Ray of Sunshine

She barged her way in our lives by sheer accident. But a very sweet and desirable one. After our firstborn, we had decided not to have the second one, but somewhere some things went haywire and she gate crashed into the family, a gatecrasher who was more than welcome!

My son would not like floodlights on him or his persona but, maybe, I feel, my daughter won't mind, letting out my innermost feelings about her for everyone to know. She has been that extrovert right from the beginning in a very positive way.

We had gone for mostly routine sonography and there she was flirting with life cosily in a warm environment. That tiny little heart pulsating full with life took our breaths away and we instantly fell in love with that tiny life. At that juncture, we didn't even know, whether that heart was his or her! In due course it turned out, that the heart full with vibrant zest for life belonged to her, Saana, our little brat princess!

She entered this and our world with so many positive vibes that, from the hospital, just across the road, she came home in a car, our first one! Prosperity entered through the front door along with, her tiny feet! Chubby and cherubic right from the day one, by the time she became 5 or 6 months old, she was absolutely 'well rounded'! Her nose was buried in her big cheeks and her neck was just not visible, so we nicknamed her 'GaDiMa' after the famous Marathi poet, of course affectionately! At around the same time through somebody, I don't remember whom, she was invited for the photoshoot for 'Johnson' baby. Well known photographer of those days, Shantanu Shevade, whom, famous film star Kimi Katkar was married to, was to do the shoot. She was just supposed to sit on a well-cushioned sofa and do some blah blah. This lady by that time was so 'rotund' that in spite of keeping two pillows on either side, was not able to sit on her own! She was just rolling on sides. Due to some other pressing matters, we could not pursue her 'Modelling' career but seeds of histrionics were probably sown then only!

She probably had dancing in her genes. From a very tender age of 2 or 3, she started gyrating her torso to the notes of music like a seasoned ballerina and most of the time she did not require cue! 
Unlike any child of her age, around three and a half, she did not detest school but enjoyed it. Very happily she used to ride the bus to the school. In Junior KG she attended Garodia school. 
Once her nanny came panting to me, telling, 'Saana is not on the bus she was supposed to come home.' Frantically I called the school, who without even bothering about ascertaining the whereabouts of Saana, told me, that the last bus has already left and there is no child on the school premises. We went blank, did not know what to do. Before coming to our area, the school bus used to take many stops, some, much farther away from our home. Could not even think, whether she got down at one of these stops, but it was very much a possibility. To take the school authorities to the task I drove down to school almost in a daze. I confronted whosoever was there, but they just washed their hands off! In desperation I went to school grounds, thinking whether she was still lost in the play. I shouted for her only once and there she came running from the pile of sand behind the tree, shouting in glee,' Babi, Babi' I could not even reprimand her. Just asked, tears welling up in my eyes,,' Where were you Bubba? We were worried. ' She simply replied, ' I was playing in sand Babi, building castles !' 
Later we transferred her to Fatima.
With lots of worry in her eyes, she came once, asking me to fire the watchman of the society. Naturally, I asked, 'Why?' With carefully selected words, she said, 
'There is this cat who has borne a litter of 4 to 5 kittens under the staircase of the wing and that rogue watchman is adamant on throwing them, all of them Babi, out. Please Babi, please ask him not to do so! Keep at least one!' 
'No Bubba, no cats or kittens. They make staircase dirty'
It went on for a while but I did not give in. She too went on with her school chores as if nothing happened. Next morning when she was still in school I heard distinct 'Meow' from below her cot! And there was this, golden brown ricketty kitten staring at me with his big round eyes. As soon as she entered the home returning from the school, she rushed to her room! I was waiting for her in her room. Without bothering about my protests she exclaimed, 'How cute, na Babi !' 
'But Saana I had told you, not to bring cat home' 
'Where will he go then Babi, if watchman throws him out? ' 
'But at least you should have adopted a healthy one, this one drags his hind foot, he is lame!' 
Her answer was an eye-opener to me. 'That's why I brought him to our home, healthy ones will get any home, but he requires to care the most, so I brought him !' 
That's how our first cat entered the home. Saana was hardly 5 or 6 then!

To be continued