Chapter 48: Chapter 48

"Peace is the beauty of life. It is sunshine. It is the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of a family. It is the advancement of man, the victory of a just cause, the triumph of truth."

Surabhi Singh Chauhan's Perspective

(One and a half year)

Curious, I stare at the jewelry piece, lying before me. I drool as light falls on the pearl stud earring and it glazes. I wonder how yummy it would taste. Vigilant, looking here and there, I slowly move my fingers to grab it and as I am about to put it in my mouth, she came.

Ugh!!! Bane of my happiness.

"Surabhi. No!" She shrieks, catching me so off guard that I immediately squeal, throwing the earring away and grapple to the exit.

Mad woman!

"Surabhi, stop baby." She calls me from behind, but I wouldn't stop.

No woman, I know you. You would grab me for unnecessary kiss. I need to get out of here.

"Surabhi. Come to mumma." She cajoles and I stop at the door, watching her making funny faces.

What's wrong with adults? Why they have to behave as joker before kids?

"Tutu. Baadddd Tutu." I yell, and her face immediately falls. I smirk, serves you good, she is always on my back. I love daddy more than her because she would not let me enjoy my freedom.

"Surabhi. Don't call me Tutu. Call me mom, or ma." She coos, coming near me. Before she could catch me, I run again, involuntarily, stumbling into someone.

I look up and my face lit up, "Dada! Dada!" I take support of his legs and stand up, swinging my hands up for him to pick me.

"My princess." Daddy kisses my cheek, picking me up and bounces in the air, making me giggle but Tutu intervenes, "Abhimanyu. Don't do that, I've just fed her."

See, that's what I was talking. She would poke her nose everywhere. Daddy loves her, that's why I've to adjust with her but since he is wrapped around my finger, he ignores her, bouncing me again.

"Nothing would happen. I know my princess....shit!" Daddy cringes when I untimely emptied my milk on his suit and Tutu giggles, "I told you, she's just drank milk."

Oops!

"What did you do princess?" Dad pouts and I give him my signature, two-bunny-teeth-grin-with-curly-hair-over-my-eyes. He kisses my cheek, passing me to Tutu.

No, dad!

I squirm but Tutu wouldn't leave me, she presses completely unnecessary kiss on my cheek before turning to daddy, "Go and change, I will clean her."

Daddy kisses her forehead and trolls to room. Ew!! He kisses her a lot. Whenever he thinks that I am busy playing or sleeping, they both kiss a lot.

No sense of privacy.

"Now say, mamma." She propels and I wriggle, squealing. No, I won't! Let me make you suffer for a while.

She would ask a lot for it. She whines to dad and complains that bhai started calling her mamma, way before when he was a baby and it was his first word.

My first word was dada, and then Nana, then Dada and Bhai but I clearly refused to call her mamma except Tutu until I got to know about her secret name.

She would glare daddy if he calls her Tutu. That reminds me, daddy calls her weird names, when I was grasping word, I learnt one of them and Tutu really cried when I called her 'Jaan' before everyone.

She was so happy.

"Mom! Where is my book?" There he comes, my favorite person, my brother and checks the sofa.

"I don't know Ayansh. Where did you last see it?" Tutu asks, dropping me on the sofa, beside bhai. She made him crawl on her lap and kisses his hair, "Don't be sad, Darling. Tell me, what happened?"

See, she again kissed him.

"Tomorrow is my test mom and I can't find my book." He whimpers, looping his hands around Tutu. He loves Tutu more than me; I think this is why daddy calls him 'mamma ki pooch'.

Wait, book. Did he say book! This perks up my ear, is he talking about the blue dolphin covered book I borrowed from him today without asking and colored on it?

Should I tell him?

"Don't worry. I'll teach you. You want cookies?" Tutu fondles him and he nods. Getting up, Tutu again drops peck on my cheek and I squeal in protest but she trudges to the kitchen to get some cookies.

