Kaavya smiles again...

Kaavya woke up one morning in February 2009 and was all smiles…

Kaavya looked forward to this morning for a while now. Most of her friends have lost it and few have even started to get it back. Some have lost more than one. In her class all of the kids have lost it but her. Never will you see someone wanting to lose something so badly and envious of others losing it all along.

Kaavya has been upset the last few days…some times even frowning and losing her smile when she finds yet another friend smiling happily, the new smiles they’ve discovered.

Just a couple of days ago, when we were driving, Kaavya brought up this mature revelation.

“Appa, I know that there is no real Tooth Fairy…I also know that there isn’t a real Santa either…”

“Then how do kids get Christmas gifts in the US…”, I respond eager to know what her answer might be.

Retorts with confidence and authenticity, “…the gifts are kept to make the children happy…mostly it is their parents who keep them.”

I knew where this conversation was going. So before it can spiral down to her sulking, I responded.

“But you know that there are no Tooth Fairies in India…Tooth Fairies are only in the US…may be there will be a Tooth Devata or Tooth Umachi here…But since you were born in the US you may get both a Tooth Fairy and an Umachi…lets see”.

I couldn’t tell how she took this response but I managed to get her distracted about a Fairy and Indian Goddess Angel than worrying about the tooth.

Priya had a more convincing argument for Kaavya,

"Kaavya, See the later your teeth falls the longer they will stay as you grow old...so as a grandma, you will still have your teeth in tact when most of your friend-grandmas wont!"

She was eager each day, shaking and pulling what had been a tooth that she desperately wanted to lose. Interestingly a couple of days later her most awaited first tooth fell. Kaavya was very excited about it and very happy. I could tell this was a milestone she desperately wanted as all of her friends in the same age-group and some younger had already accomplished.



At 10pm, Priya suddenly remembered after the kids had gone to bed...She took a 10 Rupee note and 1 Dollar bill and walked into Kaavya's bedroom.

Kaavya woke up the next day and checked under her pillow. Kaavya had got a gift from the global tooth fairy.

Rediscovering her new smile, Kaavya stood in front of her mirror first thing in the morning…Smiling wide, lowering her lips, twisting and turning them in many angles to get better visuals.

Before long she stood wondering how the brush will skip this new gap.