Classroom Stories – Kaju ke Papa (Kaju’s father)

We introduced Kaju to the world for the first time in 2013, when we tested our first game with a small class of children for the first time ever. Since then, Kaju has been a play-pal and friend to thousands of children across the world. And being tracked and cornered in the corridors of various schools for “How’s Kaju?” turned into a welcome new part of my life.

However, there are certainly some moments that strike a chord with me.

This was at a school in New Delhi, India that I had briefly visited to share and test our games few years back. We were still working on fine-tuning our games. I went back to that school after the summer vacation, and visited a class that had had one session with our games before. All the children stand up to wish me when I enter the class room (let’s call it Nursery C). The amusing yet touching interaction goes something like this:

Me: Good Morning!

Nursery-C: Good Morning Sir!

Me: Do you remember me?

Nursery-C:  Yesssss…

Me: Who am I?

Nursery-C: “Games Waley Sir!”

Brief Pause… (where I am trying to digest the new title given to me)
…when one girl sitting at the back of the class shouts “Kaju ke Papa!”.

– Kartik