My li’l baby sister…

       I had been to Nasik a few days earlier to visit ‘akka’ my grandmom and my mamas, mamis and cousins. A new member had just come into our ‘gang’, my new born cousin Aarya. I just love playing with small kids and there was no new kid in the family for quite a long time now… I was missing the baby talk and the cuddling and the soft cheeks and the tiny feet that come with that bundle of joy called a baby. I was glad when my exams finally ended and i could go and play around with my li’l baby sister…

       She is one smart kid i tell you.. Just 6 months old now but she can already recognise her mum and dad’s voices. One look at her and you can’t wait to cuddle her in your arms!! She has those chubby cheeks that demand an immediate kiss and little petal-like lips… Big expressive dark brown eyes with eye lashes so beautiful that they’ll melt the heart of every baby boy from the ‘Cerelac’ and ‘Huggies’ advertisements..!!

       I couldn’t help but do all sorts of stupid stuff and make wierd noises just to hear her chuckle with amusement… I used to stick my tongue out, roll my eyes, jump about like a kangaroo, whistle just like the gundaas from hindi movies, all to see that sparkle in her eyes and to hear her ‘goo goo gaa gaa’s which meant she wanted more of her crazy didi… She hated it when she was laid flat in her cradle and made it quite clear with a shrill cry which stopped immediately when she was picked up. Just picking her up wasn’t enough either, the little princess demanded that she be strolled around continously around the house or in the garden outside. Her pretty eyes were just beginning to learn to differentiate between bright colours and different shapes and designs… Show her any flashy flowery printed cloth and she could stare at it for hours as if trying to assimilate the artistic work. 

      While i enjoyed her innocence and pranks thoroughly, she gave a tough time to my mami… She refused to eat every kind of home made pudding and splurted out bottled milk with utmost ease. When forced to gulp her daily diet, she would throw fits of anger marked by flailing of those tiny arms and legs and loud tearless moaning. She hardly slept during the day, which kept my poor mami  on her feet, constantly catering to the needs of the little princess…
      
      When it was finally time for me to leave for home again, little pichkoo (as i call her), was tucked away in her cradle so that everyone could focus on the departing guest… I planted a soft kiss on her chubby little cheeks and tip-toed out of the room, making sure that her eyes were tightly shut as i closed the door behind me… Of the few days that i stayed there, the most memorable moments were those i spent observing and playing with my little baby sister. Oh how i wish that she should never grow up and that the innocent sparkle in her eyes remains forever!!! 

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