I am sitting with Shourya, son of the didi who feeds us, in my room. He is fidgeting with my books and has picked up Linda Goodman's Sun Signs (what!? Are you judging me? i don't like that smirk on your face! Fine, smirk). He asks me, "Nitesh bhaiyya, ye padne ki kitaab hai?" (Nitesh bro, is this a book to be read?) For me it is a silly question and so, i answer sarcastically, "Arrey, nahi! Yeh toh sungne ki kitaab hai. ek-ek page kholke isko sunga jaata hai." (oh, no! This is a smelling book. we must open the pages one by one and smell them) What happens next is unexpected:
He begins to open the pages, one by one, smell the page and turn over to the next one! He has been doing it for two pages when i add to the rather sadistic humour and say to him, "jin jin page mein jyaada likha ho, un page ko zyaada sungna padta hai."
Just as innocently he believed that it was indeed a book to be smelled, he now opens a page with full text and sticks his nose to the page for a couple of extra seconds. It is a very cute moment (why are you smirking again? Can i NOT find stuff cute? or is it that i can NOT use the word cute?). But i realise that i am making fun of his innocence (or, his trust in my knowledge of things?). I quickly tell him that i am kidding and it to be read, like all other books, and not smelled. Despite the innocence while smelling the last 3-4 pages, he quickly realises his foolishness and slams the book shut and pastes a sheepish grin on his face.
"Ullu ban gaya re babaaaa," i say, Paresh Rawal style. (Oh, you got fooled!)
His smile remains.
PS- i am Nitish bhaiyya, not Nitesh bhaiyya. Just saying.
He begins to open the pages, one by one, smell the page and turn over to the next one! He has been doing it for two pages when i add to the rather sadistic humour and say to him, "jin jin page mein jyaada likha ho, un page ko zyaada sungna padta hai."
Just as innocently he believed that it was indeed a book to be smelled, he now opens a page with full text and sticks his nose to the page for a couple of extra seconds. It is a very cute moment (why are you smirking again? Can i NOT find stuff cute? or is it that i can NOT use the word cute?). But i realise that i am making fun of his innocence (or, his trust in my knowledge of things?). I quickly tell him that i am kidding and it to be read, like all other books, and not smelled. Despite the innocence while smelling the last 3-4 pages, he quickly realises his foolishness and slams the book shut and pastes a sheepish grin on his face.
"Ullu ban gaya re babaaaa," i say, Paresh Rawal style. (Oh, you got fooled!)
His smile remains.
PS- i am Nitish bhaiyya, not Nitesh bhaiyya. Just saying.
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