Even after searching for a long time, it could not be found and was never seen again. The neighbors consoled Shireen, assuring her that this was an auspicious sign of her son's exceptional future.
When Merwan started talking, he called his mother Memo and his father Bobo Merwan started walking before he was a year old. His mother was pleasantly surprised when one day he stood up and walked to her without stumbling. But his new skill soon proved vexing. No matter what Shireen tried, Merwan could not be kept inside the house and constantly managed to escape.
One day Shireen became so exasperated that she picked him up outside and, taking him back into the house, tied his leg to the bedpost with an old sari. She put a plate of puffed rice and some water near him and then returned to the kitchen. Merwan started crying, upset by his loss of freedom, but Shireen ignored him and eventually little Merwan fell asleep.
When Shireen came to check on Merwan, she found him sleeping; on his cheeks tears sparkled like pearls. Shireen was overcome with tenderness for her son, for he looked so helpless leashed to the bedpost, and she untied him. Moments after awakening, however, finding himself no longer bound, he ran outside to the lane. Shireen would often have to tie Merwan to the bed, and this continued until he grew to a more manageable age. Sometimes Sheriar would come home, find his son tied, and free him out of pity. But after he had played with his father, he would escape outside until a passing neighbor would pick him up and bring him back to the house.
Little Merwan was adored by the entire neighborhood and doted upon by all. He had three maternal aunts ( masis ) — Dowla Masi, Pila (or Piroja) Masi and Banu Masi — and two maternal uncles ( mamas ) — Dinsha Mama and Rustom Mama. All loved their nephew, and they would come to the family's house just to see "our Merog."1
After working for several years in Bombay, Merwan's paternal uncle ( kaka ), Khodadad Kaka had returned to live in Iran. However, after Merwan was born, Khodadad returned to India for six months every year just to visit his young nephew.
Footnotes
- 1.It is likely that most of Merwan's uncles and aunts lived nearby in the same neighborhood, in the lanes around Bhopla House.