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Doll Story

I was sitting in the garden one evening watching little kids play and have fun. Alongside I was also busy doing some R&D and learning to operate my newly bought cell. I was learning to operate the camera and I wanted to focus on something that was wonderful. I moved my hand left to right and back again holding the camera upright in my hand try to catch something pleasant. Just then I saw a small girl sitting on the green and playing with her doll. She was cutely combing that doll’s hair, talking to her and having a good time. I got to see such a scene after many years, after my childhood to be precise. I quickly captured her beautiful smiles and gestures towards her doll in camera. I then decided just to watch her and her activities. Next to her was a boy of same age as that of the girl who too was having a good time alone jumping, dancing, imitating Superman, Spiderman, etc. However, I feel he was not able to sustain his self entertainment and came to interfere with that little girl (boys probably can never see girls having a good time and they must be getting jealous of that fact).

“Tu kya kadd rahi hai” (what are you doing?) said that boy to girl in his commanding tone bending to that girl with his palms rested on his knees. The girl turned to the other side trying to ignore the interference. But the boy continued harassing the poor girl, ofcourse with no ill intentions. He probably needed some company to play with. The male ego in that kid couldn’t bear that ignorance for long and he snatched the doll from the girl and started running here and there in the garden. He enjoyed the act and was laughing to his hearts content. The girl was calm and reported this to mummy, who was sitting on the bench just next to me. Her mummy was busy talking (must be gossiping) to other lady and she tried to pacify her child by just keeping her hand on the girl’s head. The girl finally started crying and shouted, “Meri doll mujhe vapis de do” (it’s my doll, give it back to me). Her mummy then took her daughter close and consoled her that she will get the doll back, don’t cry, we will get a new doll for you. But the girl reported that she wanted the same doll, as it was her favorite and she does not want any other doll. The boy till then was happily playing with the doll, bouncing and tossing it. The girl kept crying but did not go to the boy asking or begging for her doll. I found this very strange.

It was 8pm at night and the lady (girl’s mother) suddenly realized that it was late. She hurriedly walked towards the garden’s gate lifting her baby, mumbling something like “oh it’s late, papa will shout now”. I was surprised that the mother had completely forgotten about her daughter’s doll and the girl too was silent about it. She looked over her mom’s shoulder at the boy playing with the doll and tearfully departed from her darling doll.

I was amazed by what had happened as it made me realize one good thing in life – the ultimate pleasure probably lies in giving. I don’t know what the girl was thinking and I am not even trying to portray her as some great philosophical guide. She may not even know the cost of that doll but she was surely emotionally attached to it (the way she was playing with her showed that may be the doll was her closest friend). I kept thinking had I been in her place, I would have snatched away my doll (or any other toy) from that brat.
Was I thinking this because I was grown up now? I certainly don’t know.
Would I (or any of you) react the same way that girl did at it been some real human being and not a doll?
Would I have been so giving that I could just observe someone very close to me go away? I don’t know again.
What would I do if someone snatches away my doll or any of my close friends from me? No answer again.

I picked up my bag and started to leave not thinking much about what would I do and how would I react. I had just remember what my dear friend (& my joy) always says – “Let certain things remain unanswered, answers can sometimes be painful”.

Comments

Anonymous said…
hi,

this blog got tears in my eyes and maybe to every one who just cannot help but just stand and watch when the thing very precious to them it taken and they are so helpless that they cannot do anything about it so you wrote in your blog "Let certain things remain unanswered , answers can be sometimes painful" hold true.

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