I look at Bhai and contemplate whether to tell him or not. He jumps closer and hoists me up on his lap, "Oii...little sister. What did you eat today, did you miss bhai. I will play with you after doing my homework."

My brother is very sincere; he studies and cleans his room himself. One day when I was playing with him, he offered me colors and went to check why tutu was calling him. Those tasty crayons were so yummy. I ate some and took a box filled with color.

Daddy paints his shoes with it. I splash that on bed and on Bhai's books and I colored myself too. When he came back, he was so happy that he was crying, calling for tutu. She came running and hugged him, I clapped for them. Daddy took so many pictures of mine and one of them adores our drawing room.

Daddy says, "I would be a prodigy."

Anyways, Bhai wouldn't let me touch his book after that, so I borrowed it in the morning when he was in school. I look at him, contemplative.

Um...bro. I just took your book and I think that's the only book you're looking for.

I say this with the help of some adjectives, touching his face but I guess, he couldn't understand the message because instead of getting horrified, he giggles, kissing my palm.

Duh; it sucks to be a baby, sometimes.

"You want to draw again?" His question makes me energetic and I give my response, nibbling his nose, with my bunny teeth.

"Aw...ow...aw...baby." He giggles and I fart. Er....I am embarrassed now. Bhai makes face as he cringes and calls Tutu, "Mom, I think she just pooped. It's smelling."

I mentally roll my eyes. Seriously bro, I just farted but who can stop what you just made for me!!

Tutu runs to us and hoists me up in her arms, I protest and tell her that I am clean, "Tutu...no...No...Bad Tutu." But how difficult it is to understand baby language?

Woman, listen I am a girl, you're a lady. Bhai is a boy...so...whatt!!!!!

I sob, squealing and wriggling against her grip when she staples me to her chest and peeps inside my pants, massacring my respect before bhai and disappoints, "No, she's clean. Ayansh, play with her. I am just coming back." She plops me back in his lap before waltzing away, completely ignoring that I am crying now.

"Hey sister. Don't cry please." Bhai fondles me but I won't stop now. I can't stay with this woman in one house. She won't let me stay in peace.

I have a lovely big family with so many grandparents. Nana, Nani, bade dadu. Badi dadi. Bade papa. Badi mamma but they don't stay with us. Perhaps they also don't like Tutu. They love me so much, they gift me lovely dresses and play with me all the time.

Dadi has introduced me to her friend circle and badi dadi takes me to the park. Nana is so cool, I watch match with him and he takes me with him to golf club. Nani clicks my so many pictures. I love them so much.

Tutu always complains that they all have spoiled me. She says I have everyone wrapped around my fingers. She is right to some extent, all I have to do is to tilt my head, roll my lower lip and let a few drop falls from my eyes.

That's it.

Everyone is my slave now.

I will share this incidence, once when we were in Jaipur and bhai and Adi bhai were playing. They are so generous that they included me as well. All we had to do is to move a few blocks and say check n mate. I was cheering them what was wrong? Nothing but Tutu suddenly shrieked, called up whole family by me and pushed dad to pat my back.

Everyone was so afraid, dad keep kissing me for an hour. Bhai and Adi bhai had to hear rebuffs. All I did was tasted a block. It looked like dark chocolate, Tutu eats it sometimes, and she even gives it to bhai.

I don't know why she can't be happy. Last week, I tasted that yummy thing in her dresser. She wears it on her lips everyday but she snatches it when I try to taste it. She complains to dad that I destroyed her lipstick collection thrice.

Liar.

"Dad. She is crying." Bhai whines, passing me to dad and dad makes me stand on his lap, asking me what happened.

"Dada....tutu....bad....bad tutu." I let out a stream of adjectives to tell him my agony; he should know what I am tolerating here. He nods, seriously listening to me, "Oh my princess. Stop crying. Dad loves you. Butu is really bad."

"She will call you dad but she won't call me mom." Tutu again disturbs and I hide myself in daddy's chest, not wanting to talk to her.

Dad laughs, caressing my hair, "She loves me more, Shree. Admit it. She's daddy's princess."

