Dreams of the Little Ones – and Bharat’s First Sketch

Chapter 20: Dreams of the Little Ones – and Bharat's First Sketch

The stars had come out, shy and scattered across the dark velvet of the Lucknow sky. A soft breeze rustled through the neem leaves in the Singh family courtyard, carrying the scent of tulsi from the small corner temple and the warmth of leftover rotis still resting in the basket.

The family dinner, now stretched into its second hour, had become something more than a meal—it was a gathering of minds, hearts, and dreams.

Dadi handed kheer to Rohan and Pinky with one hand and swatted a mosquito with the other. "Meena, don't spill ghee on your frock again!" she said, half-laughing.

Arjun, stretching his legs after the long sitting, looked up at the clear night sky. "The air here smells like guava trees and wet earth. In Jammu, all you get is pine needles and chill."

Raghav grinned. "How's your post in the mountains?"

Arjun smiled faintly. "It's peaceful. But not easy. No phones for days. Snow blocks the pass in winters. You carry everything on your back—blankets, bullets, bread."

Pooja handed Arjun a second roti. "Sounds like my hospital kitchen—except with scalpels instead of rifles."

Everyone chuckled.

Vandana leaned over. "Do you get to talk to Kavita often?"

"Letters," Arjun replied. "Sometimes voice line, if the antenna isn't down. Last week, we used a field transmitter to call the base. My men want something better… something that doesn't freeze or die when the batteries do."

Ajay nodded thoughtfully. "Let's put it on the list for the R&D team."

Pooja, wiping her hands with the edge of her dupatta, said, "And in my hospital, we're still arguing about whether that old ECG machine works. Imagine needing to guess a patient's heartbeat when we have satellites flying overhead."

Dadi muttered from her seat, "Satellites for the skies, but not for stomachs."

The children, meanwhile, had formed a haphazard circle near the neem tree. Their minds were in another world altogether.

The World of Imagination

Rohan, climbing onto a half-brick, pointed toward the stars.

"I want a machine that sends me to school in five seconds! Zoom! No math class!"

Meena giggled. "I want one that gives jalebis from a button! Press once—two pieces. Press twice—four!"

Little Pinky added seriously, "And I want a doll that says 'bad boy' when Bhaiya steals my sweets!"

The family burst into laughter again.

Ajay leaned over to Raghav. "They're more creative than our department meetings."

Raghav laughed. "And more honest!"

Vandana said, half-jokingly, "One day they'll design half our products."

Bharat's Corner

But in one corner of the courtyard, lit dimly by the yellow bulb near the pillar, Bharat sat quietly with his notebook.

His legs were folded beneath him, and his eyes moved between the cousins and his rough sketches.

They don't know it… but their silliness is my blueprint.

He was drawing tiny blocks—screens, characters, labels. His handwriting, still small and neat, filled each page with ideas.

Bharat's Thoughts:

"If Pinky wants a talking doll, I can make her a game called Tiny Helper.

If Meena wants jalebis, I can design Snack Factory.

Rohan wants to be a spy? Good. I'll make Spy School.

Every silly wish can become a learning game."

He remembered something he had read in an English newspaper his grandfather left on the swing.

"Arcade gaming in America: 1982 set to break $2 billion in revenue."

Games are not toys anymore. They're business, culture, and power. India may be late to the game… but I won't be.

More Conversations Under the Stars

Kavita, watching Bharat from a distance, whispered to Nirmala, "He's like a sponge. Absorbs everything."

Nirmala smiled. "But then he gives it back better."

Pooja leaned in to Dadi and said softly, "Ma, I think Bharat hears us all—even when we're not speaking to him."

Dadi nodded. "That boy… he was born with something extra. A fire maybe."

Back to Arjun – The Mountains and Machines

Ajay turned to Arjun again. "Tell us more. What would help your men the most?"

Arjun leaned back, voice serious now.

"Portable communication kits. Light, solar-charged. Devices that work without towers. Mini-maps that glow in the dark. Night vision without huge helmets."

He looked across the courtyard. "And shoes that dry quickly."

Everyone laughed again.

Back to Pooja – The Medical Mind

Vandana looked to her sister-in-law. "Pooja, what else do you wish for your clinic?"

Pooja didn't hesitate.

"Machines that detect disease before symptoms begin. Before fever. Before pain. Blood scanners the size of a purse. Mobile labs for rural vans."

She pointed to Bharat. "And games to teach kids how to stay healthy—what is sugar, what is pressure, how much water to drink."

Bharat looked up, surprised. "That's a good idea."

Bharat's Final Thought – Before Bed

He added a line in his notebook:

"Health Games – Fun + Science = Safe Kids."

He paused.

Then turned the page.

In small letters, he wrote:

"My First Studio – One room. One desk. One idea at a time."

He looked at his cousins again, now playing shadow-tag under the moonlight.

They don't know it yet... but they're the first stars in my sky.