It’s school time for Arya - 1

(This is an article I wanted to write in July but have written and posted it now.)

Preface – Expect the unexpected.

I was in the middle of my busy work day when I got an SMS from Arya’s would-be play-school, and quite unexpectedly, I felt a slight twinge in my heart. What? So soon??!!!

I was aware that the school would send some communication to parents few days before it starts. The message was to inform parents about an orientation meeting and its date. Parents would get to know the teachers, get the allotted school bags for kids, have their kids measured for uniforms, etc.

I have spent most of the last month telling Arya - ‘Sonu, ata school aahe pudhcha mahinya pasun. Tu janal na?’ (He had no idea but replied.) ‘Haaa’

Yet I felt a little sad when I got the SMS. It was because now my baby who would stay home for the whole day playing around had grown up just a tiny bit. He would be leaving home for few hours and not be around us. I curtailed this emotion with thoughts like - it is just playschool, it is only for a few hours, and I didn’t even need to send him there every day!

I attended the orientation meeting with Arya, wondering how he would take it, cause he hadn’t been away from home without one of us around. When we entered the compound, we saw some bikes for kids. Arya sat on a green one that was the most attractive. Since then I didn’t have to bother looking at him for the rest of my time there!

He didn’t come upstairs with me to the meeting. Other teachers kept an eye on kids playing in the compound. I was proved wrong. He didn’t mind being around other kids if there are enough bikes around. The meeting lasted for 1.5 hour and I was worried - What if he falls? What if someone pushes him? What if he wants me and couldn’t find me? I came down to see Arya happily playing on the same bike! He didn’t even want us to go back home… I had to drag him out!

 

To be continued…

Do we still believe that there's good in the world!!!!

I drive a cool TVS Scooty Pep+ to my office every day. Suddenly I noticed that the headlights of the bike weren't working at all. I wondered when I could take it for servicing. So I am still using it without headlights.

Usually I leave my office at 7.30pm or so... and it gets pretty dark outside. I still had to take the risk of riding the bike home (it’s just 10 minutes away if I take the national highway). And just within 2 minutes of my slow and careful drive on NH4, I noticed that 2 guys were following me on a bike.

Well it started like this. I overtook them from my left and I think that triggered it. Girls know that most guys have this fear that if a girl overtakes their vehicle, they wouldn’t be able to show their face to the world :)

Well so these guys began driving exactly parallel to me, slowing down when I did and accelerating when I sped up. I didn't know what to do... the pillion rider was staring at me and talking to the driver. It was scary and weird. It's not that it was the first time this happened, but then I had options to drive the way I want. This time it was not so since I had 0 lights and was forced to drive slow. I was hoping that the busy signal ahead (8 mins away) comes up ASAP, and that I take the small service road to my house.

Suddenly a thought crossed my mind. 'Are these guys following me just to make sure that I was safe… driving close by so that I can drive with the light from their bike!?' Crazy thought for a cynical person like me, eh?

The signal approached and I took the service road to my house. These guys were already on the flyover and were still looking at me when I disappeared in the lane... I don't know why.

I don’t know if they meant well. Why is it so hard to believe that people have good intentions? I'm still wondering… whether they were trying to help me OR it was just another incident of harassment. I truly want to believe the former for once...