1998,

Bangalore. . .

It had been a long time since I had seen the moustache man, but a bunch of people would surround me and look at me with utmost fascination.

"Arun! Man! You're so lucky to have got a niece to play with. Wish I could stay with you," one of them said.

"I wish I had an elder sister or brother! I could at least play with their kids! Why is it so bad to be an only child?"

Arun Mama, as I was supposed to call him, said, "In that case, I must tell my mother to remove my drishti as well. God! You people get jealous easily."

He looked at one of his friends and asked, "Kumaran, do you have to say something?"

"Yeah, your mother makes awesome dosas! I wish I could stay with you people," he replied, with a sigh.

Mama said, "I asked if I have to say anything with respect to Anu. We were discussing her."

"Oh! Anu! She is a sweet child."

That's it? I am trying to walk with proper balance, trying to speak and all you encourage is by telling me I am a sweet child? You've messed with the wrong person! Before that I have to take a risk.

I was standing and looking at the squirrels racing up the coconut trees. Stealthily, I started leaning towards Kumaran. He was alert and caught me. Making me sit on his lap, he followed my eyes.

He started "Coconuts! I just love these green coconuts! So tender-"

"That's why they are called tender coconuts."

Now that he is distracted, I can perfectly work on my plan.

"Hush! When I'm speaking about food, do not disturb me. Tender coconuts, brown coconuts and dried coconuts have their own significance in cooking. You cannot use dried coconut on pizza."

"Yuck! Who even uses coconut-"

"I gave an example to show how bad it would be if coconuts are not used in proper place."

Arun Mama said, "Kumaran! Who even discusses coconuts? Let's talk about Anu."

I relaxed. After a few minutes, Kumaran screamed. "Kadavule! She peed on me!"

the familiar-scent lady came with some wet clothes in her hands. She dropped the clothes on a table and glared at Arun Mama. "Arun! Anu woke up and you didn't even bother to inform me. As a punishment, you clean this portico, give Kumaran your clothes and wash his clothes."

"Can I wash Anu's clothes?" he asked with a smile.

She shook her head. "No, my extremely smart brother. Just because her clothes are small in size, you can't get away with an easy punishment."

Honey-bottle lady came and lifted me from Kumaran's lap. She took me to the bathroom, removed my clothes and talked to me. Even I want to talk. I want to tell you about the things I have seen. I felt warm water hitting my body. I was wiped with a towel, dressed again.

I was fed by both the ladies and till then Mama's punishment was over. Honestly, I felt that the punishment part was epic.

I was made to sit amongst the bunch of adolescent boys who were waiting for me for a long time. Arun Mama said, "Now, which rhyme should we start off with?"

"I guess 'twinkle twinkle little star'?" one of them said. I saw the familiar-scent lady standing behind them. I smiled and she smiled back too. She put a finger on her mouth. I didn't understand what she wanted to say. I was more interested in their conversation.

"No, Harish," Kumaran said. "We must start with 'hot cross buns'."

"Goobe, can't you think of anything else other than food?" the other one chided.

"I think teaching her 'The Alphabet Song' would be best," Arun Mama suggested. "As our lecturers say, one should have their basics strong."

the familiar-scent lady clapped her hands. Even I started clapping. "You are using P.U. lecturers' advice on a baby? Like advice given to a seventeen-year-old on a one-year old infant? Are you all for real?"

"Akka, we want Anu to be best since the beginning. Now, if you let us, we will start her training."

"Whatever!" the familiar-scent lady rolled her eyes. I looked at her in awe. Even I want to do that!

"You should be happy that we are teaching it for free," Arun Mama said.

"Free? What about the lectures you guys bunked today? Be grateful that I didn't tell Amma. This is the first and last warning I am giving you people."

He rolled his eyes. How is everybody doing that?

Arun Mama started and one after the other, everybody started singing, "A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I,"

I started singing with them, "Ae, ee, aae, aa, ka, ki . . ."

Everybody started laughing. I looked at them with surprise.

"Anu is very smart. She is calling you kakee, a crow," Harish said.

They started again. "A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, . . . "

So, I started again. "Ae, ee, aae, aa, ka, ka, ki, ki . . ."

I don't know for how long we sang songs but I felt my throat dried up. No sooner did I start coughing than the honey-bottle lady took me to the kitchen. She made me drink a glass of water.

*

For the past one week, this song routine is progressing very nicely. Though my singing was always on point, I felt Arun Mama and his gang had a lot of scope to improve.

But today, when Arun Mama knocked on the door, only he came in. I couldn't see other people. He screamed something and went inside the room. I was dressed up and the familiar-scent lady took me near a red box, next to a shop. She pressed something on a black box kind of thing. I was angry at her. She was not letting me touch it.

". . . Anu sings nursery rhymes with Arun and his friends. I don't know what to do. . . he misses his classes and comes home. . . tomorrow he has an exam, he is shouting at everyone. . . he sat down to study. . . When will you come. . ."

I started snatching the black thing next to her ear. Even I want to sing songs.

"Uffo! This girl never lets me talk. . . What do you mean by you don't have holidays till Diwali? Okay, we will leave for Mumbai after Diwali gets over. . . I am not hearing your ifs and buts. . . are you even realising Arun is trying to fill your spot, spot as a father, temporarily in Anu's life? . . What do you mean by you are doing everything for her future? I said even I will help you but you said no. . . What do you mean by you have important work to do? . . Bye? . . Wait, try talking to Anu at least. . . Hello? Hello?"

She looked at me and sighed, "Your father doesn't have time for you."

I looked at her sadly as she kept that black thing and moved out of the booth.

I was completely bored. The park was also boring; I have to play with the same ball every day. We returned home and I saw Arun Mama's room door was closed. Why can't he understand I was in the mood to sing?

I started banging his room door and started screaming, "Ae, ee, ke, ki, aa, ka, ki . . ."

What happened was the familiar-scent lady would take me to the kitchen and make me sit on the floor. She would give me a few vegetables to play with. But I would throw them and crawl up to his room and start banging the door. I would scream and sing yet he didn't come out.

This repeated many times until both the familiar-scent lady and I were tired. I started crying and she took me into the room to feed me breast milk.

As she closed the door, she put my head next to her bosom and said, "I promise Anu, I will not marry you off early. I will let you have a job. I want you to be settled professionally and only then think of settling in life. Your Ammamma made that mistake but I won't repeat the same."

I saw she was crying. Not like me, very loudly. There were tears on her face. I tried to wipe them, like every time she wipes mine. I don't know for what reason; I felt more tears on her face.

***

Translations:

Kadavule: Oh my God in Tamil

Goobe: Literal meaning is owl in Kannada. But it is also used to call someone foolish.

Uffo: Oh God in Hindi