NO Kidding!!!!!!

Another post dedicated to my Darling Didi (first being ‘Magic Show – July 2006).

Way back some three years ago was the marriage of my cousin Bhaiya in Delhi with my Gujrati Bhabhi… details will make way for another post so I will chuck it for the moment. It was for this marriage that my Didi was flying from US with her baby who was 7 month old that time. For long my friends knew her as the ‘Didi with the Baby’ till once Shibu asked me, “doesn’t the baby have a name?” I said “Yeah! Rishi…”!

U c am kindda allergic to babies.. they irritate me. The thing which comes to my mind on seeing them will be ‘yucks’!! When I got to know about my Didi’s coming back, I was thrilled n wanted to be the first one to see her. She was coming to India first time after marriage. But to my dismay, she was landing on Mumbai (her in-laws r there). My mother explained to me that priorities change after marriage.. “Ya! Sure!!”. She came to Delhi one month after her coming to India. Though I was very angry, I still went to receive her in the airport n there I saw her in XXL size with this baby in her hand… I felt… is this really my Didi??!!!

Through out the way from airport to home, she was constantly pampering that fellow n didn’t even talk to me properly. Back home, she nicely put her baby on my bed (without my permission) n was busy taking care of it. I was waiting for her to unpack n give me my chocolates n to the height of my disappointment, she didn’t get any! She said she exceeded the allowed weight n had to pay extra for the luggage. Moreover, she had to carry so many baby products that there was seriously no space. “My chocolates replaced by this fellow’s diapers?!!! How on earth am I supposed to react to this?????!!!!”

There started a cold war between me this nephew of mine. I never touched him or played with him… never felt like. In college, my friends were pretty surprised with my behavior but they knew am not fond of these little fellows. Back home it was my grandmother who was seriously afraid n kept asking my mother “eval yeen ipdi panara?” (why is she doing like this). My mother knew am always like this. It was not a personal enmity with that baby, this is what I do to all babies. Even before this baby was guilty of my chocolates being replaced by his diapers or snatching away my nick name ‘chotu’ from me, I didn’t like him.

It so happened on the day of my cousin’s marriage that my Didi was seriously busy. U c in Tamil Iyer Marriages, the groom’s sister got a very important role. Its not the groom, but the groom’s sister who ties the tali (mangalsutra). Even otherwise my Didi was very busy throughout the ceremony with one thing or the other n the baby was flipping in different hands…! I was standing there in the temple day-dreaming, when my Didi came hurriedly with her baby in one hand n a huge plate in another. She called me n said “hold him”! She said it so sternly, that I was taken aback n before I realized, her baby landed on my hands. She left immediately n I shouted from back “what am I supposed to do with this creature?”. I bet if she had even 1 second, she would have slapped me for that! But she left me alone with this creature n went away.

I didn’t knew how to hold a baby so I sat down n made him sit on my lap. There was no one around n this baby was lost in his own world. Fortunately he didn’t cry n I was thinking “y is he not crying? After all he is with a stranger!” but I guess that was the effect of the good old proverb ‘blood is thicker than water’. When I was sure no one is seeing, I started exploring this baby. I peeped into his small ears to see if it is was like mine n yeah it was.. rather his was more cute! His nose was really small n his toes were like small little dots!! He was so soft that I was glad my didi carried the ‘baby cream for him :) ’ I measured him with my hands n he was just as long as my hands were… I was wondering how he will reach my height???

I slowly got up n tried holding him in different positions n settled with the position we were most comfortable with. Then I started walking slowly. He was feeling sleepy n yawned. I tried patting his back (seen in movies). He slowly put his arms around my neck n before I realized, he closed his eyes peacefully. I was really touched. It was like we are friends now! I softly sang my fav song “raravenu” (carnatic song) while patting his back lightly n walking slowly… n he slept. I smiled to c him sleeping in my arms. It was then when my Didi came back n she didn’t show her surprise. She smiled n said “so u both r friends now?”. I said “I guess so… can u click us?”. She rushed back to get her camera (before I change my mind), in the mean time I woke up the little lad so that I can set his hair for the ‘perfect Kodak moment’.

I don’t know how will Rishi react when he reads this post… he he.. am sure he wont be very happy to know how his ‘Maasi’ treated him… but I guess he will understand. Rishi will turn 4 this year n my Didi is expecting her second baby in Aug-Sep. and guess what? Another of my cousin Bhaiya is grooming up for getting married. But this time when my Didi comes to attend the wedding with her second child, am sure I will be more comfortable ;)