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The Elusive Barbi Doll interested my son much more than my daughter. He examined the
mechanism that made the doll dance and sing. He unscrewed the machine
which was attached to the hip portion of the doll and tried to unravel the
In a mother's eye her own child is the most beautiful child in the world. To me, secrets of her dancing and music ability. As a result the doll stopped dancing
my daughter is no less than a Barbie doll. When she was small, I used to doll and singing. After repeated experiments on her, the doll was broken.
her up beautifully and loved to look at her after I decked her up in beautiful For her next birthday, I was determined to purchase a Barbie doll. So with
dresses. She is my second child and so most of her toys were her elder brother's money in my purse, I went to the market and bought a doll. I returned home
used ones. The gifts she got on her birthdays, or on other occasions, were with much pleasure and thought, my daughter would be surprised and give
usurped by her elder brother. Once going through a marketplace, she me thanks for the gift. When I took out the doll and showed her I could hardly
exclaimed and looked intently at the rows of Barbie dolls adorning the front of see any joy on her face. It was not an actual Barbie doll. It was a “Betty doll”,
the gift shop. She refused to leave the place and scrutinized each and every the Indian version of Barbie. As the doll was purchased from a distant shop I
Barbie doll there. As I was in a hurry, I promised to buy her a beautiful Barbie left the idea of exchanging it.
doll of her choice on her next birthday.
Then I thought I must purchase a Barbie doll for my daughter and gift her on
The dolls were in a variety of fashionable dresses. One wore a hat, one dressed any day, not necessarily on her birthday.
up as a nurse, one with a vanity bag and a miniskirt. Each one seemed to be a
Once, while going through a market I spotted the same doll which was once
trendsetter in fashion world. She spotted a beautiful doll wearing a pink top
chosen by my daughter. I enquired about the price. But I found I had not got
with a bow and a green miniskirt, holding a vanity bag. With much persuasion
enough money in my purse at that time to purchase it. I was unhappy that I
my daughter left the place. When her birthday approached I took her to the
could not buy a mere Barbie for my daughter though I bought many other
very shop to purchase her chosen Barbie doll. Oh, the doll was gone! It was
gifts.
already sold. She tried to choose from the remaining stock but in her choice
none was up to mark. She refused to buy any doll on that occasion. So while going with my daughter on one occasion I insisted that she must buy
a Barbie from a gift shop. I had enough money in my bag. But my daughter
Before her next birthday, I wished that I must buy a Barbie for her. But at that
looked at me and smiled and said, “No Mama, I don't need a Barbie now. I
time her father had gone out of station on tour. Over phone she requested her
have grown out of Barbie age. Please purchase me a Sherlock Homes or a
father to bring her a Barbie doll as a birthday gift from Madras. Her father
Harry Potter book”.
scanned through some nearby market places and looked for a nice doll. He
chose a very cute dancing doll for his lovely daughter. The doll was wearing
dazzling woolen skirt and a green blouse. When the key was set she danced to
the music “Chal chhaiyan, chhaiyan….” He was delighted to get such a

beautiful doll for his daughter. When he returned from Madras, my daughter
eagerly took out the box and opened it. Oh, it was not a Barbie doll, though ~ Bharati Nayak ~
another kind of a very beautiful doll.

So her wish to own a Barbie remained unfulfilled. Moreover, the dancing doll

26 | Dr. K.C. Sethi & Sunita Sethi Never Cease to Amaze | 27