Land of Lilliputians

The day Mobby grows up dawns like any ordinary day. There are no drum rolls either to herald the great event. Here is the first hand account: We are at the breakfast table, Mobby and I. I am sipping tea and Mobby sits across the table from me on his high chair.   In a while, Mobby’s amma comes and lines up his breakfast in front of him.  Before leaving she sternly looks at Mobby and reiterates a few commandments, “Hold your mug with both hands, don’t spill anything and finish your breakfast, down to the last morsel.”  Mobby seems attentive enough as if he is contemplating to one day write a treatise on breakfast commandments.  These commandments are amma’s chief contribution to usher in the great event. And she leaves. I look at Mobby. Mobby looks at me. I discern the lure of the forbidden glimmering in his eyes, and decide to ignore it. After all, at breakfast, it is impossible to think of anything else except tea. It is almost a sacril...

T here is a sudden commotion. The floors silently bear the thump of hurried, jubilant footsteps; the doors try to get over the shock of sudden, ruthless slamming; and the walls resonate with shrieks and squeals. And this mayhem is caused by Lilliputians’ extreme delight.  Cousins are here. More Lilliputians. Now the gender balance is restored and the walls of the land of Lilliputians resonate with girl power. Here is the brief introduction of the cousins and this formidable girl power: Maheen is the eldest. With the attitude and bearing of a princess, she is Saif’s best friend. Saif’s is a few months younger than Maheen, and this is his pet peeve. He used to believe that with time he would grow up and grow older than Maheen. But now he knows better and seems to have made his peace.  Maheen writes songs, loves to play football and cricket, her hair has to be short and pushed back with no stray hair touching her skin. She likes to challenge all accepted beliefs, ...