Short Story Social – Kids do listen (Carefully)
Many parents (including mine) have a complain that their kids don’t listen to what they say!
But, I think they do.
And the revelation is sometimes very embarrassing for the parents! Trust me!
During my last days in India, I remember sitting and chatting with my husband on one of our society benches. The Clubhouse was decorated with balloons and festoons for Chinki’s Birthday. Chinki was a sweet 8 year old, who had recently moved in the society after her Mom married Mihika’s dad. I really feel good to see how incomplete familes unite to make one happy family.
Ok, coming back to Chinki’s birthday. We could see the kids, all dressed up in their shining armours, going to the birthday party. Some alone, some too small to manage, so had parents along. In my society, having a kid always gave you a free pass to birthday parties. So, I never got the pleasure of it.
Anyway, coming back to the party day. I could see a bunch of kids playing in the parking lot, as if cake and chocolates don’t attract them. I called one of the girls Mansi, and inquired with great interest as to why is she not in the party. This 8 year old casually replied ” kyunki hum sindhi hai!” (Because we are Sindhis) and she continued ” Wo Marathi hai and mein sindhi hun” ( She is Marathi and I am a Sindhi).
These words left me dumbstruck and hit me hard! How did an 8 year old come to the conclusion that she wasn’t invited to a birthday party because she did not belong to the same caste and community?
I leave this for you to decide. All I have to say is that kids do listen to everything you talk!
P.S Names are imaginary but the incident is real.
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