Still laughing, one of the kids put his arm around the other kid’s shoulder. While taking a stroll on the Island, the two brothers in arm together start singing a devotional sing.
‘MAa SHera WAliyay, TEra SHer AAgaya!’
It was the opening line from gut-busting Akshay Kumar number from year 1996 film ‘Khiladiyo Ka Khiladi’. Hero’s brother is about to be bumped off by the bad guys, our hero gatecrashes the Jagrata party of Villainess and as precursor to his convoluted plan for rescue his brother, sings, ‘MAa SHera WAliyay, TEra SHer AAgaya!’, ‘O Tiger Riding Mother, Your Tiger Has Arrived.’
Mock singing over, the two boys break into guffaws. Their Parikrama of the island is over, on the way out, over the footbridge, they spot a Babaji, a veteran of Amarnath Yatra. The two friends decide to test him. Shooting straight, they ask him one of the most elementary question that has baffled the greatest of human mind:
‘Bhoot Hotay Hai. Bhoot.’
‘Do Ghosts exist?’
Baba, perhaps thrown off by their accent, or perhaps evading the question, replies, ‘Avdhoot. Avdhoot.’
The boys repeat their question, ‘Bhoot Hotay Hai Kya. Bhoot.’
Baba repeats his cryptic answer,’Avdhoot. Avdhoot.’
At this the boys break into more laughter. An arm over each other’s shoulder, marching toe-to-toe, humming something, the two walk out of the island and back to their homes in the surrounding village. The babj proceeds to pose for the camera.
-0-
