“Amma!” piped up the five-year old at breakfast. “What?” I asked , none too sweetly – she was taking such a long time over her breakfast as usual that I was getting edgy. Meanwhile my son was staring off into space possibly ruminating on the fate of the farmers who grew the rice and urad dal that went into the making of his formerly crisp but currently very cloth-like dosa.
“Did you see God?” continued Mahi unabashedly. I swallowed hard and thought fast. What do I say? I told her there was a God over the years but I didn't specify as to colour or characteristics. I could say that I had seen God but that was not strictly true, was it? On the other hand I could not say I didn't see God because that would be followed by a “why not?”. So I thought fast and asked her “Did you see God?”. She nodded serenely over her mushy cereal “Yesterday, at school”. I did a double-take. “Really???” “Yes, Amma”, she said smiling up at me. “I saw God and so did Amit and Tamanna and Ritu. God was alone way up there. He didn't know our names so he only smiled.” My throat closed up at her words. “So did you like God?” “Yes, he was nice”, she said chewing a spoonful of decidedly spongy chocos. “So it was a he?” “Oh, yes”, she replied, confirming my deep-seated doubt that the universe was definitely headed by a male.
I sat down at the table, closed the newspaper and watched my kids eat. They were smiling at each other and twinkling their eyes and they looked at me waiting for the next “Oh hurry up you two” from their nagging mom. Yes, I think I have seen God too :-)
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