Smile and Say...!!!

Vasu tried his hands at speaking after a long haul of observation as if. Only when he was experienced enough to be called 18 months old, he showed any eagerness to emulate tones and rythmes he heard.

I guess Bhanu's perserving insistence to entertain him with the two poems - "Upar pankha chalta hai, neeche baby sota hai..." and "Haathi raja bahut bhale, Sund utha ke kahan chale..." - eventually changed his heart. Enthused by Bhanu's performance, he finally imitated her actions! Though, it took him little more time to try to sing the poem with Bhanu, the wait was worth it.

Of course, the words he uttered were remotely identifiable as something similar to the languages known to us, but the sound of them would melt sugar into my ears, unfailingly. His first ever signals that he could get what I spoke and even follow me!, rendered me truly ecstatic.

Vasu not only made use of my patience, but even taught me how to inculcate it in better quantity. Only when he turned two, he started showing a richer vocabulary. He would now utter two to three word sentences. Like one afternoon during the lunch hour, he expressed himself like..."Patha de do, patha de do mijhe...". I must mention, his tone was particularly rustic!

To be very honest, I have been quite satisfied with the pace of his developments, even if it included taking his own time in doing things. After all, it gave me more time with a younger and growing Vasu!

Though he could not speak well for quite some time, he started showing keen fondness for movies, cartoons and poem videos. In fact, he is a regular viewer of cartoon programs on TV since he was one. He has watched many animated movies again and again, lost in their world, gaping at the TV/ computer screen for continuous hours.

Vasu is a faithful fan of Harry Potter. He learnt this name when he was barely two. Just imagine, when he could hardly hold a conversation in English language on his own, he memorized two short stories from the Harry Potter series in English! He still finds it an irresistible time pass to listen to Harry Potter stories from Bhanu and stare at the cover pages of the Harry Potter books to tell the story on the basis.

Today, Vasu gives me lessons in good manners and corrects me upon my loud and angry tone. Basically giving me the taste of my own medicine, he would frequently object on being spoken to him in an authoritative and upset fashion and interrupt saying, "Pehle hans ke bolo, pyar se bolo... ". When I was taking my seat on the computer chair today and simply asked Vasu to make room, he said, "Fist smile and say, Vasu please get a side. First say Vasu and then say please, get a side". Some days ago, we were expecting guests and I had just returned from office. I was very hungry and really needed to munch something. A packetful of wafers in front of me were very tempting but I had to contain myself. Just like that I said to myself, " Agar maine ye kha liya to guests kya mera muh dekhenge!".

Big deal? Bleakest idea I had that Vasu could be even noticing. Days later, he reportedly restrained from having wafers in the afternoon and said the exact same phrase to Bhanu! I better watch my language from now on!