Snapshots - Oberoi Family Edition

28: Tiny Little Big Steps

Requested by arshibarun , JignaPaul and viratsrk

Anika: Shivika, baccha "aa" bolo, "aaaaa".
(ShivIka, baby say "aa", "aaaaa".)

Shivika: Aaaaaaaa.

Anika tried to use the opportunity to feed a spoonful of Khichdi to Shivika but the little girl closed her mouth and turned away. Anika huffed and her shoulders slumped.

Little back story: Shivaay had been locked up in the study since morning with important work and meetings. He last ate breakfast at 8 and it was now 1.
If Shivaay had an Anika Sensometer, Shivika had a Shivaay Sensometer. Anika's theory was that the 9 month old had sensed her father hadn't eaten anything so she refused to eat, too.

Anika had managed to feed her a snack of mashed bananas before lunch but now Shivika was showing "Nakhre Noor Jahaan" in eating a bowl of delicious Dal Khichdi with Shudh Desi Ghee. First, when Anika put her in a high chair, Shivika cried and cried until she was taken out of it. Anika then placed her on the bed but Shivika kept rolling on it. Last resort, Anika was sitting on the rug on floor, trying to feed Shivika there and had managed to feed her two spoonfuls... in the last 20 minutes.

Gauri came in and Anika seized the opportunity to tease her

Anika: Oh ho! Hone wali Matashree aaj humare kamre mein padhaari hain!
(Oh my! To be mother has come to my room today!)

Gauri: *embarrassed* Jiji 🤭.

Gauri tried to sit down but Anika stopped her.

Anika: Aye aye aye! Neeche nahi, upar chair pe baith.
(Aye aye aye! Sit on the chair, not down.)

Gauri: Aap bhi nahi! Sab toh humara saath kaanch ki gudiya ke samaan vyavahar kar rahe hain.
(Not you too! Everyone is treating me like I'm a glass doll.)

Anika: Tajurbe se keh rahi hoon, aadat daal le.
(I'm saying from experience, get used to it.)

Gauri: *folds her hand on her lap* Waise aap dono maa-beti ka khichdi paka rahe hain?
(By the way, what's cooking between you mother-daughter?)

Anika: Khichdi paka nahi rahe, khichdi khilane ki koshish ho rahi hain is Papa ki Pari ko.
(Not cooking, but trying to feed this Daddy's Darling Daughter.)

Anika took a spoonful of Khichdi and retried feeding Shivika, which she blatantly refused.

Anika: Shivika, aise zidd nahi karte. Badi behen aise nahi karti.
(Shivika, don't be stubborn. Elder sisters don't do that.)

Gauri: Jiji ek baat kahein, kabhi kabhi mann hi mann icchha hoti hain ki humari bhi beti ho. Saayad uske aur Shivika ke beech bhi utna hi pyaar hoga jitna aap mein aur hum mein hain.
(Jiji can I say one thing, sometimes I wish that I too have a daughter. Perhaps there will be as much love between her and Shivika as there is between you and me.)

Anika: Aur ladka hua toh jaisa in teeno bhaiyon aur Prinku ke beech hain. Ya shayaad zyaada bhi.
(And if it's a boy, then the way it's between these three brothers and Prinku. Or maybe even more.)

Gauri: Bhagwan kare aise hi ho.
(May God make it so.)

AniRi smiled at each other then Anika went back to feeding Shivika but when she turned, Shivika wasn't at the place she was supposed to be.

Anika: Shivika?! Shivika?!

Anika and Gauri looked around until they saw something that made them look at each other with wide eyes and mouth hung open.