I opened my eyes to see in a different environment. Actually, I was in that room for quite a few days. The honey-bottle lady walked towards me with a huge smile.

"My baby, come we'll give you a nice head bath. Everyone else, decorate the cradle. Chaitra, I have kept the soft mattress on the bed in my room. First put that mattress, the blue rubber sheet and then the soft bedsheet. Don't forge-"

"Amma, we will do the rest. You were taking her for a bath I suppose?"

"I remember what I've to do. I am going," she replied and lifted me up. The house was filled with various people. I could recognize a few of them. Rest all were new faces but everyone was smiling at me. Suddenly, someone jumped in front of me. I got so scared that I started crying.

"Kavin! Look what have you done. She started crying," screamed a girl.

I was frightened again and this time I cried even more loudly. The honey-bottle lady warned them, "Sindhu, Kavin, I am not telling anything now because it is a celebration day for us. I don't want to spoil anyone's mood. But do remember that she is still a ten-day old baby. She can't understand anything. She is crying because she got scared."

Kavin looked down with a hung face. "I thought the baby would laugh."

"I understand that but she is too small to understand that you're trying to make her laugh. Now go and help your mothers."

My cries had stopped yet she was rubbing my back gently. We walked into some room and entered into another smaller room. She sat on a small stool and made me sleep on my back on her stretched legs. The whole experience was very soothing. Honestly, I liked taking bath but what I didn't like was water coming on my eyes and it was cold outside. I started crying.

"Hush baby, you were a good girl till now, what happened to you suddenly? Are you feeling cold?"

Within a few moments, I was wrapped again in some strange fabric; my body dried with that same fabric and some sort of liquid was applied on my body. Another fabric was passed around my head. I smiled as my toes got tickled when it was wrapped by some material. A cloth was tied around my ears and back portion of my head. She pressed one of her fingers that had some black mark gently on my right cheek. She lifted me and gave a satisfactory look.

"Look at my baby, she is looking so cute."

She took me to the room where everyone was present. Now, I could see more new faces. But all these faces had something shiny on their necks. The the familiar-scented lady took me to another room where I was breastfed. I didn't feel much sleepy but my stomach was full and I am happy. I was taken back to the same room where I saw some sort of blue thing in the room.

A random woman came in front of her and asked, "Chaitra, she didn't sleep?"

"No Aunty, I think she's still not sleepy."

"How's that possible? Babies are supposed to feel sleepy after a head bath."

"Maybe it's the noise that's keeping her awake."

"But still..."

"Why don't you meet Amma? She'll be happy to meet you."

The woman went off. That girl, Sindhu stood next to us and whispered, "Akka, I saw Padma aunty-"

"Where?"

"Near the gate-"

I was taken to the main door where the familiar-scented lady greeted another lady. She was holding a baby boy in her arms. She was followed by that bad odour man. I started crying, as usual. Looking at me, the baby also started crying.

The bad odour man chided him, "Why do you have to cry like a girl?"

He took him from her and walked into the small crowd.

"Padma, how are you?"

"Chaitra, I am good. I am so sorry I couldn't come when she was born. My in-laws didn't give permissio-"

"That's fine. I can understand. Come inside, Manavendra is waiting for you. I forgot to tell you, our family from Hosur has arrived."

I was taken back to the room where I had seen the strange blue thing. Few ladies were standing near it; one of them holding a plate with some red liquid in it.

"Put her into the cradle, Chaitra," said one of them.

I was put into the strange blue thing. The ladies, along with the familiar-scented lady, held the plate and started circling slowly around my face. Why were they doing this, I had no idea. One of them dipped their finger into the plate and put a dot on my brow. It felt wet and cool.

I saw honey-bottle lady standing next to them but she wasn't holding it. Instead, she held a dull golden vessel which had greyish white fumes coming out.

"Keep this vessel under the cradle. It will dry the baby's hair."

From nowhere a man came in front of me with black box. He pressed a button on that box. The sudden light blinded me and I started crying.

"Arun, who told you to come in front of her and click photos? It is very dangerous. Sometimes, it may lead to loss of eyesight," commented a woman.

My cries echoed in the room as there was a pin drop silence.

"Arre Vimla, what are you doing here? Come have some food, lunch is ready. Chaitra, why is she crying? Rock the cradle gently, I think she's sleepy," said the honey-bottle lady.

I felt pushed and pulled. This whole movement had some effect on my body, especially my ears. My eyes closed automatically. Just when I was about to sleep, I heard some children screaming. I can never have a peaceful sleep.

"Akka, you're rocking the cradle?"

"That's unfair! You promised us that we will rock the cradle."

"Yeah, you can't just back off now."

Arun suggested, "Why don't I click your photos with the baby?"

"No, no, Arun, she'll start crying again. I can't pacify he-"

"Sindhu, stand behind the cradle. Sahay and Kavin, you both stand next to it. Ah! Light is perfect. Now say cheese."

Everyone shouted, "Cheese!"

Again a huge amount of light entered my eyes. I started crying and this time I felt the same movement.

"Look at her face, it has become all red," said Sindhu.

"Ya right, this is so cool," remarked Kavin.

"Cool? What's so cool in that Kavin? Arun, if you click one more photo, I will make sure that your camera is broken into two. Out of the room, I said," screamed Chaitra.

Arun and gang ran out of the room and I drifted into sleep, peacefully.