Let me try and describe it…

Note: I still firmly believe that I cannot ‘make you feel’ the way I felt there…but still, something is better than nothing!

We were late!!! But the kids were almost unaware and were watching TV…

There were around 35-40 children sitting on a carpet - most of them seemed to be below the age of 10.

As we reached, we had to wait for some time for VCD player to be ready…and other stuff!

By that time, Vanira started chatting with them (finding out “Kiske-kiske daant chuha le gaya“)…

Kunal and Miral too were quick to find out a small child and chatting with them…

then, a kid brought his drawing book to show it to Miral…and all others followed, “Bhaiya, meri drawing bhi dekho”…

Then I noticed that while I was focusing the handycam on all the above things, there were a few children whose focus was constantly on the handycam…they were obviously curious to see something that seemed like camera yet so different!

When I turned the screen towards them (in a way that they could see their own faces in it), all the kids wanted to look at their face on the screen, and they got very eager to do that…so I moved the camera towards everyone of them one after the other…

They were so delighted…I wouldn’t have been so delighted even if I saw myself on KBC…it was a moment that they would have never expected to take place in their lives!!! For us, the fortunate ones, it means nothing!

Then, as we started the movie, a child went and sat in Nidhis lap…half way thru the movie, he slept in her lap only…

Also, a child went and sat in Miral’s lap…I think he hated the movie…since the time the movie started, he started hitting miral on his thighs…he was enjoying so much…(even I wld love to do that)…after sometime we found the child pulling mirals nose and opening his mouth, and continuously hitting ‘the Punching Bag’ …

All the time during the movie (the print was very very bad) we noticed that some children were just enjoying and laughing when Snowbell (the cat) ran after Stuart (little)…and sometimes when Stuart would just be running around, hanging from tree…and be locked in a washing machine…

After the movie, Nidhi and Sagar started playing “Langdi”…

Sanju and I were talking to the person who takes care of all these children (A person named Devendra/Devansh and his wife run the Orphanage. He is a sub-editor in a Hindi magazine. They usually manage to get some funds from people around.) And Kunal to Yash (Yash is the oldest kid there. He is in FYJC - Vocational course in some college in Grant road.).

Then, we all saw Miral on one leg…thank God he didnt fall…that was the time we forgot everything and started playing with them…not thinking anything…

When I went to play, the kids came to me with a handkerchief, telling me, “Bhaiya, meri baari hai”…they wanted me to tie the kerchief on their eyes so that they cld catch others…those children were getting more fun from catching others rather than hiding…

I started tying it on each ones eyes turn after turn…they also kept coming back…that time i was completely lost in their smiles and I had only one thought in my mind - to give as much fun and happiness to those children as i could…

Then they all went to play “Tug of war”…and were enjoying falling on each other (for some reason)…they kept on falling and enjoying…

Then, Nidhi (most probably, I did not note it properly…but I felt so. I was busy tying the kerchief still) was telling stories to them…

Then they played Antakshari and one child danced on many songs…he was very good at it…

Ohhh…then the most amazing part…they played “kabaddi” with miral…haaa, miral was the waekest link…all small ones (chillar pillar) were scaring him…some of them were brilliant at it…they must be practising a lot…

Then, Devendra said, its theri time to study. (Their schedule was fixed. Daily Yoga in the morning, breakfast, school, sleep, play, study, watch TV and sleep. They also went to schools - some in Marathi and some in Hindi medium).

As, we left, Megha could not leave Gauri…(below)…she was continuously playing with all of us and was very shy…very sweet…

But we had to go, and while we were leaving, many of them asked, “Fir kab aaoge? Kaunsi picture dkhaoge?”

And yes, with no doubt in our minds and without having to discuss it amongst ourselves (whether it is feasible or not), we said, “Hum jaldi aayenge…aur ab Spiderman lekar aayenge”…we all knew…we will come back…and keep coming back…