She would always complain to me "Ye log na mere saath khelte nahi hai." . And then I used to ask each one of them to treat her normally like other kids, and play with her, so it was always me and her vs others. On one Sunday, I was watching them race, and Malvika was among the last finisher every time or she would not even start sometimes. I picked her up and we defeated the all time winner Tushar by a huge margin. From that day onwards, WE never lost even a single race against them.

She asked for a kitchen set, but I could only find a barbie makeup set for her. The happiness I saw on her face, was the reason I wanted to give them all something from my side.

If you wonder why I am writing this on my blog today, suddenly, out of no where. I have just returned home after watching "Taare Zameen Par". I was absolutely quiet for many hours after watching the movie, and shed a few tears while riding back home. It has been a great emotional experience, bringing back so many good memories and times that I would like to cherish forever.

I love you kids.

Here is a video of Anu and Radhika :