Deepanjan Nag's Magnum Opus

A video posted by Deepanjan Nag (@deepanjannag) on Nov 11, 2014 at 1:56pm PST

…containing his 2nd birthday gift.

Sunday morning. Arihant gets up from his cot and snugs between his parents. He bribes his mom into waking up by planting kisses on her cheeks. Tagore streams into my ears. Daylight pours in through the window and beckons me to another gorgeous day.

That moment when Arihant rushes into the room, pulls an earphone from my ear, places it into his own...and smiles back at me. He then kindly places it back into my ear, though it doesn't quite fit. I readjust. He playfully goes through the motion repeatedly until boredom hits and he finally rushes out with renewed vigor. It completely ruins my listening but gives me something priceless in return- a moment that will drift into one of countless fond memories. I must have annoyed my father in ways not very different, in times not very ancient. I'm sure he didn't mind

It's a priceless moment. I couldn't capture it but Asha goaded me into recording it the second time it happened, minutes after the first. Though Ari had to be prompted, it's unforgettable nevertheless.

I'm drowning the silence with some Bill Evans trio. Dad still speaks to me through music. Asha left for Dubai last night where she'll stay for a couple of days before flying to New Delhi. She almost didn't make it to Heathrow on time. The huge traffic jam caused by an accident only added to our anxiety. But that's hardly an excuse for being late. I hate to see someone being chronically behind schedule. It's probably one of the most difficult habits to beat. The exertion at the airport scrambling for everything left me panting. The return to home via 105 was a much more tranquil affair. The gridlock had opened and I returned home just in time to afford me 5 hrs of sleep before leaving for work. I miss Ari and his mom.

Arihant slipped and fell from the bed today. What a scare it gave us. Fortunately, he wasn’t seriously hurt – thanks to the wooden and carpeted floor.

The agony hasn’t receded a bit. Arihant would have loved playing with his granddad. Poor boy, he’ll never know what he has missed. Love you, Dad.

Had a minor scare last night. But everything’s fine now.