I looked down at Arun Mama's face, smiling. I was sitting on his shoulder while he was sitting on a sofa chair. I loved sitting on his shoulder and plucking his hairs. Earlier he would laugh with me which was very encouraging. So, I decided to continue with plucking hairs but I don't understand why he has started telling no. Also, if I am bored sometimes, I start tapping my hands on his head.

"Anu! Stop playing tabla on my head!"

I decide to ignore him and continue playing. I think even God wanted to support in my endeavour, for the doorbell rang. That is actually a very nice tune. To my irritation, Arun Mama made me stand on the floor.

I sat and looked at some familiar faces that I would see regularly. They looked at me with utmost curiosity and fascination. I decided to show what I had learnt since they visited me. I stood up and two of them gave me space to walk.

One of them shouted, "Chaitra Akka! Anu stood up. I think she will walk now!"

"Then leave her some space to walk, Sindhu. I'm sure you, Sahay, Kavin and Arun would have surrounded her," the familiar-scent lady shouted. I think she was in the room where I found purple balls that day. the honey-bottle lady and she are always in that room. Along with these people, I see two other people who come with these kids also present in that purple balls room.

I start walking and I can see four pairs of eyes following me. I like this feeling of attention. I felt like I was about to fall but I somehow balanced myself. At that moment, I heard others clapping and cheering. It is so encouraging. I feel kids need this type of encouragement. To make them feel the same, I turned back and flashed my eight teeth smile. They smiled back at me.

I ambled up to the sofa and stopped. I knew they were following me yet I turned back. They all screamed together which scared me. But I didn't cry. I don't cry for such small things.

"Chaitra Akka, today I will feed Anu," Sahay declared.

"Back off, you didn't even finish your homework. You are not eligible for this," Kavin argued.

"So are you my dear son," shouted a voice from the purple ball room. He rolled his eyes.

How do they do that?

Sindhu showed her open palm to others. They stopped talking. She folded her arms and said, "Since I have been completing all the homework from the past two weeks, I am the one feeding her."

Why can't these people talk like me? Always arguing!

I decided to take a stroll along the house. I found some red balls and took a few. I walked around to find a glass with water. I put a red ball in it and some water splashed on me. I chuckled and put another one into it. This time a lesser amount of the water splashed on my face. I laughed very loudly.

"Arun, is Anu with you?"

"No, Akka."

I put another red ball but this time no water splashed. So, I just inverted the glass. Both water and the red balls fell down. I was partially drenched in the water. I gave a small chuckle.

"Arun! Just check what this girl is up to. If she is laughing this loudly it means there is some problem."

Sure enough they came and saw me, in wet clothes, standing up.

"Akka! She has poured water on herself," screamed one of them.

"She has four tomatoes with her which Amma had bought," screamed another.

the familiar-scent lady, or Mummy, came with a cloth in her hand. She picked me up and put me on the floor that was dry. I want to play with water.

I try to explain to her, "Aee, ee, ai, naa, nee, oo, taa."

"Anu! Please, no talking now. Look at the mess you have created."

I walked towards the pool of water which I had spilled on the floor but she swiftly cleaned everything. She took me in her hands and stood up. "What were you all doing when she was playing with tomatoes and water? What if she would have squeezed them? Do you know how messy it would have become?"

"Akka, we were having a discussion on who will feed Anu-"

"No need for that. I will be feeding her."

"Akka! Please you people will be leaving for Mumbai tomorrow. You are not even giving us any guarantee when you will be back."

"You people are too small to do this."

Everyone started shouting. "Akka! Please let us feed Anu! Please!"

"Okay! One of you fed her a banana. This time don't make yourselves busy with discussions that you give her a chance to drench herself. I will not spare you people next time."

They nodded. I was dressed with a fresh set of clothes, and given a lecture on how I should not play with water. When she lifted me off the bed and turned back, we saw the honey-bottle lady standing, smiling.

"I didn't know that when you tell infants not to do something, they will not do that."

"Amma! Here I'm tense that most probably we will not come for maybe another six months and you're cracking jokes."

"Why do you have to vent it out on that small kid? Let her play; if they will not play in this age, when will they play? After they are as old as her great-grandmother? When Anu is seventy-eight years old?"

"I have cleaned it many times-"

"What do you think infants will do? You can't lecture her for every small thing. Do you understand what impact it will have on her? It will mean restricting her."

"Fine."

I was made to stand on the floor. I just walked off from the room. First Mummy lectures me and then when Ammamma is lecturing her, I have to sit and listen to them. I am a kid for God sake!

