Lo chali mein....

               Getting used to something irresistible leads to over indulgence. Over indulgence leads to forming a habit. Habits leads to addiction. It is difficult to resist an addiction. And how can one get cured from an addiction which is a cute, smiling, small playful bundle of joy called RUHAAN.
                Your mother got a 6 month pregnancy leave. And with our intricate planning, we manged to combine it with her school vacation. Your eagerness to come out early and our no-risk approach preponed your delivery date. So your mother's leave was also preponed. Overall, a 7 and half month holiday from December to 17th July.But the thought that it will end brought Aai to TEARS.
                 It is not that your mother doesn't love her work. Rather she is very professional. But her priorities had changed. From waking up in the morning to your cries to sleeping in the night with you snuggling besides her, you had become her life. Even the thought of returning to work and leaving you along brought her to TEARS.
                Days became weeks and weeks became months and July arrived in a jiffy. It was time to plan for the day when we both will be at work and you will be alone at home atleast for some time. My plan was ready. We will take you down to Aaba's place at 6.45 am when we leave for work. Aaba and Dah-aaji will take care of you for 2 hours.Jayashri mavshi will come there at about 9 am. She will stay there until I come back from morning lectures at 10.30 am. Then we will bring you home. Mavshi will look after you. I will look after the kitchen. Aai will return home around 5 pm. Then she will be with you. Jayashri mavshi will leave at around 6. pm. Whether Aaba should come upstairs or not in the evening was a slight matter of debate. Weekends, you will be home throughout the day. Simple, meticulous and feasible. The plan was set. But, Aai was not ready to let go and was already in TEARS.
            Training started a week prior. Even though Aai had a week of vacation left, she woke up early and took you downstairs to Aaba's place when i left for my morning lectures. She trained Aaba and Dah-aaji to prepare your milk bottle and to clean your shit. She did not even hold you for the time you were there. It was very difficult for her. She even went to Dadar once for some hours, just to get used to be away from you during school hours. She was trying to be brave, determined and practical, but most of the times, she was in TEARS.
            16 th july was the most difficult day. She did not send you downstairs. She held you the whole day like there was no tomorrow. She played with you, hugged you, kissed you and then held you tighter. Call me crazy, but you too were unusually restless. That night, when she was singing her lullabies and trying to make you sleep, I could see her breaking to pieces. And yes, TEARS.
            17th morning. We got ready for work. Something we did together after 7 and half months. Your bag was ready. I was ready. You were ready. Aai was not ready. She was in tears.
             We picked you up in your slumber and took you downstairs. Aaba took you in his arms, but Aai was feeling heavy. The usual ritualistic dahi-eating was done and it was time to leave for us, but for Aai, it was leaving behind a part of her. She was in tears.
              She sat in the car crying, tried to wave her hand at you as Aaba was holding you in the balcony. I doubt if she was even able to see you with her eyes filled with tears.
              She calmed down by the time we reached Kandivali. Then i gave her a 'Missing You' Card on your behalf. Guess what, she again was in tears.
              You were the usual. Enjoying the day like it was any other day. I wasn't there when she came back home, so can't write about that. Mah-aaji and aajoba came down on friday along with a visit from swapna mavshi and sanveda tai. The routine is now set. The plan is getting executed very well with some glitches, but having Aatu around always helps. Aai's life is back on track and this time her evenings are also being spent well. (She will not nag me anymore about my evening batches.)
             The only problem with the whole setup is lack of sleep. I am busy cooking, studying or playing with you which does not allow me to take a nap in the afternoons. Aai's evening nap has also gone for a toss. Her night sleep is also not sound enough, as you wake up sometimes asking for a feed. So, except for sleep everything is great. Aai has also started gossiping about her school which is a great indication for normalcy. The best thing is that there are no more tears.
             And i remember zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
               

The 6 month diary

           It seems just like yesterday when the nurse placed a crying bundle of joy in my trembling arms. It is 6 months today and the same bundle of joy is 8.5kgs and barely fit in my arms.
            You have come along way in these 6 months. You turn over completely, though only from the right side. On the mat in the hall, you turn over on your stomach, but cant roll over and hence start crying. But, when are on the bed, you start rolling and reach the edges in no time. You try crawling, especially when you want to grab our mobile phones. You have a fascination for mobile phones. The light coming from it and the various sounds during video calls fascinate you. Thankfully, your mother is very strict about not showing you the screen. 
            Another thing that attracts you is the television screen and we have to switch it off if you are around, since you smartly turn your head towards it when everyone is busy talking. You love songs, especially my 'Surmayi aankhiyon mein'. You are attentive when your mother tries to calm you down in the night with gayatri mantras and other shlokas, and quite playful when she sings you 'maakdche dukan' or 'Sheptiwalya pranyanchi sabha'. Aaba's chiu-kau story has become an evening norm, and you go to sleep as soon as he starts singing, especially 'eka talyat hoti'. You also wave your hand a lot like aajoba, after he had just once showed you 'tha ga tha'.
          You love music, you love all the sounds i make, you are attracted to colours and shapes and designs on bedsheets. One bad habit you have is grabbing fingers and putting them in your mouth and if nobody is around, it is your own hand.
           You normally sleep by around 10.30-11 and wake up at 7-7.30. Fortunately, you do not disturb your mother much at night, but sometimes you like to suckle on her just as comfort feed.
           Your 6-month birthday was attended by aaba, dah-aaji, kakoja and torrential rains. It is raining cats and dogs for last 2-3 days. We have a leakage issue near the balcony. You are pissing by the litres and clothes are not drying up. Sanah Tai is not well and we all are worried. Madhavi aatya gave her resignation today and Aaba and Mahaaji are worried.
           Lot of things changed in the last 6 months. India did an air strike on Pakistan. Mosque attacks in New Zealand and terrorist attack on Srilankan churchs were in the news. Modi won the Loksabha elections again. Mumbai Indians won the IPL. Manchester city won the EPL, Chelsea won europa league and Liverpool won the champions league.
          Onion-tomatoes are at 20-20 per kg, tomatoes at 40/kg, maggi at 14/pack, colddrink at 40/600ml, eggs are 60/dozen, chicken biryani at bbc costs 240/big packet. Gold is 34655. Sensex is 39686 and nifty is 11865.
          All these things will change, the world will be a different place. But what wont change ever will be the way you laugh, the way you smile and the way you respond to 'Ruhaan maaza' or 'Daddachi Gompuli'.