Zariwala aasman

People in my jhopadpatti, the one right next to platform No 7 of Bandra station in Mumbai, think that any other world outside this doesn���t exist.
That���s probably why none of them had told me what to look out for when I landed in America. Not that I mind! Along with the entire film crew, I was off to America for the Oscars.
Air-oh-plane
I don���t know about Azhar or Tanvi didi, but I had never seen a bigger plane than the one we went by, before.A pretty aunty escorted me in and asked me where I wanted to sit. Of course, the window seat. As everyone strapped themselves on to their seats, I wondered why they were so scared; obviously they won���t fly off when the plane started, there was a roof on top. Though not scared, it did seem like my ears would fall off when the plane started!
Through my window, I was staring at a sea of clouds when a different pretty aunty brought me food. Biryani... please let it be biryani! No, it wasn���t. Though it tasted good, I wondered why they had served it with paav.
Car-nama
There were so many friendly uncles and aunties at the airport when we got off. They all smiled at us and said they had loved Slumdog Millionaire. One of the uncles spoke to me in fluent Hindi!
Then our car arrived. It looked very odd. In fact, I think it was meant to be a train and they squashed it up; it was so long! On entering, I found seats, some square, some rectangular and one curious cabinet in the corner. What could that have? Cold drinks and ice! Headed for our first party, I sipped on my orange drink. I was in heaven.
Ek alag paav
Our entire film group welcomed us ��� Danny uncle, Loveleen aunty, Anil uncle. Finally, it was time for dinner. More paav? No, a surprise called pizza awaited me. I don���t like vegetables so they served me a saada one, topped with lots of cheese. I tried waiting to see what my ice cream would be topped with, but I realised things were getting hazy... I was sleepy, I wanted my bed.
Fantasy land
The next morning was to be my favourite day of them all. A car took us all to Disneyland only in half an hour. I tried every ride there and didn���t get sick even on the one that took you high up in the sky and inverted you completely so the sky was at your feet! But the best was yet to come. Cinderella ��� the girl who has golden hair, I���ve seen on TV ��� had thrown a party at her blue-and-white palace. All the cartoon characters right there. Mickey Mouse even shook hands with me and agreed to get a photograph clicked with all of us.
White magic
On the day after the Oscar party, all of us were taken to the beach. The water was blue, a shade lighter than the one at Juhu beach. A little distance from the beach was a section where the water was calm. This place had a hotel and two more rides for kids to have fun on. Madhur bhaiyya and I sat inside one of them and we were asked to strap ourselves to our seats, even from the top.
���If you get scared tell me, okay? I���ll stop the ride,��� said Madhur bhaiyya. Of course I was smart enough to figure out the actual truth in no time. Madhur bhaiyya would not have to scream out to the guy running this ride; he���d just press a red button in the corner of our seat!
Wish I had a camera
There were a thousand such moments there that I would���ve caught if I had a camera of my own. Papa had to borrow one from an aunty at Disneyland. I would���ve clicked a photo of Angelina Jolie for sure, though I think Freida didi was wearing the best dress. I don���t think I could request Freida didi to let me wear that blue one when I grow up. You see, the dress would probably not be there at all; Freida didi changes her dresses so many times! But I���ve locked up mine inside my almirah. I don���t know when I���ll wear it next.
Maybe when I go to a country that exists beyond America. Of course there is one! Delhi...