Landmark for N. For the first time yesterday she managed to tell us she had done the big job!
Fancy dress in the middle of illness – N
It’s been a bad month. We’ve taken turns to fall ill for the last three weeks.
But we’re kindered spirits and we bounce back pretty soon. Being ill didn’t mean we stopped having fun. For starters there was the fancy dress contest. Oh we had loads of fun. Bhai finally did go as Lalu. He was so excited he walked on stage (with mama) much before his cue. The announcer who was saying ‘here is the man who likes to keep people waiting’ ended up looking a little foolish because bhai was already there!! So she shooed him away backstage till she finished her introduction speech and then he made a grand re-entry.
But we’re kindered spirits and we bounce back pretty soon. Being ill didn’t mean we stopped having fun. For starters there was the fancy dress contest. Oh we had loads of fun. Bhai finally did go as Lalu. He was so excited he walked on stage (with mama) much before his cue. The announcer who was saying ‘here is the man who likes to keep people waiting’ ended up looking a little foolish because bhai was already there!! So she shooed him away backstage till she finished her introduction speech and then he made a grand re-entry.
Then it was my turn and mama handed over bhai to her friend right in front of the stage and ran back for me. I went as a fairy princess. Mama did make wings for me. She tried to make me wear my dress at home but I went crazy trying to look at my wings. Since they were on my back it was quite a struggle to look at them… imagine having something really exciting stuck to your back! Anyway. so off came the dress. I got to wear it barely five minutes before my stage appearance.
All those bright lights were a bit daunting and I felt a little lost though mama was right behind me. Then I heard all the aunties calling out my name and I grew comfortable. Just as I was beginning to enjoy myself the announcer aunty said ‘a big round of applause for this little fairy princess’ and mama was marching me off the stage.
So that was our first stage appearance.
Namaste! – H
Hey I can do ‘namaste’ and can also shake hands. Here’s another good one – The other day Papa asked N ‘mama pittu kaise karti hai?’ and she promptly whacked herself on the cheek. That has sent mama into such deep guilt that she’s been spending days trying to teach N – ‘mama N ko kitna pyar karti hai’? and then N should open her hands wide and say ‘itna’. But the ususally sharp N is being unusually obtuse and is just refusing to learn to do it. Personally I think she’s just trying to bug mama.
Ganapati bappa is coming! – N
Yessss!!! Ganapati bappa is here… gosh you should see the celebration to believe it. Mumbai is so decked up it’s fun. We’ve never seen so many lights everywhere… it’s like Diwali. Our society has this awesome Ganapti idol. While we were down for our evening playtime today some guys started drumming huge dhols. Bhai couldn’t help rocking in time with the beats and I did an impromptu jig (which obviously mama recorded!). We didn’t want to go up at all but mama and Sophia didi dragged us away because it was dinner time. There will be lots of contests and dances and plenty of music till visarjan. I think I LOVE the dhol best.
The high point for us is the fancy dress contest which we will be participating in. Mama is soooooo excited. I am dressing up like a fairy princess. I have a white jhanky dress which I’ll wear, I’ll get to hold a wand with a star, and if mama can make them, then I’ll also have wings. As for bhai mama is trying to decide between whether he should go as Laloo Yadav (which is very easy – White kurta pajama, pwder in hair, toy train in hand) or as a Pandit ji. Someone suggested we should go as Motu Patlu but mama said bhai will never forgive her if she makes him ‘Motu’. Besides she has a personal problem with bhai being called ‘motu’.
The good and the bad – H
I’ve got two things to tell you guys – one good and the other not so good. I’ll go with the good one first – I received my very own first letter – addressed to me. The letter came from Poorva didi with my rakhi, only she addressed it to ‘Hrig’ Singh and the address wasn’t too accurate but the important thing is that the letter found me! It made me feel all grown up. I’ve asked mama to write back to Poorva didi and thank her for me.
Now for the not so good one… you know how aunties are ….. when they meet us for the first time… they think
1) they must comment on the fact that we are twins and
2) the comment must have something to do with the fact that we don’t look alike.
Well mama is used to the regular ones like ‘Wow how lucky’ and ‘a boy and a girl in one shot, great’. But this aunty was a bit too much. She came up with ‘N’s so thin, H behen ka sara khana kha jaata hai, he he he!!!’ Not funny at all, I thought. Mama wasn’t amused either and she consoled me saying that she had to put up with the same comment all her life because masi was so thin. And what’s even funnier nani says nanu had to bear with it too as she was stick thin. Weird how people don’t tire of coming up with the same thaka hua lines through generations and still expect people to laugh at them.
PS
Nani also promptly told mama ‘H ko nazar lag jayegi’. So much for progress…humph!