0 My dinner: a strategic game plan for him

It has been 13 years, since, I had taken breakfast regularly. I completely abandoned the idea of breakfast and I am sure, I never took it in this millennium. When, I was in school in late 80's my routine was like this, I use to wake up at 05:30 AM, got myself ready at 06:00AM, breakfast at 06:30AM, mathematics tuition from 07:00AM to 08:30AM. Taking bath at 09:00AM, Lunch at 09:30AM, school from 10:00 to 03:30AM, snacks at 04:30AM, all (wild) play from 04:30 to 06:30PM, study/home work from 07:00PM onward and dinner at sharp 08:45PM just before hitting the bed. I remember, I use to follow this routine 340 days a year. Rest of 25 days were meant for festivals, guests and the days when we use to celebrate the preparation of non-veg by my pure vegiterian mom. Point to be noted my lord, no TV, no internet and no cricket. Still what a fantastic lifestyle.

Everything has been changed now. Virtually no routine, lunch timing is always based on work schedule and the leisure time after work is attributed to the internet. My famous slogan is "जब से इन्टरनेट ने साथ दिया टी.वी. और बीवी दौनो की छुट्टी हो गई thanks to the internet my wife and TV both got pink slips." But irrespective of the schedule, I ensured that we should keep taking the dinner at the same time (08:45PM) with everyone sitting on the ground, plates and bowls spread around us and we ensure we use our four fingers to stimulate the taste buds more effectively. Though, the schedule of most of the activities changed but the time of our dinner is same. Moreover, now we have 3 years old Ayachi, my son, in the family to be with us for dinner.

It is our dinner, but it eventually became a strategic game plan for Ayachi. Mostly, his mom feed him "daal-chawal-sabji" three times a day. However, he never miss so called strategic dinner with us. He always use to occupy the middle seat. He insists his mom to match the numbers of bowls and plates. He use to sit like me, with two of his legs cross folded into his lap (palathi) and his body erected at 90^o to the ground.

Though, he always positioned himself to be in line with me and my wife, however, he is more happy in positioning plates and bowls strategically within the reach of his hands, rather he has to re-arrange the system for him. He use to put sabzi in daal and enjoy rotating the mixture with his index finger around the periphery of the bowls, thus making a hollow cone. If he finds either of us staring at him, he makes sure to give us an intelligent look, pretending to be very serious in his business. Even, if it is not require, he will ask for spoons and play with it and the bowls. He rotates the roti several times like a wheel and sometimes ups and downs. The pattern of the rotion is well maintained by him. In between, just for pretending, he will put a piece of aloo in his mouth. Instead of bringing his hand closer to his mouth, he bends down at 90^o making his half of the structure parallel to the ground. For everyone else, this may be his immature behavior but for him, it is "yet another game". If we leave him at his will and if we give him company, he will continue to eat (read play) for 3 hours, 4 hours or more.

Our dinner always remain a strategic game plan for Ayachi