Unwanted princess??? No way, she is the darling of the family, cherubic cheeks, chinky eyes, two nostrils visible in place of nose. The grandmother teased lovingly "train went over her nose". While all laughed in unision. Aunt piped in, "God after creating the nose must have accidently wiped it off".
We stood watching, I wanted to stay longer but my charioteer was in a hurry, and with sound of "giddup", she made the horses run in high speed. She looked back at me and said, "If we keep waiting for so long everywhere, it will take a lifetime, you can't convert my chariot into a 'passenger train' which stops at every station and even without a station".
As our chariot sped I could see the little one crawling , then taking her first step, first day at school as she stood silently watching other children cry, or her first class prize. She seemed a well behaved, respectful soft spoken child, but a little lost in her own world. There again I caught a glimpse of her reading 'Noddy' with wonder. Developing her own notions from the books she read and the world she saw.
The horse needed to take a drink, my charioteer reluctantly stopped the chariot complaining, " Soon it will be nightfall, we will have to take halt for the night, I do not like such delays", as she took a swig of vodka from her hip pouch and lit her cigerette, with knitted brows stood waiting for the horse to finish drinking water. I could hardly pay attention to her, for all my focus was on the little girl.
There was her mother, a devout hindu lady questioning her, "Which God do you believe in?" The girl softly replied, with conviction inher voice, "The one God." I was amazed to have a child of 7 reply in this manner, but clearly the mother did not share my sentiments. She was upset, felt she did not impart the right religious values to her precious. She raised her voice as she scolded, "Nirgudi batein nahi kartey, itney devta hain, ek isht chun lo". The girl felt silent, and never repeated her religious beliefs but stuck to them.
As I was reminenscing, suddenly a loud voice jolted me to the present. My charioteer was exclaiming loudly, " You are such a boring company, not a word have you spoken". Let's make it fun, let's sing", as she started whistling and broke into a loud full throated song, " Yeh dosti, hum nahi chhodnge, todenge".I beamed and started singing with her shaking my head from side
to side.
We stood watching, I wanted to stay longer but my charioteer was in a hurry, and with sound of "giddup", she made the horses run in high speed. She looked back at me and said, "If we keep waiting for so long everywhere, it will take a lifetime, you can't convert my chariot into a 'passenger train' which stops at every station and even without a station".
As our chariot sped I could see the little one crawling , then taking her first step, first day at school as she stood silently watching other children cry, or her first class prize. She seemed a well behaved, respectful soft spoken child, but a little lost in her own world. There again I caught a glimpse of her reading 'Noddy' with wonder. Developing her own notions from the books she read and the world she saw.
The horse needed to take a drink, my charioteer reluctantly stopped the chariot complaining, " Soon it will be nightfall, we will have to take halt for the night, I do not like such delays", as she took a swig of vodka from her hip pouch and lit her cigerette, with knitted brows stood waiting for the horse to finish drinking water. I could hardly pay attention to her, for all my focus was on the little girl.
There was her mother, a devout hindu lady questioning her, "Which God do you believe in?" The girl softly replied, with conviction inher voice, "The one God." I was amazed to have a child of 7 reply in this manner, but clearly the mother did not share my sentiments. She was upset, felt she did not impart the right religious values to her precious. She raised her voice as she scolded, "Nirgudi batein nahi kartey, itney devta hain, ek isht chun lo". The girl felt silent, and never repeated her religious beliefs but stuck to them.
As I was reminenscing, suddenly a loud voice jolted me to the present. My charioteer was exclaiming loudly, " You are such a boring company, not a word have you spoken". Let's make it fun, let's sing", as she started whistling and broke into a loud full throated song, " Yeh dosti, hum nahi chhodnge, todenge".I beamed and started singing with her shaking my head from side
to side.
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