We all were waiting anxiously in the hospital. My aunt was busy promising bribes to all deities, she had ever heard of and to those also, of she hadn't. My cousin(her son) was walking to-and-fro like a pendulum, relentlessly chewing on his helpless nails. He was the chosen one, to be a father on that destined night.
I don't know why, but most of us choose to take avatar on earth only at night(less traffic may be..). And surprisingly unlike what happens at teenage, you don't get a scolding instead a warm welcome from family!
Finally, the doctor came out of the battlefield like a Samurai warrior and our eyes lit up like 100 watt bulbs."Congrats man, you are blessed with a girl child",was all he said and gave a bear hug to my cousin.
Everybody jumped out of his seat with sheer joy, cheering each other. But our party was spoiled by an old spectacled nurse reminding one, of old bollywood classics.
All of us were too eager to get the first glimpse of the child. But only my cousin(who had become a father overnight...literally) got the VIP pass for the premier. And for rest of us........we pasted our faces on the window glass pane of the room. He went inside upto the bed, sat down, caressed the forehead of his wife and turned to see his daughter. Through the window, I could see tides of emotions in his eyes,all in unison...... love,affection,surprise, a sense of responsibility, all that emanates from fatherhood.
At first, my cousin was a little hesitant to take her(daughter ofcourse..) in his lap, as he thought, she was too fragile and delicate to be handled by rough-tough hands of his. But after assurance of his wife and nurse,he took her although unconvinced... It was a picture-perfect scene-my cousin with his daughter in lap, sitting beside his wife. They had become instant celebrity!
After two days, it was my turn to have my niece in my hands. And then I felt as if feelings of my cousin had replicated in me too. But I lost all my fear as soon as I took her in my arms. The only emotion left was of amazement and ecstasy. She looked too innocent, cute and delicate like a flower with her eyes closed and mouth open(inviting flies)! I was completely engrossed with my thoughts when she opened her eyes. And then....the funny 'rituals' started, elders making funny faces to make her smile. The most interesting being, my maternal uncle trying his luck, who is considered to be a very practical and wise figure otherwise. In fact, he got the prize too, a lovely smile, of course toothless but priceless!
But since pages of calender flip really fast, so she had transformed into a two-year kid from a two-day baby, when I saw her again on her visit to our home. She was still very charming and innocent. But sometimes innocence could also prove fatal. And this time, I fell prey to innocence and it costed me my brand new mobile.
Actually it was my mistake, I gave her my mobile to play, ignorant that she had a habit of throwing mobiles out if it did not unlock. However, it did not pose any threat to her parents, since my cousin lives at ground floor. And since mine, being a shy mobile resisted to open up, it was thrown out. The irony being, my flat is at first floor!
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