As the famous quote goes “Grandparents have silver in their hair and gold in their heart”.
Even before a child is born, a parent is promoted to being a grandparent. I was born under the watchful eyes of both my grandfathers and grandmothers on October the 30th,2012. I share an immaculate bond with my paternal grandfather who I very fondly call “Upipapa” – he is my best friend and pampers me a lot. In fact, he does not like to be called Dada. All my visits to Delhi circle around him . Since my grandfather is a doctor, I often go with him to the hospital at least once during my visit and have a good time sitting in his office while I am served some mouthwatering and palatable foods.
Somehow when I visit Delhi, my energy levels double up and although I am not an early riser, I become one just to accompany him for his early morning walks and give my great-grandfather who I lovingly call “Bade Papa” and my grandmother who I call ‘Dadi” some company and entertainment while all of us (including Upi papa) enjoy our morning tea. The thing that I await the most in the day is when the landline telephone rings and that is music to my ears as I know that Upi Papa usually calls around that time to ask or tell me our plan once he’s back from work. In the evenings my great-grandfather and I sit in the verandah sipping a hot cup of tea while he either tells me stories from his childhood or we have some mature conversations till Upi Papa’s car arrives at the gate. The minute I hear the car stop, I run up to the gate, taking his briefcase and all the other stuff he gets back and putting it on the dining table and sitting in front of him like a puppy waiting for the master to give the information on what to do next. In the evenings, we both (my Upi Papa and I) stay up late and watch videos and eat ice cream while the house is tranquil. If ever I were asked what my most desired wish would be, I would say that I would want to move back to Delhi, live with my grandparents as I think about them all the time – trying to recover the lost time and create more memories with them.
Grandparents are the people who love their grandchildren unconditionally without thinking of what’s in it for them or having any expectations. For me, my grandparents are” The Most Special” people I love the most, and I think for all children, grandparents would be equally special. Grandparents are the biggest blessing from God as they teach you values, give you love, share the life experiences to help you learn from it. Despite the generation gap, how I can easily relate to my grandparents is so natural and instinctive.
“Grandparents are a wonderful blend of Love, Care, Laughter and Wonderful Stories”
Viraaj Kaul
Class – 5 C, Arya Vidya Mandir School, Mumbai