Random thoughts I was recording until I got the Internet connection today.(atlast!)

Friday 21st Oct
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Said good-bye to Basel one last time and left for Bangalore on Thursday morning. The flight was uneventful. Ashu did nt trouble at all and Maya our 10-month-old neighbor was a charming little thing. Do they spray "Happy-Baby" spray in the airplanes I wonder? (Can I get some?) Reached Bangalore without a glitch. Waited an hour for the baggage and with a racing heart rushed out to meet the two brand new set of grandparents. Like expected, the four pairs of eyes were on Ashu and we just became the insignificant baby carriers! Reached home at 2 AM and after an hour of baby petting HD and I had enough, took Ashu and locked us in the bedroom. Zoom to 8.30 am next day, I got up. Gossiped with my parents (!) until Ashu and HD got up. Number of teas, Idlis and visitors followed. Ashu sneezed non-stop, caught a cold and looked so miserable that I just wanted to scoop her up and fly back to good old dust-free Basel!! It's good to be back nevertheless.

Saturday 22nd Oct
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Phew! What a day! Relatives pouring in to see Ashu. If it was dresses and toys in Swiss, it’s all gold jewelry here! Good decision we made to come back here, huh? Ashu has met her great grand parents, grand aunts and grand uncles all maternal side. Once we go to Chennai there’s an even bigger crowd waiting. There’s going to be an engagement next weekend and it’s an exciting prospect to meet everyone from our family and not to mention good food.
Some of the things I ve to put up with:

1. There’s no name called Arushi in Sanskrit. There’s only Aruni. So try to change your daughter’s name, if u cant change then at least call her Aruni at home.

2. Don’t kiss the baby’s feet. She ll run away. (Odi poiduvaa)

3. Use Gram flour to bathe her, she ll become fair.

4. Don’t make her laugh. Her stomach will hurt.

5. Feed the baby. (The most repeated so far!)

Sunday
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Yippee! Shops are open on Sundays here unlike Basel where Sunday is more like a curfew. Hd and I checked out the new Shoppers Stop that has opened a branch in Bannerghatta Road. (Might be old. 2 years back it was nt here, though!) Rs.10 for parking. Why would a store want to charge for parking inside their premises? As if their exorbitant prices are nt enough? It seems they ll give back the money if you are a member. You are a member if you pay Rs.100. That money will be deducted from your next bill. So when I decided to buy a dress for Ashu, they say the next bill has to be after 24 hours after the first bill. Someone had too much time on their hands to think of such utterly useless rules. Shoppers stop or stop shoppers? We went there to check out high chairs for Ashu. There was only one and I did nt like it. It was Rs.4000. I definitely did nt like that.

TV
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I happened to see "Mayilirahe" song from the movie "Ah Aah" on TV. This is a song I ve been hearing all the time on headphones and loved it to bits. And now I see it on TV. I was too much in shock that I am still in denial. How can such a beautiful song be slaughtered like this? No sane person can do this. The director is the actor and it is easily the worst picturization ever. I ve been disappointed before. (Thannan thaniye from Rhythm) but nothing to this level. I thought I ve seen everything. But Sachein is considered for Oscar entry and now this. What is this world coming to?

HD joined office today. Exactly after two years, he is traveling to Electronic city from home. It took him 3 hours and 30 mins to reach. It seems it’s because of the heavy rain which battered Bangalore yesterday. Otherwise it takes only 1 1/2 hours it seems. I am relieved!

Note to self: Put a book, Cd player, biscuits, water bottle, water jacket, tooth brush, underwear and a bicycle in Hd's backpack.

2 weeks later
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After lots of traveling here, there and everywhere we are back to Bangalore. HD came to Bangalore a week before us and missed Ashu a lot. In this one-week, Ashu started crawling, stands up on her own with support comfortably and cries if she needs anything. HD said she has grown up a lot in a week. For the first time in my life, I had to sacrifice some thing because I have a baby. I could nt attend my best friends wedding. Traveling with Ashu is difficult and traveling without her while breastfeeding is unthinkable. I know my friend will never forgive me. But one day she ll understand when she has a little one of her own. To avoid her wrath, did nt call her yet. Another unforgivable mistake. But the silence is getting longer and uncomfortable. I better call her soon before the situation gets out of hand. 8 years back if someone had told me that I would nt be attend her wedding and also feel reluctant to call her, I would ve slapped them then and there, called them names and swore on my great-grand mothers grave (May God rest her soul!) that nothing would stop me from attending her wedding. Time, I tell you!

Today Ashu was playing. My mom moved the mat under Ashu with Ashu on top to one side and she fell face down on the mat. Nothing happened but as I saw it, I had a strange feeling. The closest I can describe it is it felt like a car ramming through my heart. I am not kidding. It happened in a flash. But it was very much on the left side of my chest and for the first time in my life I actually felt my heart. Guess, this is what is a tug in your heart. Nobody can call me heartless anymore huh?