Yamanadi Vintara! I said in Telugu. 

(Translation: Aji sunte ho! Are you listening?)

‘It is so sad. Our grandchildren are grown up,’ I sighed, reading the news.

‘Why sad? You should be happy,’ Hubby commented.

‘If they were young, I too, could have helped one of our grandkids to create an album of lullabies like Falu.’ I lamented.

‘Falu? Who is he? Or she?’ Hubby wondered.

‘Falu is the nickname of Ms. Falguni Shah, a PIO. She won a Grammy award for the children’s album, “A Colorful World”. 

‘Heard you, but I don’t understand what has that got to do with our grandkids growing up,’ he queried.

‘Let me complete,’ I said.

‘While accepting the award, Falguni thanked her grandmother, for singing loris to her. She mentioned that her grandmother's singing inspired her love for music.’

‘Now, you will ask how does that make a difference?’ I spoke on his behalf.

‘Well, if our kids were young, I could have sung the loris keeping in mind that they have to grow up influenced by my loris.’

‘But, back then, I sang simple loris. The only thing in my mind was the child should fall asleep quickly, and I don’t have to hum anymore.’ I said, remembering the long sessions I had with the granddaughter.

‘If I remember correctly, our granddaughter slept as soon as you began singing. I wonder why?’ he questioned tongue-in-cheek.

‘I know what you are hinting. I sang soft and nice loris. Not the usual Bollywood ones, but good Telugu lullabies. So don’t you pass that comment?’ I grumbled and continued.

‘Do you know this lady, Falguni, a Mumbaikar born in this city? She was trained in Hindustani classical music in the Jaipur music tradition and in Benares’s style thumri. Later she moved to the US in 2002 and collaborated with Yo-Yo-Ma, Ricky Martin and our desi A R Rehman too!’

‘Hmmmmm. I think there is still time to sing for the younger grandson. He will be inspired by my loris. There after he can take music lessons from a few classical doyens in Mumbai. Later, moving to the US, he can create albums, gain popularity. He will surely win Grammys and Oscars too!’

‘And at the award ceremony, he will invite me to the stage and say thanks to his Nani…’ I dreamt on.

‘Come down! Come down, my dear, you have hit the ceiling,’ Hubby woke me from my pleasant dreams.

‘By that logic, if you had sung loris to your girls, you could have attended the award function by now,’ he remarked.

‘I know, I know, I sang very few lullabies for our children. I used to be tired, returning from the office, preparing dinner, feeding them and then putting them to bed. No one helped me, if you know whom I am referring to.’ I said, watching him from the corner of my eyes.

All was quiet in the living room.

‘One must appreciate the Mother. She is strict, disciplining the child, sometimes shouting, often screaming, scolding, chiding, reprimanding, admonishing.’

‘By the end of the day, she feels guilty and filled with remorse. She indulges in self-reproach and sometimes self-condemnation too. She decides to compensate for her brusqueness with more love and affection. She demonstrates her love with hugs, kisses, reading stories, singing lullabies.’ I ended, remembering the past.

“Lullaby is the spell- when the mother converts herself from the ogre to an angel” for her baby. Hubby added.

I nodded wistfully.

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