'Assmannu Utri' Dadi Ji

Our Dadi Ji Karam Devi was a very jovial person. She was the one who used to narrate us the bed time stories on Sikh Religion and Punjab Folklore.

She would also sing poetry in the praise of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Guru Nank Dev Ji. Usually her story telling was in the shape of poetry singing.

When we boys were growing in late teens, she would make some funny self made poetry to tease us the kids. Me and my cousin Roop were the usual targets.

Whenever I visited Chandigarh on my summer vacations, she framed a beautiful two liner on me and used to sing it now and then. The lines were as follows:

"Assmannu Utri ill Ve,

Ve Preetmohana! 

Chandigarh vich Tera Kehri Kudi Te Dill Ve."

"Assmannu Utraia Kaan Ve,

Ve Preetmohana!

Tu Jaldi Kar De Haan Ve"

And there was continuous renderings by each one of us by composing similar poems for hours targeting each others.

Huge laughter followed after every rendering. In her absence, my age mate cousins Manorma and Roop would tease me by repeating these lines again and again and some more similar funny lines of their own. 

I had no option but to retaliate in the same fashion by substituting my name with theirs. Dadi Ji gave us an excellent reason to enjoy life without any present day electronic gadgetry.  

We miss you Dadi Ji!