Watching my 12- year- old  daughter toggling the remote control  I asked her what she was looking for.  Without shifting her gaze from the television she  replied “ Today they are going to show a programme of a very  important person in Maharashtra. I don’t want to miss it”.

     Puzzled I asked her “ Who ? Are you referring to the new chief minister of Maharashtra?

     “ No dad. Who is interested in the new chief minister of Maharashtra. You are a journalist and still you don’t know who  is the most important person in Maharashtra?” my daughter asked me with a quizzical expression?

    Getting a bit irritated I told her  “ Don’t beat about the bush. Tell me who do you think is this  very  important person” I asked  her sipping a piping hot filter coffee.

    My daughter said “  Elementary dad.  It is the item girl Kaaki Samant.” The coffee cup from my hand nearly slipped and some hot coffee spilled over my shirt..  Before I could say anything my daughter said “ don’t look at me with such an annoying expressions. I know that Kaaki Samant is the most important person in Maharashtra”.

       This was getting too much for me. Controlling my impatience I asked her “ what makes you draw such a silly  inference” . My daughter said “ I can see you face is becoming red like a tomato because you disagree with me. But this is a fact. “ East or West, Kaaki is the  Best” she said.

        Before I could protest my daughter asked me “ do you know the fairy tale in which there is a beautiful princess who kisses a toad and he becomes a handsome prince?”

    Getting annoyed  I said “ One thing I know , you have crossed the age of reading fairy tales”.

      Without listening to my comments my daughter continued “ there is great similarity between the fairy tale and Kaaki Samant”.  What rubbish  are  you talking I told her.

  She said “ This is not rubbish.  This is reality. In the fairy tale when the girl kissed the toad,  he became a  handsome prince. Similarly when Kaaki Samant was kissed by her singer friend Milkha Singh, she suddenly became a television queen.

          Then looking at my wife who herself is a television journalist my daughter said

“ suppose there are two functions to be covered. One is in important public function of the chief minister and another is birthday party of Kaaki Samant, which would mom prefer to cover in her channel.?”

  Before I could say anything my daughter replied “ I know  what her producer will want. It is the birthday party of Kaaki Saamant to be covered.”.

   “ What makes you  be so sure I asked”. My daughter said  “ Who knows some human toad might kiss Kaaki Samant  in the party and she might wave her hands to the cameras and then give juicy sounbytes”.

     I said “ this is ridiculous”. Then gesturing to my wife I said “ why don’t you tell her this is utter  nonsense.”

   My wife looked at both of us and just laughed. But she did not come to my rescue.