There's a child within us all

I always thought that when people grow up, they stop behaving like children. That belief was modified recently when Zehera Mecklai and I were in Russia for a holiday. One fine day, after our fill of Art and Culture in Moscow, Zehera insisted that we go to Gorky Park, where she had read there's an amusement park, with Merry-go-round etc. I was a bit sceptical and thought it will be kid-stuff, but anyway had no choice but to go there. And lo-and-behold, as we entered the huge park, we saw a Merry-go-round. Zehera was very excited to sit on the puny wooden horses. I was feeling very embarrassed as the fellow passengers were all tiny-tots. Nonetheless, we bought the tickets and climbed the horses gingerly. Once settled, it was a really warm and fuzzy feeling which overtook (Zehera was already in a different world) and I was transported to my childhood. Even though we received some surprised looks and smiles from the grown-ups, we were beyond care.

After that there was no looking back. Sacrificing the trip to one of the museum in Moscow to do this kid-stuff did not seem criminal to us at all. We sat on a toy train, which went around the garden, shot with guns to win small teddy bears, paddled in the lake, ate huge candy-floss. We wanted to sit in dodgem cars, Ferris wheel etc, but they were out of order.

The day before, we had been to the Circus and the same feeling was there. Both of us were watching the circus after may be 25 years and we just did not stop clapping. Zehera, of course, was much more excited to see the animals, the acrobats and the magician. It was like stepping in a different world. Zehera also met her real-life version of Jaggu (her teddy bear at home) in the circus and was not even afraid to hug him (and did not want to let him go).

We did realise that it's not only the two of us. When we went to see the ballet-"The Sleeping Beauty", we thought we will see many kids, but 95% of the spectators were adults! The fairy tale, which, of course is for kids, was so beautifully enacted that we were spell-bound.

I am glad we came in contact with our inner child as it made us really happy (the kind of happiness which is genuine and carefree).I could see it later in the pictures, which we took during these outings.

Those three outings did bring out the fact that we may grow older, but the child within us is intact and will never grow up (I sincerely hope so).