Dad, singer

One of the most enjoyable things I do as a father is sing to Aarvi.

Of course it is part of my strategy to turn her into an enchanting, over achieving, genius, polyglot. I've so f***ing turned into the stereotypical over competitive Indian parent.

It all started with me playing the flute to her while she was still in hospital room. Then I played 'I hope you dance' on my computer. It was the Status Message Aunt's first gift to her.

But the paranoid over protective Missus was quite sure that both of these were going to blow up her tender ear drums. So, like the Indian government, she banned both my flute and youtube videos (I did warn you in the 1st post itself that hyperboles are fair game).

And so I took to clandestinely singing to my new born daughter.

But shit got real about a couple of weeks ago when I sung 'Ho gaya hai phir pyaar tumse' from 'Tanu weds Manu 2'.

I was just into the first line when she flashed the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen. My first reaction was to dismiss it as gas or a fluke or something else. But as I continued, she smiled again. It was as if she was responding to the notes of the raag Bhoopali (and a couple of more that made the song). As a musician and as a father, my joy knew no bounds.

But I was still sceptical. So after I returned to Mumbai, I started sending a song a day that Missus could play to her. It seems Aarvi is a connoisseur of live music and does not enjoy recorded music.

So this time when I went on my weekly trip, I sang to her again. I started singing 'Preet' from Khoobsurat. Again similar notes as the earlier song. And by the time I was into the first line, there it was! That trillion dollar smile!

That just opened the flood gates. Pappa just couldn't stop after that. He sang 'Colours of the wind', 'Radha hi baawree', 'Chaandaniya', and many other songs. And believe you me, the smiles kept coming. It was a 95% hit ratio.

I may be completely nuts here, but I believe that she understands music (even though she's not yet two months old) and responds to it, and more importantly it makes her happy.

And there is nothing more that Dad could want. I would keep singing for the rest of my life to keep that smile on her face.

P.S: One of the songs that the stereotypical over competitive Indian parent in me prescribed for her was 'Ann Marie Calhoun vs. Samvel Yervinyan'. Go listen to it if you haven't. The 3 minute violin duet / duel is the best thing that you will hear today.