04/05/2020
Drishaan turned 4 today.
For those who don't know, he's the one who let me be a chachu for the first time.
These are a set of photos I took on the day of Mayuri's engagement, in the surendranagar district of Gujarat!
This was not a photoshoot.
They just happened as Drishaan was playing in his zone,
And I just documented them as is.
This was when we retured from the engagement ceremony back at our dharamshala to rest before we would leave for Mumbai.
I asked Drishaan to show me his new fruits and cutlery set so that we could play together in his make-believe world.
It is when I realised, it was better to be a spectator of his world rather than be an active part of it, these photos happend.
Drishaan told me,
he'd allow me to take photos but first, he will take photos of me from the DSLR. Yeah, that happend. A 3 and a half year old kid took my photo from a DSLR camera by directing me where to sit and what to do. And he took a decent photo.
What did you do when you were 3 years old?
I am glad these photos happend.
And I can proudly say, these photos have less to do with my photography skills per se and more to do with his imagination, his ability to articulate the energy and expressions in a split of a second and hold on to them willingly.
I mean, how many kids have you met that could easily switch from one expression to another so swiftly that too in under 20 minutes? I don't know about you, but I haven't!
It would be true to say, I did not make these photos happen, these photos just formed their shape and happened to be.
I just took one photo after another and did not want to stop. Such subjects can not let you stop. Then, taking photos becomes an involuntary action.
These photos reinforces my thought and belief about the dormant artist in Drishaan's DNA waiting for his true moment of photosynthesis to happen. Photosynthesis in a human? Yeah. It will take a few years for you to know what I mean.
The beauty of Drishaan in these photos is in the fact that he was extremely indulgent, while being vividly presently in the moment, in the activities he did.
This is not focus; this is what makes a child who he or she is.
Adults call this mindfullnes, which is like a relic to them.
Drishaan has this unspoken comfort with me. I don't know how to explain this, but whenever I take his photos, he is ready and willingly allows me to take them and not just take, but he will be in his natural zone of expression, assuming he is in his zone.
And when someone else tries, he either covers his face, or runs or hides. It is funny to watch him do that.
These photos are everything that defines the 'be child like' answer that all great people keep referring to when asked upon, what is the secret to their success and happiness.
Just Laugh when you're laughing;
Just Run when you're running;
Just read, when you're reading;
Just make a cup of imaginary tea when you're making one.
Just cut plastic vegeatbles when you're cutting them.
Don't think of what was and don't indulge in what will be. Simple no?
Watching him play made me realise, the supposed answer to finding happiness in mundane, simpler things lies in the meager 'Just'.
Or should I say, just like Drishaan.
Here is to the many faces of joy that is willing to paint the sky green,
the water pink,
and the trees purple.
Here's to Drishaan's imagination, which I hope doesn't find the dull fullstop of logic.
Mrudang M.Vora Prateek Vora Janvi Vora Veena Vora Bhagyashree Vakhariya Rucha Vakhariya
