A memorable DATE!

“What’s a DATE?” – I almost dropped my mug when my daughter asked me this question! “Well…mmm… date is like today is 28th August” I just tried to evade the question...honestly just had no clue how to explain this to a 7 year old! “NO..not that date….whats a DATE?” she asked me with a body language that suggested she was in no mood to tolerate any nonsense…how kids pick up stuff from their mothers, I always wonder..!!

“Hmm…well… generally a DATE is an occasion when two people who like each other decide to have great time together… so they go out to a restaurant, watch a movie…generally have lot of fun together, you know!” “Wow!! is that so? .. so lets go for a DATE today … you and me” …. Honestly I did not know how to react to this sweetest proposal of a DATE I could ever imagine! ‘Not a bad idea’, I thought. It was a lovely Saturday morning in Pune and Saturday mornings used to be time for me and my daughter, as my wife would be away at work. “Ok! Lets go out for a DATE” “Where are we going?” “Hmm… lets go to Meridian…they have a nice buffet lunch…you will like it” “Do they have ice-creams?” “I think so” …… “Ok, you wear your Jeans and that blue shirt, I’ll wear my new blue dress”….I was just beginning to realize the seriousness of my DATE!

As we drove to Meridian, she was quite well-behaved…almost dignified, I would say and I had to remind myself that it would not be polite to laugh. As we entered the Meridian and settled with our plates, she returnd to her normal cheerful self…. As we enjoyed our meals, her eyes lit up…. She looked around the Meridian Lobby from where we sat and exclaimed “shall we play hide & seek here?” …. I almost swallowed my fork!!! “HERE??” “Ya, its kind of nice…we are on a DATE no?”… “Yes of course!” I had to think quickly on my feet… “Well, we will just play it quietly but will not run around” “Why?” “Hmm.. no generally you don’t run around like that on a DATE” “OK, your den first” “sure”

If you have not tried out Hide & Seek at Meridian lobby in Pune…try it out. Its actually an awesome place to play Hide & Seek. We had a great time for next half an hour! Easily it was THE DATE of my life!

Six years down the line, my daughter is 13 now, standing 5 Ft 7” tall… she seriously thinks she is grown up … I’m little amused to see her getting little conscious about herself… spending little more time in front of mirror everyday!

Of late, a thought has started gnawing my mind – I am sure it has troubled million fathers before me….. a few year down the line she may not ask me meaning of DATE and more importantly, may not ask me for a DATE!