Bappa, can I have that day back?

This picture here sums up my childhood days!
As a kid I loved to draw. If there was anything that captured my curious eye it had to end up on canvas, well paper actually! Be it the elephants pushing the "khatara" car in "Haathi merey saathi" or my favorite mare "Gauri", I wouldn't be at peace with myself until I drew a sketch in my little drawing book.

That day, my parents had taken me and my kid brother to watch the sarvajanik Ganesh festival in Mumbai. I was captivated by the grandeur of those great Ganpati Bappa statues! However their splendour could never be captured within the confines of my drawing book. So I was gonna need a really large piece of paper, when I didn't find any in my home, I found for myself an alternative. It was going to be the white wall in my parent's bedroom, the one supporting the master bed!

While my parents were away, I started the elaborate task that I had set my eyes on. Slowly but with a sure hand I drew a 5 feet *5 feet Ganpati in my parent's bed room. When my father came looking for me he was stunned, but the pride in his son's nascent abilities engulfed him and he asked me to climb on his back so that I could provide the finishing touches that he thought my feat so richly deserved. My mother followed my father into the room and she brought with her prasad and tips on how I should add color to my drawing. My kid brother also emerged from hiding now that it was assured that this idea of dada wouldn't bring with itself a beating. "Picasso " my mother would call him. He added the color and life that my drawing was so clearly lacking in. For many a year that wall in our home remained like that. Every guest being shown around the house was told the story by my proud parents!

Sadly I never went onto bigger things from there. May be it was the restrictions to imagination that my school's drawing teachers imposed that put me off my love for drawing or may be I am too caught up in Tarey Zameen Par, but whatever it was, my skills plateaued after that day. A couple of years ago, encouraged by my parents, I even attempted to make a career switch to animation, a field where I could put my most obvious natural and possibly only abilities drawing skills and creativity to use. But I couldn't find the courage and conviction to do it!

However I have decided I wont be living in regret either. I may not make a career out of my hobby but I will enjoy and indulge in it by taking the plunge in "My World". But for one timeless moment Bappa, can I have that day back?