The Yellow Butterfly

F of #AtoZChallenge My first school was Yashomandir. At age four. It was a Nursery school in Mulund East.   The uniform was a red pinafore with a white shirt. My mum would fold a handkerchief in a triangle and pin it (with a safety pin) on the left-hand side.  My school name-badge would be pinned on top of it.  The Principal of our Yashomandir was Teacher-Aaji.  I never made an effort to know her real name because for me she was Teacher-Aaji. Whenever I meet her, I still address her Teacher-Aaji.  She was a tall, pathicha kana taath (spine-straight) woman who had the looks of a commanding yet a kind Principal.  My class teacher's name was Rita Teacher.  My memory of walking down the street to Yashomandir is fresh to the extent that I still remember how the sunshine felt, how I hopped and skipped to school holding my Aaji's hand, the warm breeze that flowed, the hide and seek the sun played through the shady trees.  I even ...

Kaal Gauri ani me kharya arthane sakkhe shejari zalo. Shejari kase asavet? Jey ekmekanchya ghari yeun have tey khanyacha jhinnas, kutchi goshta magun gheun jaanare- sakhar, virjanasathi dahi, aala aani vattel tey! Jey ekmekanshi daarat ubhe rahun gappa martat aani khup charcha kartat; Jey ghari banavlelya recipes exchange karun ekmekanna manapasun appreciate karnare asey shejari! Tar hya majhya definitions madhe basel ashya prakarche ‘shejari’ kaal Gauri ani me zalo. Kahi divsannpurvi me ghari jevayla hote. Aaini kutchitari boring bhaaji keleli. Me jevayla basnarach, tevdhyat bell vajli. Baghte tar Gauri ani tichya haatat zakleli vaati. Gauri ne swataha chicken curry keli hoti. Tey ti muddamun majhyasathi taste karayla gheun aali hoti. Tey jevan kay masta lagla mahitye ka! Mag kaal me swatahun kolambicha kalvan kela hotå. Mag hyaveli me tichya ghari dabba pochavla. Ghari parat yetana, jey satisfactory feeling ani ananda hota tey mhanje ‘shejarpancha’! Mala vatt...

This is the story from the times when Tigers did not have stripes and when they were just plain bright orange.   Once upon a time, Mr and Mrs. Tiger and their son, Little Timmy were travelling far and wide in search of a new home. They came across a big forest. The forest had lush green trees, tall and soft grass, fresh blue water, cool breeze and delicious food to eat.  In it lived many animals-little ones, big ones, not so little and not so big ones, short ones, tall ones, not so short and not so tall ones, long ones, stout ones, not so long and not so stout ones, slow ones, fast ones, not so slow and not so fast ones, wriggly ones, crawly ones, winged ones and scaly ones.  The three Tigers loved the forest and decided to make it their new home. When Little Timmy went to the forest school all the other kids marveled, “Wow. You are so bright and so orange!” Soon Little Timmy had made friends in his class-Jim the elephant’s kid, Henry the Giraffe’s kid, Zazoo ...