Memories of a Little Girl Called Dolly! (XVII)

Dolly would make me dance to the tune of the songs she liked. She would sing Akhiyonse boli mare… instead of Akhiyonse goli mare… Her favourite movies were Deewana Mattana (Deewana Mastana) and Aunty No. 1, all movies of Govinda. She and her brother were big fans of Govinda.

I would always feel like teasing the little girl. I would sing, Baar baar dekho, hazaar baar dekho…Dolly ho… She would promptly retort with, Dolly Nahin ho… Then there was a more recent title song from Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, I would sing it as Phir bhi Dolly Hindustani. She would immediately snap Phir Bhi Nahin Hai Hindustani!

Mom’s friend had come home to meet her. She asked about how she got friendly with Salma. Mom told her, “Salma would come home often from before the time my own children were born. She would come home from the time I got married and came here. She is like my first daughter. She would keep crying continuously and I would bring her home to cheer her up. Hers is a long story. I will tell that some other time.”

Dolly was present at home at that time. She asked, “I did not see. When did that happen?”

I told her that she was not even born then.

What a scene she created then! She went to her Mummy Aunty and cried her eyes out. Mom told her, “You had been born. She was not born (pointing at me).”

Dolly was happy. If something negative is there then it had to apply to me, for her. Everything positive would have to happen to her. So when I said something about her, she had to say something opposite to that. Dolly used to be treated that way in her home. I would purposely tease her so that she would get the comfort that she would not get at home. In these situations, she would go and get pampered from her Mummy aunty. Then her mood would get better. While coming she would be unhappy and while returning she would be happy.

To be continued…