2nd October - Kuhu's observations

2nd October as we know is Mahatma Gandhi's bday. So the newspapers today had a lot of advertisements on the occassion.

While I was reading the newspaper, Kuhu - my lil girl, joined me and sat on my lap. As I read the different columns, Kuhu was drawn towards the big size ads dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. The first things she exclaimed was - ' mama I think I know this old man." Curiously I asked "How do u know him, he is dead and gone a long time back?". " I think I see him in my EVS book." pat came the answer. "Well", I thought to myself, " not bad, not bad at all". So the next question was "Why is he all over the newspaper?" So I have to explain to her that he is the father of the nation and so everyone is paying their regards to him through advertisements. So Kuhu observation is "I think if you die everyone wishes you in the newspaper".

I thought that was going to be it. But Kuhu's curiosity got the better of me. "Why isn't he wearing any clothes? Was he very poor to buy clothes?" What do I tell a 4 year old about the ways of the Mahatma! I was like "See he is wearing clothes". "Alright, Okay!" replied Kuhu very displeased with my response.

Moving on to the next page was a birthday greeting for Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri. Sure enough Kuhu was curious to know who this guy was? So I promptly told him about Lal Bahadur Shastri ji. You bet the question was "Who is he and is it his bday too?!" An easy question I thought but the following was "Is he alive or dead?! and then it was "he looks old but why isn't he wearing spectacles?!" Having answered her question to the best of my ability, I was relieved that we reached the last page of the newspaper and that was it !

So Kuhu goes to wake up Sumit. She thought he won't know that today is Gandhiji's & Lal Bahadur Shastri's birthday, so she shares her gyana with Sumit. Poor kid! forgets about Shastri ji so comes back and asks me to whisper her the other name.

Few mins later, my neighbour calls upon us to invite Kuhu to her son's birthday at 5pm. "So Ayush bhaiya is the third person to have a bday today!" announces Kuhu and off she goes out to play with the children.

2 Oct 2010

New Delhi