I was accompanying my younger brother to the city’s main market for some shopping for the festive season. After parking his car, he held the hands of his two grandchildren — five-year-old girl Arushi and three-plus boy Vasu. The two had started crying and stomping their feet to force us to take them along. And they won. In order to ensure that we did our shopping unhindered, we decided to buy for the little ones their things first. After all, what else they had accompanied us for? After parking the car, I asked Arushi about what she required. Unhesitatingly and jumping in understandable excitement, she screamed, “Barbie dolls”. Seemingly, she had been longing for these particular dolls for quite some time.
“Okay. Done. I will buy these for you. Don’t worry” I reassured her. She greeted the promise with a broad grin that I reciprocated in equal measure. She looked at Vasu as if to tease and tell him that she had got what she wanted. And she looked at me as if to say I was a better grandpa than my younger brother. I turned to Vasu asking him: “And what do you want, dear?” He only stared, but did not say anything. Asked again he did not open up. We thought the little one was undecided and would take time to spell out his requirement. Suddenly, the little guy shouted “truck” (goods carrier).
While I was a bit surprised over his choice, my brother lost his cool. Reason: Vasu already possessed at least 40 toy automobiles of all types and sizes, some of them remote controlled, like Maruti, Hyundai, Jeep, buses, fire tenders, ambulance, cranes and what not. Besides, the fellow has got about a dozen models of motorbikes of different makes. Vasu’s grandpa had a valid reason for getting angry. In these times of space crunch in houses that have shrunk, the boy’s fleet of bikes and other automobiles has occupied considerable area — a big ‘showroom’ within the drawing room! He gets regular chiding for it. That is why he was hesitant to come out with his latest demand, but his hunger for more remained insatiable. Notwithstanding practical problems, he seemed bent upon completing his kitty.
Craze for toys and dolls is a universal phenomenon with boys and girls. But for Vasu, there is nothing like automobiles and bikes. Every day new-generation playthings are appearing in stores, but he is focused only on automobiles.
Why is he is so passionate only about them? I wonder why, despite possessing so many, he always looks greedily at toy cars. He would stop in his shoes on spotting even the semblance of an automobile in some shop window. Why does the boy not fall for a toy train, aeroplane, chopper, remote-controlled robot or dinosaur? On arrival of some guest, while others would usher him or her into the drawing room, the child would sneak out and make a detailed examination of the visitor’s car from all sides, including the interior. How would one describe this mania?
This reminded me of an incident that would show that the boy valued a toy car more than his birthday cake that tempted the young and the old alike. On his birthday, this three-year-old stealthily lifted the cardboard cover of the big cake that was placed on the dining table. Much to his delight, he discovered a toy car parked at the centre of the cake. The birthday baby did not want to wait for the cake-cutting ritual. Even though the table’s level was higher than him, he extended his small arm into it and quickly pulled out the car — and in the process pulled the cake itself out. Next moment, the whole cake was lying on the floor upside down — watched by the little devil clutching the cream-smeared car in his small palm.
Some laughed, some scowled at the boy. A fresh order was placed for another cake with clear instructions: “No toy car on it this time, please”.
The second cake was placed on the same table, but Vasu did not go anywhere near it. Things cooled down and we celebrated the occasion wishing him a ‘Happy Birthday’.
Lalit Raizada is a freelance journalist based in India.
