Storytime: The Dotted Canvas

 Date: 17-05-2050

Time:2127 Hrs IST

Location: Some Forest Resort in Almora

I'm out on my annual summer vacation trip with my favourite bunch of people. Like last year, Favourite V and Favourite IV have decided to give it a skip this year too. Unko lagta hai mein bahut pakaun ho gaya hun. And it not cool anymore to go out with an old man on a vacation for them. Favourite III has probably found a new friend here and is busy with her.  He seems to be enjoying this trip more than anyone of us. Favorite II, since very young, as instructed by her mother was put to bed by 9 (you see, I'm a good care taker).

So all I'm left with is Favourite I, my favourite most. We both are lying on a huge boulder just besides a canal hardly few steps down from the resort, staring at the sky. A sudden breeze from the hills brings in cold air but we both are well packed in our warm wears. My hands are beneath my head and legs are crossed over each other. Favorite I is also trying to mock me, here too (a reason more for her to be my favourite).

I wonder what is she looking at, up in the sky? Is she too looking at the same star as I'm? Was she too able to make a dog face with those 9 stars exactly above our nose? Or is she is just gazing at the emptiness of the sky. But I choose no to ask and enjoy the silence. 

'Dadu, vo dekho tootta tara...'

This was the first noise any one of us had made in last 15 min. I didn't looked at her, as she was still gazing up, and answered her in my lowest of voice, 'Kuch manga?'.

'Ohh bhul gayi, next time.'

And the silence took over again. I went back to drawing the tail of the dog with the rest of the stars, also wondering what she must be sketching up there only if she is.

'Daduuuu...'

And this elongated word is exactly the reason why I love her more than all others. She is inquisitive, and I wait to have her questions to answer. 

'Hummm...'

There was a hidden excitement in my equally elongated reply. The excitement of being chosen to ask a question. The sense of making a human more aware of the worldly things by my knowledge and experience. I can't wait to know what more she wants to know.

'Ye saare kitne taare honge?'

I turned to see her. She was still looking up. In the little of moonlight we had there, I was able to see her pupil going from one end to other furiously and asymmetrically. What shall I answer her? Shall I pass on the same the one I received when I had a similar question as child. If I ask here to start counting, probably she will start too and loose the mere beauty of this dotted canvas. This world would anyhow one day will make her quantify everything around. All will be some number to her, one day. There would be a scale attached to everything around her, asking for a rating, be it even an experience. Shall I make the sky too a number for her or help her preserve this little innocence for her, at least a day more. I choose the later.

'Ginna kyun hai? Aasmaan mein bahut saare taarein hain. Kuch toh aise hain jo aapko dikh bhi nahi rahein hai par hain. Kuch aaj dikh rahe hain par kal nahi dikhenge. Kuch taare jo aapko abhi dikh rahe hai vo chashme ke sath bhi mujhe nahi dikh rahe hain. Toh abhi jitne bhi taare aapko dikh rahe hain, jitne bhi hain, sab aapke hain. Aap inse jo chaho bana sakte ho. Inmein jo chaho dekh sake ho. Ginna kyun hai?'

She turns her head to me. I can see the reflection of zillion stars in her twinkling eyes. She has this broad smile on her face. Her smile was my reward, a satisfaction that my answer was well received and accepted. The whole of sky was all just for two of us. We both passed the smile and went back to gazing in the stars.

I was not able to find my dog anymore but was happy that this little girl next to me was making something of her own up there. 

Time to make a new something for me too with my set of stars. :)