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"Bina sur aur taal k gaaoge
Toh Asur, Betaal kehlaoge!"*
There were peals of laughter all around. One 3 year old was hitting her elder brother incessantly while the 6 year old brother giggled.
"Chetan! Chitra! What is going on there?" Ramesh asked in mock anger. "Bhaiya-" Chitra started. "She doesn't know what Betaal is!" Chetan cut her off with a giggle.
Ramesh was flummoxed for a moment. Kids! Cute, adorable but very very difficult.
"I'll tell you. Come here. Don't hit your brother like that." Ramesh finally said. Chitra got up and settled down beside Ramesh, facing the other students. She smiled as she took in the importance of her position.
"We start with teen-taal. OK? It has a count of 16. Clap at 1,5, 13, empty beat at 9." Ramesh heard crickets as the children stared at his face, clueless. Ramesh sighed. "I'll show you."
Dha dhin dhin dha
1. 2. 3. 4.
Dha dhin dhin dha
5. 6 7 8
Dha tin tin ta
9 10 11 12
Ta dhin dhin dha
13 14 15 16
Dha-
1.
Ramesh finished with a clap.
All the children clapped in unison. They knew not what they were clapping at but it sure was fun.
With some difficulty Ramesh managed to teach them how to count on their hands. At least, some got the hang of it.
Most kids were not old enough to write it down. So Ramesh had no hope of them practicing at home. He'd have to teach by repetition.
"Chitra, Chetan! Come now." Their mother called out. Ramesh looked dejected. Over? So soon?
Soon, the other children started to leave with their parents too. Chitra and Chetan's mother waited for Ramesh to come.
"Ramesh sir you are such a boon to us. Otherwise these kids would have created such a nuisance at home."
She said with a smile.
Day care centre. Ramesh smiled back. "No problem!"
Ramesh stared at their receding backs wondering if he would ever get students who were sincerely passionate about music or if he would be reduced to a babysitter. Not that babies are bad.
Just then he noticed little Chitra at a distance. She freed her hand from her mother's and tried to emulate the teen taal that Ramesh had just tried to teach, Her tiny fingers tapping on her palm. She got the beat wrong, but Ramesh smiled. She would get it right.
She would never be "Betaal " he was sure.
This was enough for him. Just enough.
___
I have no idea why I wrote this but well... If the teen taal or the initial "joke"(p.j.😆) don't make sense let me know. And this isn't proofread so...be kind.😛 Feedback please.😊
*asur=demon
betaal=a spirit
betaal=a spirit
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