LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE.

I still remember the first day I saw her. It wasn't long ago.I had accompanied my Mom and sister and a cousin to her father's[my mamato dada's] Lansdowne home.

And when we first saw her, my mother couldn't stop gushing about her...proclaiming her to be the prettiest 7 day old she ever saw.I on the other hand could not reconcile the concept of prettiness to the very white almost transparent skinned one-dimensional little body with blue spots on her belly,with a head sans hair, slits of eyes that blinked,and moved it's tiny fingers and toes even when it was sleeping.I distinctly remember exclaiming to mom when out of earshot that she looked like a 'bnadorchhana'!!

Now she rules my heart! Forever on her wobbly little feet,looks like an angel sans wings and talks like...I can't supply an appropriate analogy, because she chirps incessantly,and she chatters sense, none of those baby-talks for her.

She talks of important things in life...identity-'tumi ki...pupun?' she asks me in her clear melodious voice confirming that i am myself and not my identical twin [a popular confirmatory question with my friends].

She transcends the spatial and temporal when she stuns me with a -'achha ami kaal esechhi.baghum er golpo bolo.'-in reply to my promise of belting out another baghum-story[tigers rule her senses] ('kaal')-the next day.

This little one is the epitome of justice and woe unto the one that reprimands me or other subjects of her's in her presence. 'kaano bokechho Gudun ke' in the fiercest growl that she can manage with a special emphasis on 'kaano' to the guilty party and 'aha re ,o shona re' in her softest tone and a couple of kisses to the aggrieved [me in this case] which leaves his/her heart soothed and face smothered with saliva.

Oishee,Tutun, Puchu, Pushu,Byangachi,Chhotto Beral,Puchithang,Myao,Chhutki and the numerous names that me and my sister call her by meet with the same welcome response-an upturned angelic face with an ethereal smile playing on her pink little lips and the most beautiful sound-'ki maa?' [point to be noted-we are her pishis.everyone she loves, she calls maa.isn't that sweet of her?]

She has an astounding sense of rhythm and a keen ear for music.And poor you readers who haven't sen her swaying her little hips to any dance number that plays within her earshot.And you too who haven't heard her recite'baburam shapure' or 'pompom pompom' or 'row row row your boat' or 'hashi hashi takahashi' or 'old macdonald had a farm' the 'ya ya o' refrain of which she uses to disarm me when I throw bombastic English words at her [just for fun i assure you].

I have used so many words and yet her portrait has only half been drawn, that too sketchily.My princess, My baby, My darling [ Warning: dont address her as 'darling when you meet her for the first tme. Brat that she is, she's sure to retort back 'tui darling'] My cuppy cake, It's your 2nd birthday today and I have no gifts for you other than this that says that you've been my bright star,you have filled me with heretofore unfelt pleasures, unprecedented joy,love and affection, and you have made me nurture my softer emotions and made me more responsible.I know you can't read this but you surely can read me.After all ,what escapes your eyes Queen of Infant Goddesses?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE.