90 days hence, you would think that the cuteness would have gotten stale and we would pulling our hair out in frustration and tiredness. Well, the cuteness has indeed multiplied as she coo's and learns a new syllable every week. UUUUUU, AUUUU and AVAAAA are all she can utter now, as she heavily gesticulates- her hands waving and punching an imaginary word fairy into submission.
She has this way of looking at you with the corner of her eye, her lips curled up as though she wants to whistle. This makes it look like she is making a lot of effort, as though she wants to say something ground breaking. It makes her look like a sinister mafia lord. A few possible punch dialogues-
"The word fairy will receive a punch on the face and a kick in the tummy (at which point she kicks me in the tummy)."
"Life is like a juice box full of milk."
"I hate it when people shake me when holding me. What am I, a bottle of cough syrup?"
"Cough syrup signals the end of time."
"This fan is funny."
"The guy in the beard, who shakes his head is funny."
"You will never walk alone."
There are times she looks very deeply into my eyes and holds her stare. My eyes become moist and melt like butter on a hot pan. A mafia lord who punches, kicks and enchants with her eyes- is to be vigilantly watched and guarded.
She poops a lot less. She saves everything for three days and unleashes a mountain of... She spits, she pukes and she smiles... as though she enjoys it. "Take my trail of goo and poo, it is a gift," she says.
The biggest sacrifice in all of this is made by the mother, my wife Shruti. Who still feeds Nila on demand, which is once an hour on hot days, which in Chennai is pretty much every day. The Nila or Karpagum, as I like to call her, is very attached to her mother. At times there is a cry which only the mother can answer.
The bearded man's head shakes, lead to brief convolutions of the facial muscles and at times- laughter. A laughter that further enchants. More mafia powerplay, be vary - I tell myself.
Babies cry half the time, their conscious lives not tainted by language and culture. Their laughs and cries intertwined at times to a point that they manifest emotions one after the other without any filter. I learn from Nila that my own thoughts, focus and moods are like fleeting bubbles of soapy water. One minute here and then the goo is all that is left.
Just a few observations.