Sindhu feeding me banana was the most boring thing. She was just smiling at the camera when Arun Mama was clicking photos. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Mummy and other ladies having lunch on the dining table. I was standing next to the dining chair which was the nearest to the room which had purple balls.

If I can somehow manage to sneak from them, I can go and search for purple balls. They are easier to play with.

I saw them posing for another picture. I slowly went behind Sindhu. She was standing next to Kavin and next to him was Sahay. I had to be careful of Arun Mama because he is always alert. I slowly start walking but I realise that they have put these silver anklets around my feet which makes noise whenever I make any movement.

I moved towards the fridge. Next to it was the door when I could enter the room for my mission. Yes, it had now become a mission for me. Mission Find the Purple Balls. I decided to wait for the correct time. Ammamma saw me and smiled. I smiled back at her.

I hope she doesn't come to know about my mission.

Then the moment of my escape came. There was discussion and everyone laughed, including Arun Mama, Sindhu, Sahay and Kavin. I swiftly walked towards the room. I saw the usual rack where purple balls are stacked. I found along with them some smaller white balls were present. I took a few of them. But there was one problem- I couldn't find any vessel to keep them. Then my eyes fell on my shirt. I pulled the end of the shirt towards my chest so that I could form a pocket.

I put a few purple and white balls into them when I heard a voice, "I found her, she is in the kitchen!"

It was Sahay. I got so scared that I let go of the end of the shirt and the balls fell down, rolling on the ground.

"Devuda! There are obbattus, chaklis and nippattu on the kitchen platform! Did she pull anything from there?"

"No Akka! She is stealing onions and ginger."

I decided to let them do talking while I slipped those balls right under their noses.

"But ginger is in the fridge. Sahay, is it garlic?"

"Yes Akka."

I quickly made a pocket and started stuffing them when Arun Mama came. Behind him Sindhu and Kavin stood, laughing.

"Grow up, Sahay! You still can't differentiate between ginger and garlic," Kavin laughed.

I was stealthily slipping away when Sindhu caught me and made me drop all the balls. I still had one white ball in my hand which I refused to drop.

Arun Mama gave me a stern gaze. "Anu, drop it!"

I got very angry. I threw the ball and walked to Mummy. She was eating her food. I placed my head on her lap. She gently pushed my head and said, "Why can't I have lunch peacefully?"

I sensed the irritation in her voice. I started walking towards the living room when Ammamma called me, "My poor Anu! Come here child."

"She threw garlic because I told her to drop it," Arun Mama accused.

She looked at me and scolded, "Why did you throw food? Do you know how much farmers have to toil in the sun to produce the food that you eat? You shouldn't throw food like that. It is a bad thing to do."

She turned towards Arun Mama and said, "Why did you not allow her to play with onions and garlic? What is your problem?"

I left the room for them to argue. I went and sat on the sofa, looking very angry. Sindhu came and started singing rhymes.

"Paa, poo, ki, aa, naa, haa," I told her. I wanted to tell her that I was in no mood to sing rhymes. Arun Mama came in with a vessel which had purple and white balls. I didn't understand one thing- if he actually wanted me to play with them then why did he tell me to put them down before?

I turned my face to the other side to find Sahay and Kavin giving their goofy smiles. The doorbell rang again. This time, it was the moustache man. I don't know where he disappears all the time. He puts a big blue bag that was hanging from his shoulder. He lifts me and tickles my stomach with his nose. I giggle.

"Bava, after Anu saw you, she calmed down. We all tried to make her laugh but in vain," Sahay said, nervously.

He smiled and lifted me. "Get ready, Anika! We will be going to Mumbai."

Translations:

Obbattus: Also called Bobbattu, Vedmi, Holige and Puranachi poli in different parts of India

Indian sweet flatbread made with yellow gram and jaggery. It is quite similar to Puranachi poli except that poli uses wheat flour while obbattus use maida (all-purpose flour).

Chaklis: Savoury snack made from fried dough. It is usually spiral in shape and has a kind of spiky surface.

Nippattus: Savoury snack made from fried dough. It is a flat thin delicacy which has a cracker-like texture.

***

Heya! Finally I updated another chapter. Hopefully, this year, I will try to manage time little better and give more frequent updates. Yes, that is my new year resolution. 

With this chapter ends the 'Part One : Baby Anika'. From next chapter starts the next part, 'Part Two: Anika of Mumbai'.  

*baby Anika wishes you and your family a happy new year*

Thank you for reading!