"I'll kill Siya if she calls me Butu again before her." Tutu groans, "This girl won't call me anything but Tutu. I am fed up of it."

"Better than Jaan. Remember that?" Daddy laughs, recalling when I started mimicking him and Tutu used to run away from my sight.

Siya Masi. I love her. She is so cool. She buys me so many toys and rides me in her car, she calls it Audi but I don't like her husband. He is very scary. He keeps weapon with him and once, when I unknowingly get my hands on his cool weapon, like bhai buys on Diwali. He shouted on me, pulling it away and never showed it to me again.

He is Tutu's little assort. She can make me do anything with his name. She uses him as her trump card.

"Come here." Tutu takes me from dad. Though I am angry but I am hungry too, I wouldn't wriggle and nuzzle in her neck, shaking my head.

"Why are you crying baby? Look here....my princess." She fondles, laying me on her lap and breastfeeds me. I love her this time only, she would never punish me.

"You feed her. I will check on my champ. He's probably busy in finding his book." Daddy says.

Ooppsss!!

"I don't understand why he is panicking for a class test. He's way too sincere for a nine year old kid. Mom was telling me, you used to do that too. He has really taken after you." Tutu huffs and daddy laughs, "He's my champ. I wonder if any of our kids have your habits."

"She!" Tutu touches my hair, "She is my replica, always making me run. I am sure I was easier than her."

"Don't say anything to her. I'll just come." Daddy walks out and I look at the entrance, and then I look at tutu, she whistles at me, smiling. I give her a grin before getting back to work.

She makes me burp twice I am done and I play with her earring, drooling on her shoulder.

"Just once say Mamma, Surabhi." She pleads again and I yawn, ready to sleep.

Not feeling like, babe!

***

"Really? Do you think so?" I wake up, when I hear voices. I look sideways to see Tutu on daddy's lap. That's my place, woman! I wanted to say but I stop as I hear her complaining.

"Your daughter makes me so tiring, Abhimanyu. I don't think I can even move my legs." She whines, seeking sympathy from daddy.

"Too bad. I want to have another daughter." Dad guffaws, touching her hair and I widen my eyes, stopping my movements.

No way! Dada... You can't do this. I am your only princess, dad. You can't bring competition.

"Get lost. If you want babies, then you've to get pregnant, you've to give birth and you've to deal with them. I am retiring." Tutu says, getting up and combs her hair.

Wait. Tutu....why are you not saying no. Tutu...no, you're my momma.

"Even if I say I am ready, it's not possible, Darling..." Daddy propels and I am about to cry, now. Before tutu could answer, I cry, calling for her and they both become attentive.

"What happened to my princess?" Daddy coos, picking me up and I cry more. I am not talking to you Dada; you are not my Dada anymore.

"Tutu....Tutu!" I wail for her and dad passes me to her, she clutches me close to her heart, pacing around the room, fondling me, kissing my cheek and cradling me.

Say you won't get another baby.

I wail looking at her and touch her face; she kisses my hands, nuzzling my nose with her. I blabber and grip her cheeks, nibbling her chin and stop crying.

Say you won't woman.

"Say mamma, Surabhi. Say mom once." She kisses me again and again, I twinkle at her.

Should I? Maybe she won't get another baby then?

Okay, only once!

"Mum...mum...ma...." I spell and her nuzzling stills, she smiles widening her eyes again.

Now back to business woman!!

"Say again!" She grins, "Abhimanyu come here, see. She's calling me, Mamma."

"Really?" Daddy too joins her in.

Uff!! Tutu!

"Say once more, please!" Comes her plead. Okay only once.

"Mamma...Mum... Mamma." I spell much to her please and she gets so happy that she hugs me and kisses me, leaving her wet kisses.

Stop woman! Let's talk abo-

"I am so happy. She took so much time; I hope she calls me Mamma, from now on." Mamma blares and I sigh.

It is total waste to talk to her, let's get some sleep again.