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| Arbaaz and Malaika with Prince and his father |
Time:
1.45 pm.Place: Arbaaz and Malaika Arora Khan's residence, Bandra.
A toddler walks in, his nimble fingers tightly gripped on to his father's wrist. Suddenly, a neighbourhood child screams, "Mama, see Prince is here."
Barely a few days after the nation witnessed his rescue from a 60-feet well, a seemingly haunted six-year-old Prince Chander was in the city for a brief visit.
Accompanied by father Ram Chander and mother Karamjeet, he met up with Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khan. Prince may not have had much exposure to Bollywood films, but he surely knows the Khan khaandan. Says Arbaaz, "When I was asked to meet him, I was thrilled. In fact, I was restless the entire day till he dropped in."
Board games
A warm hug from Arbaaz and Malaika, and the family settled down. The conversation veered from the miraculous escape, to Prince being the child of the nation.
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| Prince with Arbaaz and Salim Khan |
As the parents got busy talking over daily chores, a shy Prince kept playing with his fingers with no worldly wisdom to offer.
Says Arbaaz, "Prince is just six. You cannot expect to chat up with him. But it was a very happy moment for me. Considering that my son is also a toddler, I wonder what I'm going to do if I'm ever subjected to that kind of a situation."
Little did Prince know that he had another friend waiting to play with him. Arbaaz and Malaika's three-year-old son Arhaan, along with household pet Coco entertained him, with the boys also indulging in board games, relishing on chocolates and sandwiches.
When it was time to go, Arhaan refused to let Prince go. "Arhaan started sobbing when Prince was leaving. Even Prince was having a good time with my son and Coco," says Arbaaz.
Caught unawares
The next stop was Galaxy Apartments, where Arbaaz's father Salim and mother Salma where waiting with gifts galore.
"My father was quite excited to see this little national hero. All of us have been following the news. The way Prince battled the ordeal is commendable. His patience and resilience during those 50 hours can surely be a lesson for us elders," says the actor.
However, Prince remains unaware of the media attention. What's playing on his mind? Probably, he's thinking of going back home to Haldheri village in Haryana, and playing with his mates.
Kumkum Bhagya
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