Our playing time often involves questionnaire. She loves to ask questions. Majority of the questions revolve around makeup and hairstyles. Though i apply no makeup and have failed miserably in the past while answering her questions like 'where is your make-up box' or 'how to braid hair', she keeps on bugging me by asking me to show non existent things like my nail paint collection or my hairpins every time she comes home. But today, thankfully madam was not in makeup mood and innocently asked me
"Do you know how to draw a flower?"
I was smiling in my head.For the first time opening question involved MY domain ie drawing and situation was in my hands!! This i can easily handle. "Yes.. Here how it is drawn". I showed her the simplest flower that a four year could replicate. I looked at her expectantly .I thought she would be happy but she seemed little disappointed. Again she asked me "Do you know how to draw a house? "duhh.." I drew a big house with trees to both sides. In addition, i didn't forget to add clouds and birds. Ek ghar ke sath scenery muft !! :D Still she didn't responded as I had expected - laughing with joy and admiring my skills. She seemed lost in thoughts. She thought for a long time (almost for a minute... lot for a child (or even for adults? :D ) and made 'ummm' sound in between while she was thinking ) and again maintaining same enthusiasm asked me,
"Didi ..do you know how to draw a fish???"
My brain started giving me ALERT signals. Didi??? She calls me by my name 'Deepti' and I get to hear "didi" only when she wants something. Generally 'attention' but it can also involve materialistic things as well . And "didi" is not something said plainly. It comes with oodles of respect and sweetness in her voice that makes me feel that I am her most favourite didi in the world!! Actually even more than that- I am the most adored didi of the world :P. Eevery time I decide not to fall for this sweet deceiving voice but till date Tarini has maintained her 100% success rate!!)
Now i know how to draw a fish but deliberately i said 'no' in quite convincing voice (sound of'didi' made me say this :D ). And there!! Finally i could see that spark I was looking for, in her eyes!! She took the pen from my hand with expertness of an artist. Full of confidence and asked me to pay attention and watch carefully. Then she started drawing. In between looked at me to see whether i was really looking at her drawing. When she was done she asked me to repeat it and checked whether I got the shape right. When I finished after all her suggestions ( " aga paint it red not blue as water it is swimming in is also blue" :O ..Honestly i was not as smart as she is ) she exclaimed "sahi!!!"
Hehe ..that was one of the best remarks i got from a teacher ..
Lessons learnt in 20 min were ' it is okay to take a backseat when you are with a child. You can flaunt your skills in front of people of your age and get a real feel of where you stand' and 'the best way to enjoy when with a child is : act like one'.
