This little person sings in the bathroom. She makes up songs. And then after the routine of washing her hands and feet struts into the room nagging me to help her wear her pajama. 

I am in an office meeting and she appears on my side to stare at the screen. In her signature gentle style she then asks me about all the icons on the dock. After a quick revision she vanishes.

She then sits by aaji’s  side when its her dev-pooja time. She asks questions about the gods and various items in the dev-ghar. The conversation meanders to some story about a god. She is riveted. She loves stories.

Then she walks over to her father who is in the middle of a meeting and sits by his side. He is the one to get easily distracted this time and he cant wait to get done so they can indulge in some tlc.

Then it’s aajoba time! They eat chocolates in secret. The 70 yo and 4 yo children of the house. ‘You drink water over chocolate so no one comes to know that you had one’ she conspires with aajoba. But this time not so gently. We all burst into laughter.

Meals are the most fun. There is nagging, threats and make-up as she agrees to eat whatever is on the plate. This is strictly her aai time.

The other day I had changed into nice clothes for my birthday. She came by my side and told me ‘that I look like the colorful lights outside’ She was referring to the diwali lighting outside. I am not crying. You are.

My heart is so full as I try to capture what she means to us. This 4 yo has converted a typical Marathi family into a bunch of huggers. She regales in tales and adventures and stories of her imagination. She loves. Only in the way kids can. 

11