46+14=06, A Story of a Genius

He arrived as a small bundle, we almost left him behind in the car that brought him from the hospital, so excited were we when he came into our lives and our home.

He grew into a little imp with a wonky smile, each pic of his revealed that. Even then he knew how to pose for one. He was full of questions and both his parents would patiently answer his monosyllablic questions. All he would do would be to point out to the same things everyday and we would tell him what those things were. He hardly spoke, and when he did, the words were few and far between.

Time flies, they say. But I remember each and every moment with him. Taking him every Sunday to Sundervan, and occasionally to the zoo. Watching him skate, watching him do cross country running during football training. Playing cricket with him in the narrow corridor at home. And later, when computers became more popular, playing cricket with him on the PC for hours together.

There were many times when he would come back from school with the kind of marks we all have been familiar with, specially me, since I was quite pathetic myself with subjects like Maths. And at times he came home with scars, like the first time he went to play cricket and got a full-blooded hit right on his mouth and had to have twelve stitches on his lip. He rushed home crying "Daddy,Daddy.."

Then he left me alone in Baroda to go to Chennai to study in college. And from there he urged me by an SMS to go and watch a new movie called Lakshya. That’s probably when he showed me his own Lakshya. He reminded me so much of Jonathan Livingstone Seagull.

He always took us by surprise when he did something different. And he did a lot of things differently.

Today he doesn’t surprise me. Because he has achieved something he had set his heart upon. More than 3 years back.

I distinctly remember him telling me-“Dad, if one hasn’t done anything worthwhile by the age of 25, what is life worth?”

Very true, son. I am proud of you. The little boy, who probably was at the receiving end of many a stick, has shown the way to a lot of prospective writers and dreamers. That you must dream, and then work at that dream to make it happen.

46+14=06, A Story of a Genius.

This is his beautiful work of fiction, written alongwith his mom. Who dreamt along with him. And made sure that he fulfilled the dream. He didn't speak much when he was a kid. Today his book speaks about so many things, it is amazing.

I do hope that all of you reading this will read 46+14=06, A Story of a Genius. And then share it with your kids, your parents, your teachers and your students. And with everybody else.