Khel Khel Mein

Yeah lo Bugz! (Take this Bugz!)

I hear and look up from my morning chores just in time to see Bugz picking up something from Buzz’s hand.

Waaps do Bugz! (Give it back Bugz!)

Bugz drops whatever it is that she picked, back in Buzz’s hand.

Good job Bugz!

Buzz says with a smile and Bugz laughs out loud showing all her six teeth. As they repeat their game of picking up and dropping, I look closely to see it is a nut of their ‘nut and bolt’ toy set that is being passed around.

I look back to the time when Buzz was the age Bugz is now. She knew what play was but did not know how to play with someone. It was about trying to stack things together, picking things and throwing things, chewing on things she could get in her mouth. I used to spend a lot of time playing with her. Blocks were her favorite then, which she would pick up one by one, hand them over to me and I would build something. She would try and place a few all by herself resulting in the structure toppling over and we would start over again.

Contrast to today, Bugz is at a stage where she does not know how to play with people. She needs to be engaged for a game to begin, but she understands that around Didi is where fun is to be had. Which means she is seen tagging behind Buzz.

Nahein Bugz! (No Bugz!)

Buzz screams as she sees Bugz coming because she knows Bugz will aim for her Lego building and break it. She quickly stacks four-five Legos together and hands them over.

Yeah lo Bugz!

As Bugz gets busy with breaking and trying to re-stack the Legos, Buzz goes back to her original structure. Every now and then she points to something and say,

Bugz, wo wala dena. (Give me that one, Bugz.)

and the little one will hand something or other to her Didi, does not matter if it is the correct Lego piece or not.

There are times when I have the guilt rise up in me, telling me I don’t spend as much time playing with Bugz as I used to with Buzz. Then I look at them playing together and realize my older one has taken my place and keeps her younger sister engaged. New games are invented on a daily bases and played.

Pakdo Bugz, pakdo! (Catch it Bugz, catch it!)

As both of them run behind the ball Buzz kicked.

Laughter rings in the house with every game they come up with and my heart fills with joy looking at them growing up together.