There are many things that I look forward to when I travel to Goa; one of them is meeting my family; my mom, dad, brothers, sisters in law and most importantly, my nephew and two adorable little nieces.Aditya or Addu, my nephew is the cool dude and the older one. The two nieces- Netra and Nidhi who are younger to him are almost the same age. While Addu is the quiet one, lost in his own fantasy world and almost always inconspicuously hidden behind a pile of books; the girls make an incredibly naughty and a supremely noisy pair; each one of them, infinitely energetic and perpetually brimming with life!
Their questions start badgering me several weeks before I plan to leave for Goa; “Attu, when are you coming home?” they ask me with an earnest eagerness that could only match a feeling one has before an upcoming Disney movie release. “I’ll come soon! Just three more weeks to go” I reply enthusiastically.This conversation is repeated almost every alternate day within those three weeks. Finally, when I actually reach home, I receive the warmest of welcome from these three musketeers.
“Attu, I want to show you a new game I’ve downloaded” says Addu while he describes one of the most complicated games I’ve ever heard of; featuring some high end gadgets that could easily put the makers of ‘transformer’ series to shame.“Attu, aj ratri goshta!” (you must tell us a story tonight) demand both the girls, dancing around me in excitement, while I still struggle to make my way into the house, trying not to trip over my own luggage.“Let her at least breathe! Out, you three! “ It’s only after my mother yells at them to leave me alone, do the three make an exit, but not before they have made me promise that I’d tell them a story at night!
The very first day back home is obviously a busy one; I soon preoccupy myself with the task of idling on the cozy couch, absent mindedly flipping through TV channels while simultaneously catching up with mom and dad. Within no time it’s evening; time for the kids to return from school. It’s only after someone mentions this, do I realize, that I’m doomed!‘What’s so difficult about telling a story?’ one would say. Well, the answer is- ‘nothing’! But when you have an audience that resembles this deadly trio, the trivial task becomes as challenging as answering a viva voce to grumpy examiners who seem to know everything!
It’s ‘perform or perish’ kind of a scenario. I frantically flip through the pages of one of Netra’s storybooks that lies on the very top of a carelessly heaped up pile, trying to search for some good story.“Not one of those Attu… we already know those” I hear someone protest. Netra it is!Now this girl is way smarter than one would think. A voracious reader with a photographic memory, a national level chess champ, cunning as a fox; needless to say, far too brilliant than any of us lesser mortals!Stories from ‘Hitopdesha’ and ‘Panchatantra’ , Fables of Eosap, Vikram- Vetal are too commonplace for her. Those of Tenali Raman, Ramayana and Mahabharata are just an old cliché. She knows them all, perhaps better than most of us! What intrigues her is folklore from exotic locations, weird characters with strange names, and loads of magic!
“What story do you want then?” I ask her cautiously.“Anything new… something we haven’t heard of” she replies almost instantly. It dawns on me that I have landed myself in what I prefer to call a ‘dharmasankat’.
Next day, I carry out an extensive search through old books as well as the internet, in a hope to be better prepared with a good story. At night after dinner, the kids gather around me and listen in rapt attention, as I narrate a hilarious story of how two Japanese frogs- one from Osaka and the other from Tokyo make a fool out of themselves while they attempt to travel to a new city!“Great story!” Netra is the first one to exclaim, “now another one!”“Another one? I promised to tell you one story!” I’m aghast.“But you didn’t tell us any yesterday! This one makes up for it. What about today’s story? Besides, this was a very short one too” she remarks slyly.
Thankfully, I have a backup ready. This time it’s the story of a young artist who is blessed with a magic pencil that brings whatever is drawn, to life; and how with the help of this pencil, the artist is able to trap the cruel king beneath the pile of gold coins he orders to be painted!
“But attu, why does he have to give him the gold coins in the first place? Why can’t he simply draw a weapon and kill the king?” Netra has this annoying habit of being very very practical and asking questions which I haven’t got any answers to!I feel a sudden rush of fond gratitude toward Nidhi, the relatively shy, sensitive angel that she’s got for a sister while Netra practically butchers my story with her savage logic!Amidst gales of laughter, the girls depart. Addu is still right behind me. “Attu, the story of two frogs is from one of the books in the old cupboard right? I had already read it” he says with a rare mischievous twinkle in his eyes; “better luck next time!”I, for once am very very glad that the girls have left the room!
(Note to self: if you want to be successful, keep your sources secret.)
On the third and final day of my stay however, I am determined to make no mistakes. By this day, even the elders huddle around, curious to know what the new story would be about!The tale that unfolds is a folklore woven around the character of the legendary Indian poet Mahakavi Kalidasa; about how he, with his wit, gets rid of another poet who comes to challenge him in a debate.This story is soon followed by another one about how a Russian prince Czarevitch Ivan riding his golden flying horse battles a cruel witch ‘Baba Yaga’ who stays in a walking hut deep into the woods, to rescue the princess who is being held captive by the witch.
Amidst appreciative smiles from the elders and a thunderous applause from the kids; the tale finally winds up.However, with vivid pictures of magnificent royals from faraway lands, gargantuan giants and witches, majestic beasts and legendary poets; their stories unfolding through overly animated narratives and mock battles still occupying her mind; the ‘storyteller’ becomes a child, yet again!
