They were all over me. Someone was pulling my leg, the other was brutally pulling my arm, someone else was yanking my face and someone had his hands over my eyes so firmly, that I thought I was gonna lose the daylights outta me.
No, this isn't a horror flick starring me as the screaming, high school sidey-heroine (who's about to get her arms and legs chopped gruesomely) and undead zombies rapidly crowding around, all waiting for a piece of my flesh (not that there is much). Instead, this was the plight of my friends and me, at 'Ashray' in Bandra, where we had enrolled ourselves for the 'Teach India' campaign. The moment we entered and waved a friendly 'hi' at the kids, they mobbed us, took us by our hands to the other room where there were more kids, and started reciting their names rapidly (Karthik, Kusum, Vaishali, Tanmay, Rohit, Madan, Karishma, Aditi, Rahul, Avinash.... gosh that's all I can remember!). My memory was put to the test, as I had to say their names correctly when they came asking for it the next time around. After a very confusing round of introductions (resulting in me firmly squatting on the ground, as the children wouldn't let me get up), I finally gathered my wits and stood up clumsily, checking meanwhile if all my limbs were in working condition. They thankfully were, but the kids hadn't even begun their onslaught yet. They were SO energetic and lively!!! They were sprinting all over the place like little chickens let out of their coops and we were, like their poor keepers, in hot pursuit, failing miserably to bring them under control. Finally, I managed to grab their attention by announcing a game ' Fire in the Mountain'. 'Run run run,' they responded, but exactly for 2 minutes. We played Tug-of War too. But only for a few minutes. Then they were off again, running around, engaging in brawls, fisticuffs and random somersaults. They were uncontrollable, abusive and amok; the 3 of us barely managing to keep up!
That was our first, very eventful day at Ashray, at the end of which we were mere shadows of our previous selves. The kids had drained every ounce of energy outta us. The teachers at municipal schools - you have gained my respect. It ain't easy to control these tiny tots. We did manage to do something constructive though, we taught multiplication tables to some kids and the English alphabets to the others. Looking back, I do think I enjoyed myself, especially while playing with the kids. It reminded me of my childhood, spent under the hot sun, playing numerous games with my friends - fighting, screaming, yelling, brawling..... These kids here are reflections of me, only a whole lot younger. This wasn't meant to be a piece of cake in the first place. I was armed with that knowledge before I stepped into Ashray. What I have to do is try my best to gain their trust and their love. After all, it was only my first day. Its only going to get a lot easier from now on.
Right?
On a lazy Sunday morning, so trademark you could almost see the ® on it... I'm startlingly awakened from a profound slumber by Deeps... It has occurred so often, I always experience a sense of deja-vu when my phone trings rudely. In between a heightened state of grogginess and a longing desire to fall back asleep (meanwhile muttering obscenities), I try to be as coherent as my protesting brain would allow. I mouthe an equivalent of a 'hello' and get back a shrill 'Avz! Were you sleeping?'. 'No,' I desperately want to say, 'At 8 am on a Sunday morning, I am playing cricket for India at Wankhede and boy-oh-boy, ain't I hitting some mean sixes!' But sarcasm is not what you begin with on a sunny Sunday, so I say 'Yeah... whats the plan yaar?' 'Movie' she says. 'Rock On... 10 am show.. Cinemax yaar... subah ko tickets milegi'. I was pretty excited bout this flick too, so I agreed nonetheless. Dragging my lazybones off my bed, I suddenly enter into autopilot mode. Its like those things they inject you with, and you instantly have this energy bursting in you. Zoom! goes my bedspread, neatly folded... whoosh! goes me brushing my teeth, splash! goes my 15-minute bath and zippp! goes my outfit on. Mom is at her Sunday best - yelling at me for not informing her sooner, preparing yummy breakfast at the speed of Wonderwoman (she is one!) and attending dudhwaalas, paperwaalas, kachrawaalas, watchmanwaalas and the like in the meantime... I wonder if she's got 10 invisible hands and legs to assist her in her daily drudgery. Anyway, my breakfast done, I scoot outta my abode into the sunny world outside! Suddenly I feel refreshed and feel a new enthusiasm in me. Going out does that to me.
