Ankita, her husband Satish and their son Bhavesh entered Nikita's cool abode with a sigh of relief. "It's so hot outside," Ankita complained and wiped Bhavesh's face. The 7-year-old pulled away, embarrassed at this molly coddling in front of others.
Yug, Nikita's husband, joined them with a warm smile. After the usual exchange of greetings and enquiries, Ankita asked about their son Aditya. "Where is he?"
"Has a match," Yug replied.
"In this heat!" Ankita was shocked. "God! I can't bear it even with the airconditioner on!"
Before Yug could say anything, Nikita offered them juice and gave instructions to the cook who was hovering around. But Yug needed much more to deter him from his pet topic and he continued with persistence, "We used to do that! I remember being out in the sun all the time, don't you?" he asked Satish eagerly.
Satish nodded reluctantly. "But back then it was different. We could walk into anybody's house and ask for water, even strangers'. Some kind lady would even offer us lemonade..."
"We pay for water, these days! Let's not forget that!" Nikita cut in sharply. "And then, I wouldn't advise Aditya to drink water anywhere other than home! Who knows what kind of water they give him!"
Yug shook his head. "Oh the joy of drinking directly from the taps!"
"Yug, it's not possible anymore, and you know that," Nikita ticked him off politely.
"So, you give water bottles anyway. But why the fear of the sun?"
"Heatstroke, of course!" Ankita chipped in, glad that she could say something.
"Oh come! The trouble is not playing in the sun. It is the alternating between the A/C and the sun. You can let them acclimatise and teach them how to be safe. But to lock them up..."
Nikita put a restraining hand on Yug. "You are sending Aditya to these ridiculous matches in the heat and I have accepted it. Now don't bully Ankita about it!"
"Me! Bullying! No! I am just saying how times have changed. We don't like our children playing outside and so we give them 'cool' gadgets to play in cool rooms... Of course, my mother also tried that with us. But we would jump off the balcony and play, and then silently sneak back in."
"What?" Bhavesh was all ears. Ankita's jaw dropped and Satish squirmed.
"Yes, young man," Yug said with a chuckle, relishing the attention.
But Nikita distracted them with determination and a glare directed at Yug silenced him.
When they stepped out, Ankita complained to Satish, "I think I prefer being in the sun rather than hear Yug speak about playing in the sun."
"It sounded fun! Daddy, have you also jumped off the balcony?" Bhavesh asked eagerly.
Ankita's warning glance stopped Satish from revealing his escapades. "Traffic and heat were less those days, Bhavesh..." he said mildly and then fell silent, reminiscing his own childhood and wondering if Bhavesh would ever experience those joys.
Yug, Nikita's husband, joined them with a warm smile. After the usual exchange of greetings and enquiries, Ankita asked about their son Aditya. "Where is he?"
"Has a match," Yug replied.
"In this heat!" Ankita was shocked. "God! I can't bear it even with the airconditioner on!"
Before Yug could say anything, Nikita offered them juice and gave instructions to the cook who was hovering around. But Yug needed much more to deter him from his pet topic and he continued with persistence, "We used to do that! I remember being out in the sun all the time, don't you?" he asked Satish eagerly.
Satish nodded reluctantly. "But back then it was different. We could walk into anybody's house and ask for water, even strangers'. Some kind lady would even offer us lemonade..."
"We pay for water, these days! Let's not forget that!" Nikita cut in sharply. "And then, I wouldn't advise Aditya to drink water anywhere other than home! Who knows what kind of water they give him!"
Yug shook his head. "Oh the joy of drinking directly from the taps!"
"Yug, it's not possible anymore, and you know that," Nikita ticked him off politely.
"So, you give water bottles anyway. But why the fear of the sun?"
"Heatstroke, of course!" Ankita chipped in, glad that she could say something.
"Oh come! The trouble is not playing in the sun. It is the alternating between the A/C and the sun. You can let them acclimatise and teach them how to be safe. But to lock them up..."
Nikita put a restraining hand on Yug. "You are sending Aditya to these ridiculous matches in the heat and I have accepted it. Now don't bully Ankita about it!"
"Me! Bullying! No! I am just saying how times have changed. We don't like our children playing outside and so we give them 'cool' gadgets to play in cool rooms... Of course, my mother also tried that with us. But we would jump off the balcony and play, and then silently sneak back in."
"What?" Bhavesh was all ears. Ankita's jaw dropped and Satish squirmed.
"Yes, young man," Yug said with a chuckle, relishing the attention.
But Nikita distracted them with determination and a glare directed at Yug silenced him.
When they stepped out, Ankita complained to Satish, "I think I prefer being in the sun rather than hear Yug speak about playing in the sun."
"It sounded fun! Daddy, have you also jumped off the balcony?" Bhavesh asked eagerly.
Ankita's warning glance stopped Satish from revealing his escapades. "Traffic and heat were less those days, Bhavesh..." he said mildly and then fell silent, reminiscing his own childhood and wondering if Bhavesh would ever experience those joys.
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