Pagals

Owner at Piyush on Yogi Nagar Road smirked. Aji and Ajoba ordered two blank, bound notebooks, two rubbers, two pencils, two sharpeners; there were no grandkids. 'Aapke liye,' he asked punching a calculator; Rs. 72 it beeped; Aji paid, stepped out with purchases in their hands. Aji friend, Mala remarked wryly: 'Going to Junior KG at Kabir & Tuka (KT) School?' Aji nodded. Aji and Ajoba had chatted over morning kapi plans to fill the notebooks with kolams (rangolis), off and on scribblings and all that. Aji and Ajoba walked a morning to KT School on Vithala Road; Kabir was on a charka and Tuka on the tabla in the principal's room. There were no children as Kabir had given them a holiday to watch Kapali of Rajanikanth. 'Sit down,' said Kabir as Aji and Ajoba squatted on the floor. Tuka offered them chai and kantepohe as they got on to talk. 'We want to join KT School. Can you take us in Junior KG; we will pay you donations,' Ajoba remarked. Popping a spoon of kantepohe, Kabir okayed the request. 'We do not charge donations and fees. Its a free school. Today Tuka took a decision to keep the school open on weekends, not on weekdays. We have no teachers; children learn on their own; sometimes they teach us,' explained Kabir. Aji and Ajoba liked the gameplan; children may be uneasy with Aji and Ajoba; but that they were certain could be got over. On a Saturday morning, Aji and Ajoba walked to KT School; as they stepped into the school, Kabir rattled the charka, Tuka massaged the tabla; Aji and Ajoba became four-year olds; no blackboards, no chalk, no class rooms, no bells, no books, no benches; children roamed free, played, ate ..laughed, shouted..cried.; 'they are Ajis and Ajobas from an Ageless Home; turned kids; thats our magic, KT magic; when you step out, you will be Aji and Ajoba again...explained Kabir and Tuka. Or that's what Aji and Ajoba wrote in their notebooks; after many rewrites and rubbings; showed it to Shreya and Chiyu, who read it. Said: 'Aji and Ajoba pagal hai.'  Pagals.