Aaj Ke Taare

This incident took place a couple of days back. One of our family friends came to our place. One uncle-aunty and their four year old son Aryan (After SRK's son's name- it has become popular I guess) ... So, I got into conversation with this kid with usual questions like - "Beta, aapka naam kya hai?”. "Aap kaunsi class mein padhte ho?" .. And the other regular ones.

Then came a shock with one of the questions! In order to test his English, I asked him “What is your name?" And the reply he gave - "Bhaiya, I just told you a couple of minutes ago. Why r u asking again?" ...Bang!!! A tsunami hit me (Still I wonder who put that extra 't' in that word).. Well coming to the point ... My conversation with him continued in English hence forth.

Then I just asked him casually - "Beta, aap jab mummy-papa se , teachers se aur school mein bhi English mein hi baat karte ho. Aapne hindi kyun seekhi? " And he replied - "Mummy has asked me to talk to our Bai (housemaid) in Hindi" ... (Suddenly I picturized myself as Raamu Kaka serving Aryan baba )... I asked him "Tell me what do u do on a typical day?”... "After coming from school, I do my home-work. I goto Karate Classes then Painting Classes / Guitar classes on alternate days. Then I play on my PS2 and I goto sleep”.... (Flashback - I remembered myself playing on street with cricket bat made of a old broken wooden box plank ... My mother holding and stretching my ears ..'Aaja saara cricket aaj hi khilaun tujhe, home work kaun karega ... chal ghar chal -'naas ki jadd' :-) ....

Dunno what struck me but I felt bad for him .As if his freedom had been taken from him. Maybe it is good for his future, but I feel that it has made him 'soft' physically and mentally. For me, children should run in park, play cricket... fall on ground. Get bruised...get up again and hit the next ball even harder...And if u dont want to talk to them in their mother-tongue... Talk to them in French... U see France has better 'things' that ur child can appreciate later in his life ;-)