He refused to eat those oranges.
"You will get power from those oranges while running", I said.
A firm 'NO'. "I will take power from my 'BIG BANG PEGASUS'", he said. God knows what that is!!
"Run well, don't look here and there, you need to come first", we all said.
"I will come fifth, no 3rd, okay first", he said with his usual naughty smile.
Entering into my school yet again after such a long time was nostalgic; always is!! The ground was ready, tracks were marked and parents had taken their seats. It was the Sports Day event for 2011 at the Smt.Sulochanadevi Singhania School for Jr. & Sr. KG kids. This is the school that my brother studied in and then me. It gave such a proud feeling to watch an event here years later, now that my nephew was participating. These were the grounds I played in, marched on as part of the school band, this was the palace like building we studied in, laughed, got punished, learnt to behave, spent 12 valuable, eventful and happy years of our life, where our grounding was done, where all we now do in life was taught.
Like everyone, I miss those days, but not today, since the cute kids, like a time machine, brought us back to those days as we flew on Alladins magic carpet to relive our memories.
The event started with a 'Jungle Book" cart being led by kids dressed as giraffe, peacock, elephant and bear. A few tigers and deers followed pursuit. A cute invisible voice on the microphone gave details throughout the event.
Then the races begun. Cute little Jr.KG bunnies lined up to pick up their carrots and race to the finishing line to be hugged by their teachers.
Hens and cocks, as a couple ran together, clucking and clicking.
Ice creams ran before they melted.
Sweetly scary red Indians contested amongst each other.
Then came the event my family and me were waiting for - fluttering parrots waited at the start line for their PT Sir to blow the whistle, and in track 4, a mincingly pretty bird in a blue and grey headgear with a sharp twisted red beak stood happily alert - that was my nephew Sahil Das Chowdhury. The whistle blew and dust rose as the birds, doing something different today, ran instead of flying.
My 'Canon' captured the intensity on the childrens faces, their eagerness to win. Sahil came second, his first official sports achievement in school...HIP HIP HURRAY!!
The next race had dainty little piglets traversing the distance to the finishing line.
All the winners bowed humbly.
As the races came to an end, the jungle came alive with around 800 tigers and deers, roaring and dancing and tromping the ground. It was a sight to see, as the boys dressed in royally striped tiger attire and the girls convincingly guised as deers, waved and danced happily to the music. A friendship between the hunter and the hunted was created. It was amusing to see the kids in their own worlds, enjoying each others company, holding hands, pulling each other, turning and twisting, being restless, waving to their parents and being checked by the their teachers and the 3rd standard volunteers.
Then commenced the prize distribution ceremony, with the Principal handing out certificates to the tiny tots, and my nephew Sahil was one of the recepients :). I'm happy he made his teacher, his classmates and his 'Yamuna' house proud (I also belonged to Yamuna) as they congratulated him.
This was conluded by the Principals nice speech applauding and encouraging the children and their parents, followed by a cute vote of thanks.
A great evening!!
I still feel if he would had those oranges, he would have come first ;)
