A Visit to Remember :-)

I run across the road and slam the door of smitha’s car and apologise “I am sorry, I am late by two mins: P”. Both of us laugh away and talk about some crappy jokes like “What is ashoka with six fingers called?”(Pss…dont think much…he is still called ashoka: P)….. Why cant two last strands of hair on a bald head of an indian marry? (Coz bal-vivah is banned in India)…. I was explaining smith’s parents about the place we are goin to….the kids there and the main purpose of establishing it…. I am talking about my trip to spoorthi foundation (www.sphoorti.org) to visit the ever energetic and enthusiastic kids there…… This foundation was known to me coz of harika, my adorable friend from college….. I did go there a few times bfr but I wud try to summarize everything at one place….

We were around the corner trying to spot the exact lane while two kids pop up and I instantly recognize them….” Hi ra get into the car…guide us form here…ae lane loki vellali”…. teh kids ever enthusiastically explain the directions and at the next corner we see two more kids waiting for us…woah!! These kids love it when people come to visit them… or may be visiting me emo :)….he he he….All the while in the car...the two kids were sliding the window up and down and enjoying the sight... they do it...they turn to us..they laugh..we laugh...after a while we came to the place...

We were treated with the usual BIG Hieee from all of them and then the very much annoying yet funny handshake that they invite us to but never give! I have been a victim of this act many a times and for once….i love being stupid…just to see that happiness on their face when they draw back their hand and smile viciously….i find them cute n happy when they do that and I keep getting fooled just for that happiness on their faces…..

I love playing games with them…Five stones…. Asta chamma….dog n the bone….ila enno games we all played together….I particularly enjoyed the dog and the bone episode of theirs where they fought like soldiers in battle field to get that hankie to their side and win points…… they even had strategies to win…they always messed up their numbers and made the slow kids stay back and only few kids keep coming….then the other team argues that ratna never came to the ground or madhu was never made to run… I, the peace maker, made sure all of them played without cheating…. And guess who the horrible player of the day was…my very own friend harika who was in one of the teams… she lost to the kids :P…she wud kill me for writing this….but who cares… the kids were too fast and spontaneous for her to catch up with…. Sadly, yet proudly…. It’s tough for me also to catch up with these bright young stars…..

I taught them “Hum ko mann ki shakthi dena” song….. I cudnt believe my eyes when arnd the 8^th time….. One guy started singing it all by himself without seeing the paper…. Now cmon…how many of you actually got ur songs by heart in school arnd the 8^th time itself…at least not me…even if I was totally paying attention to the song….. They recited the version with slightly diff tune that they had made up while learning since my tune was may be not appealing to them….

Then we have this regular round of activities by the kids where they dance…sing… do both simultaneously (multi talented u see- astonishingly they don’t even gasp when they are doin them together)… they act…they laugh at themselves while acting and keep reminding each other when they go wrong at anything (they hate doing things the wrong way u see J)… they cheer and clap for their friends when they are performing … I exactly saw UNITY in its true spirit…..

The love and affection they share for each other is amazing…. The love they show towards u wud suffocate u…. U are nothing more than a stranger to them….But they treat u like they have known u for years…. They tease you like ur frends… they respect u like their teacher….. They touch you like a loved one… May be they don’t think so much while they do it…But u can see it and feel it when they do it… Coz they love you and your company….. Have you done something so great to deserve it?… May be you did, by coming to spoorthi.... You would want to come back when they say “ Malli ra akka” in their awaiting and disheartening tone…..

Honestly, when I went there for the first time…I was just hoping to spend some time with the kids…teach them something I know…make them feel happy and come back…. But now I go coz I love goin there and I love being amongst them…rather one among them…. U feel like goin back coz u learn so much there… I went there to teach but I ended up learning more than what I taught to them… I learnt that, love in its purest form, appeals to everyone and touches ur heart very much vibrantly. Something I experience at spoorthi…. Something you would too…when u come there…

My single visit turned into a sequence of visits…thanks to the wonderful kids who brought back all my childhood memories…. I love them all and this is just a speck of how I felt when I went to spoorthi… U have to be there to know what I meant….