Kids crossing the road

Disclaimer: A creative and imaginary description of something I saw the other day

It was a long road in Powai where five to six year-old kids fifteen in number were walking along the footpath with their hands held. The sun was stronger than ever that afternoon as two female teachers and one male assistant guided the kids from the garden where they had been for their physical training classes.

The kids walked carefully on the footpath as the teachers guided them.

"Chalo kids! Time to cross the road!", the teacher declared.

There was a visible scare on the faces of the toddlers.

The teacher took them to a zebra crossing. As they waited for the signal to go red, the kids were all scared for the new adventure in life that they were about to do - cross the road all by themselves.

The signal went red, the cars stopped.

"Chalo kids! No talking! Walk fast!!"

I saw the excitement, fear, anxiety and joy on the faces of the kids as they looked around and walked with their hands tightly held. All of them were scared - but their only comfort was the person's hand they were holding.

Probably, this was the first time the kids were realizing what friendship meant - a sense of security that grows without the need of having the same blood running through your veins.

The kids walked swiftly as they crossed the road. As they reached the other side of the road, the kids looked jubilant. They had these wide smiles on their faces and looked all happy. They continued to hold their friends' hands. I could see the joy of a never-before thrill in their eyes...


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The kids were, in their mind, happy and were celebrating their success - the first time they crossed the road ever without their parents around.

Why do we adults then always look at negative side of things and fail to celebrate our much bigger successes? Why do we want to be sad when only small reasons like these are enough to be happy?


One of the boys in the group was nearly jumping in joy. I am sure the first thing he'd do after getting back home is to tell his mom that he crossed the road all by himself today.

Just the zeal in him made me want to be a child again...

Fools of the World Unite!

Disclaimer: In humour only. I am taking digs at a lot of people

(I know this should've come yesterday on the April Fools' Day. But somehow, the idea didn't strike me yesterday. Kya karein, fool hai na!!)

Aaditya climbs the podium and looks at a sea of crowd that goes into an uproar. There are camera flashes. "They are enough to light up the terrace of our Preeti building on a New Years' eve", a little girl tugged at her mom's sari and said.

Aaditya eyes the crowd left to right and to left again.

"Fools!", he shouts.

The crowd jumps in excitement.

"Why does the world look at us with contempt when it calls us the fools? Why are we the fools? We should be proud to be fools..."

The crowd cheers.

"And what do we get in return? One day in the middle of the year called the April Fools' Day. "

"They pull pranks on us on that day! But what the heck! Do they realize that the same day is the beginning of a New Financial Year - when all the records of the year gone by are backed up and the balance sheet comes out clean!! Isn't THAT the biggest April Fools' prank ever?!"

The crowd went berserk. One person pulled his tshirt out and moved it round in circles.

"It's time to unite. We cannot continue to stay in the closet! We cannot stay separate in different places - different institutions, different communities, different groups! Why do we stay in different political parties when we can come together and form a party of our own? Why do we stay in different companies when all of us can pool in our talent to set up a company of our own? We have to unite!!"

"Fools of the World, Unite!!!!"

The crowds kept cheering even after Aaditya had got down the stage and walked away.

Aaditya thought to himself, "How many are going to be left in the other parties, companies and institutes if all of them join me? Am I going to have competition anyways?" He smiled.

Maybe he shouldn't have said what he said at the sabha. But which political leader thinks before addressing a public meeting anyways, he thought.

He smiled as the crowd cheered in support.