Sunday was party time. A wedding in the extended family meant all were welcome. A good way to show our volunteers what an Indian wedding was all about! They were to say the least speechless and this was in no way an upmarket bash! Among the guest list two little boys from different worlds bonded by the illogical love of an old biddy. The biddy is yours truly, the boys young Utpal and tiny Agastya. After a long drive through parts of Delhi I had never laid eyes on we reached the venue, a wedding garden garishly decorated and brightly lit. The rains of the day also meant that the grass was wet and the carpets soaked. Much to the delight of my two heroes who enjoyed the water squishing under their shoes.

We were amongst the first to arrive and had the place to ourselves. The boys ran free stopping only to gorge themselves on the yummy snacks. At one corner stood the notorious DJ and soon dance music was blaring from the huge speakers. That is when my little boys made a beeline for the dance floor and started dancing. They did not stop till it was time to leave! They danced and danced, the little one trying to copy the bigger one. I am so glad someone filmed them!

I must admit I did not take time to watch them that evening but I have looked at the one minute clip over and over again and it has brought smiles to my lips and joy to my heart. These two little boys come from such different world. Utpal has a past even adults would find difficult to carry and Agastya my grandson came into our world with the proverbial golden spoon in his mouth. Both walked into my heart and taught me the meaning of pure unadulterated love, the kind you give without expecting anything in return, the kind that fills you with joy, hope and trust. They took to each other immediately, Utpal the caring big bro to rapidly growing Agastya. Agastya who lives thousand of miles away has never missed a PTM when in town. The two boys revel in each other’s company, the little one following the bigger one at each step. The sight of them fills me with happiness and lights up my darkest hour. How blessed I am to have these two little souls in my rapidly dwindling life.

In four days my grandson will leave after eight magical months. I know there will be a huge hole in my heart but I also know that another little boy from another world will be there to fill the void till he returns.