Heart Throbs...

If there are two men on earth about whom I keep thinking all day long. It is them who make me smile, cry and overwhelm with affection. These two have recently occupied my dreams. They don't let me sleep even. They are there everywhere. If we compare my mind to a screen saver, they form my screen saver. But normally a screensaver is activated only when the CPU/Monitor is idle. So, calling them a screensaver would be inappropriate. How about calling them the Desktop wallpaper???

According to me, they are omnipresent and my mind always revolves around them. The memories of their talking, voice, smile, activities, gestures, naughtiness keeps me busy all day long. If memories can do such mesmerism, imagine what is it like having them around. In the lonely life abroad where I am left with myself during the day I have arrived at a stage that I cuddle them by singing their favourite tune aloud, notwithstanding the fact that it would bother my neighbours. I also keep yelling their names, calling them out loud and do all pranks that would entertain them imagining that they are around me. I know it is heights of insanity but I really cant help it. I am sure, by now you must have guessed who they are..

With a big round of applause, let me introduce you to the two young 'Men' that I was talking about.. Please welcome the Great Arun & Varun. My sister proudly delivered Arun Varun on a rainy afternoon of December 2007. They will turn two this December. I am so obsessed with these two children not just because they are my nephews but because both of them carry so many interesting traits and are irresistibly cute. Sometimes I used to think that I get overwhelmed because they are my children and cuddle them for their cuteness. But the fact is everyone who bumps into the children can’t resist cuddling them. All the children in the world are cute. It becomes infinite pleasure when we get the freedom to be with them and obtain their acceptance. If they feel secure under someone other than their parents or grandparents, then that is an achievement. So that way, I got the honor of getting close to Arun Varun during my 3 month vacation in Chennai. The children wholeheartedly accepted me as I was mostly around.

Earlier last year, I was in chennai for 2 months and by that time the children were quite young and were busy trying to stand, crawl etc. Now that they can literally run, they had time to observe me. This vacation, the children were mostly listening to rhymes as sitting in my lap, dancing, trying to talk a little, joining Eurokids play school, playing around, trying to fool people by tricking, always trying to escape from the house, trying to play in water, wanting to sit in the kitchen sink and play with water etc etc. these are only a very few pranks to mention of Arun Varun. I will need to write a book if I had to summarize their pranks.

Arun is a quiet kid. Varun often tries to communicate effectively through actions and half words. Arun loves my father. First thing in the morning is searching for thatha and giving a call.. thaathaaaaa.... thathaaaaaa... in two different notes. :-) still I hear him call out that way that is why I cant resist mentioning. Arun wakes up early and keeps loitering about the house.He quietly carries out our instructions whether it is needed or not. So one day my sister asked Arun to wake Varun as they had school that day. Arun went up to the sleeping Varun and said “pappaaa , pappaaa, kum kum kum“(come) with his hands raised showing the calling gesture towards the face of Varun. I cuddled him that very moment.

I am surprised that when they get up they come searching for my mother and father wherever they are. After the first pampering of the day, starts the unending sequences of cleaning mopping shouting and all kinds of hungama.. untill forenoon we just wonder how and where is the time gone.. They both give us so much of tasks to finish that we can as well call them our boss. Within the short interval of winking our eyes, varun succeeds in pushing a jar filled with sugar or a jug full of water. I had foreseen his nature earlier and had created an album called Varun in action in my picasa album.

He is so naughty. Varun's noble follower is Arun. He follows his brother and repeats whatever varun has done. so our work is now doubled. when they sleep we wonder how come such little creatures are capable of finishing our time and energy.Here comes evening, both Arun and Varun are now neatly dressed up ready for some outing with grandpa's courtesy. There is a New park in our colony. So my father takes them to the park. But managing two is difficult so either of us me or my sister accompany our father along with arun or varun. Varun is never satisfied with a short outing. whereas Arun is ok even with the cycle trip.Both the children are crazy about their father. My brother in law goes bonkers at the very sight of his sons. I feel children are a definite source of infinite pleasure.

Rina, my friend has recently emailed me saying that her little nikki steals all her time and energy. She wrote about giving her a bath. I was badly missing the children as I used to dress them up soon after the bath. I miss that phase so much as the kids were so handy, portable and easy to cuddle. Now they don’t rest a while in our hands. We keep chasing them all the while.

4 days before my departure, my dear sweet little varun started calling me Peeyammaa. (Periyamma meaning mother’s elder siste in Tamil) It was music to my ears. Now I hear him shout peeyamma peeyamma everytime my mother calls me from chennai. I took them out in my scooty and everytime I step out it means it is time for their outing. I felt immense pleasure in taking them out like that. Today mother reported that all the bikes parked in a nearby bank when they passed by belonged to peeyamma only as varun was yelling it seems.

As I am typing this sentence, I am completely overwhelmed and almost in tears. If not for the children, I would not have known how it feels. Thank you heartthrobs!!!