I am on my morning stroll on jogging track in a small but neat and green garden maintained by Mumbai Municipality. The garden being in remote place, is mostly deserted. A lone couple walks in front of me. A middle age man jogs to keep himself fit. A few school students sit on lawn with their note books. The silence is broken not by sweet bird calls but by croaking of crows.
All of a sudden a small baby girl appears – perched in the hands of her grandmother. I guess she is about4-5 months old. Round and sweet small face, somewhat sleepy eyes, staring at everything but without any expression. I feel like carrying her in my arm, but how can I ask unknown person to hand me her baby? On my next round I see the grandmother tired and sit on a rounded stone. I ask her for the baby, she is most obliging and the baby comes in my arms very willingly. Now she is staring at my face. I show her birds but she doesn’t budge. I try to show her flowers but no use. She is intently looking at my face. It slowly dawns in her little brain that mine is an unknown face.
The little lips widen, eyes narrow down, faint frown line appears and I recognize distinct sign of cry to come.
I quickly return the baby to her Grandmother. The little face appears relieved, but she still stares at me unbelievingly. I smile back at her, and a faint smile now appears on the little face. And thus ends our rendezvous on a happy note.