There are many things that I look forward to when I travel to Goa; one of them is meeting my family; my mom, dad, brothers, sisters in law and most importantly, my nephew and two adorable little nieces.Aditya or Addu, my nephew is the cool dude and the older one. The two nieces- Netra and Nidhi who are younger to him are almost the same age. While Addu is the quiet one, lost in his own fantasy world and almost always inconspicuously hidden behind a pile of books; the girls make an incredibly naughty and a supremely noisy pair; each one of them, infinitely energetic and perpetually brimming with life!
Their questions start badgering me several weeks before I plan to leave for Goa; “Attu, when are you coming home?” they ask me with an earnest eagerness that could only match a feeling one has before an upcoming Disney movie release. “I’ll come soon! Just three more weeks to go” I reply enthusiastically.This conversation is repeated almost every alternate day within those three weeks. Finally, when I actually reach home, I receive the warmest of welcome from these three musketeers.
“Attu, I want to show you a new game I’ve downloaded” says Addu while he describes one of the most complicated games I’ve ever heard of; featuring some high end gadgets that could easily put the makers of ‘transformer’ series to shame.“Attu, aj ratri goshta!” (you must tell us a story tonight) demand both the girls, dancing around me in excitement, while I still struggle to make my way into the house, trying not to trip over my own luggage.“Let her at least breathe! Out, you three! “ It’s only after my mother yells at them to leave me alone, do the three make an exit, but not before they have made me promise that I’d tell them a story at night!
The very first day back home is obviously a busy one; I soon preoccupy myself with the task of idling on the cozy couch, absent mindedly flipping through TV channels while simultaneously catching up with mom and dad. Within no time it’s evening; time for the kids to return from school. It’s only after someone mentions this, do I realize, that I’m doomed!‘What’s so difficult about telling a story?’ one would say. Well, the answer is- ‘nothing’! But when you have an audience that resembles this deadly trio, the trivial task becomes as challenging as answering a viva voce to grumpy examiners who seem to know everything!
It’s ‘perform or perish’ kind of a scenario. I frantically flip through the pages of one of Netra’s storybooks that lies on the very top of a carelessly heaped up pile, trying to search for some good story.“Not one of those Attu… we already know those” I hear someone protest. Netra it is!Now this girl is way smarter than one would think. A voracious reader with a photographic memory, a national level chess champ, cunning as a fox; needless to say, far too brilliant than any of us lesser mortals!Stories from ‘Hitopdesha’ and ‘Panchatantra’ , Fables of Eosap, Vikram- Vetal are too commonplace for her. Those of Tenali Raman, Ramayana and Mahabharata are just an old cliché. She knows them all, perhaps better than most of us! What intrigues her is folklore from exotic locations, weird characters with strange names, and loads of magic!
“What story do you want then?” I ask her cautiously.“Anything new… something we haven’t heard of” she replies almost instantly. It dawns on me that I have landed myself in what I prefer to call a ‘dharmasankat’.
Next day, I carry out an extensive search through old books as well as the internet, in a hope to be better prepared with a good story. At night after dinner, the kids gather around me and listen in rapt attention, as I narrate a hilarious story of how two Japanese frogs- one from Osaka and the other from Tokyo make a fool out of themselves while they attempt to travel to a new city!“Great story!” Netra is the first one to exclaim, “now another one!”“Another one? I promised to tell you one story!” I’m aghast.“But you didn’t tell us any yesterday! This one makes up for it. What about today’s story? Besides, this was a very short one too” she remarks slyly.
Thankfully, I have a backup ready. This time it’s the story of a young artist who is blessed with a magic pencil that brings whatever is drawn, to life; and how with the help of this pencil, the artist is able to trap the cruel king beneath the pile of gold coins he orders to be painted!
“But attu, why does he have to give him the gold coins in the first place? Why can’t he simply draw a weapon and kill the king?” Netra has this annoying habit of being very very practical and asking questions which I haven’t got any answers to!I feel a sudden rush of fond gratitude toward Nidhi, the relatively shy, sensitive angel that she’s got for a sister while Netra practically butchers my story with her savage logic!Amidst gales of laughter, the girls depart. Addu is still right behind me. “Attu, the story of two frogs is from one of the books in the old cupboard right? I had already read it” he says with a rare mischievous twinkle in his eyes; “better luck next time!”I, for once am very very glad that the girls have left the room!
(Note to self: if you want to be successful, keep your sources secret.)
On the third and final day of my stay however, I am determined to make no mistakes. By this day, even the elders huddle around, curious to know what the new story would be about!The tale that unfolds is a folklore woven around the character of the legendary Indian poet Mahakavi Kalidasa; about how he, with his wit, gets rid of another poet who comes to challenge him in a debate.This story is soon followed by another one about how a Russian prince Czarevitch Ivan riding his golden flying horse battles a cruel witch ‘Baba Yaga’ who stays in a walking hut deep into the woods, to rescue the princess who is being held captive by the witch.
Amidst appreciative smiles from the elders and a thunderous applause from the kids; the tale finally winds up.However, with vivid pictures of magnificent royals from faraway lands, gargantuan giants and witches, majestic beasts and legendary poets; their stories unfolding through overly animated narratives and mock battles still occupying her mind; the ‘storyteller’ becomes a child, yet again!
