Chhai Chappa Chhai

A story from last week.

The dark grey skies open up.

Yet, the elder one is determined to go for her dance lessons.

So, I bundle up the baby…

(Oh yes, I haven’t really introduced the new addition to our family, right?

Soon enough, with her antics)

… and off we go through the thick curtain of water.

We can barely see the vehicle ahead of us. But my daughter’s determination seems to have rubbed off on the uncle at the wheel, too.

This is the first time this year that we are caught in really heavy rainfall (a brief, but heavy spell).

Destination reached.

Rain now falling as cold drops.

Baby is cosy and fast asleep. I gingerly transfer her to the nanny, asking her to wait in the car.

Very “cautiously” I step out of the car, only to sink into a huge muddy puddle (no, not feeling too happy about the muddy feet in the wet shoes).

I hoist the girl out of the car and over the puddle, balance the umbrella in the other hand and then for a few seconds wonder, which way to go!!

Muddy water was gushing down the slopes of the roads.

After a few moment’s recce, I decide on squeezing in between parked two wheelers, where the flow was little narrower.

I cross over smoothly and hold out my hand.

But woooooosh…. her feet slip into the running water as she attempts to cross the hurdle.

Did I just glimpse a broad smile on her face??

No time to think. Rain has started pelting down again.

I draw her below my umbrella and we plod up the lane.

Even as my nose shrivelled up at the feeling of mud (read: filth) clinging to my cold wet feet, my mind was multi-tasking:

Hope the baby is sleeping…

Ummm what was that dangerous sounding word.. “Leptospirosis”?…

If she starts wailing, how will the nanny contact me - she has forgotten her phone…

But can this dirty water cause any skin disease?....

Oh, why is the road seeming so long…

Oooh it’s mighty difficult to handle an umbrella against strong winds and hold onto a prancing child’s hand…

Aaaaah…. There I can see the gate of the building”

Alongside, the little shoes are making unfazed squishy squashy sounds.

And I have not really noticed the look on my daughter’s face, yet.

We reach her dance class… squelch up the many stairs and reach…

…an empty room.

Huh?! Why isn’t anybody here? And I thought we were late. Maybe others are delayed due to the downpour, too.

I call the dance teacher only to know that class has been cancelled today due to an emergency.

Ouch, that sounds bad.

But I am a bit flustered with the situation. If only I had known, I wouldn’t have displaced the baby from the comforts of the house. And right at this moment she might be yelping for a feed. And our feet are soaked in dirty water. And……

And so, my mind rattles on, as moodily I take my daughter’s hand and plonk down the steps. Lights not turned on makes it even more difficult to navigate the wet steps.

Finally, we are down at the gate again. The sky has held up within minutes!!

And just as suddenly, my mind turns around

My creased eyebrows even out as we reach the street.

Because the Daughter looks up with a glowing face and breaks into the most heart-melting smile…

“Ma, aren’t we having so much fun today? I have been waiting to use the blue spotted umbrella. And I have you free with me today. It’s such fun to jump in the muddy puddles. I feel like Peppa Pig.

Ma, we can pretend this is a river and we are crossing it. How about this being a mini waterfall?”

and she gazes with adoration at the gushing streams of water.

Her face is radiant. Her squeals, heart-warming.

Let’s just say the short walk up to the car turned into a nice leisurely stretch as we hopped into muddy puddles, the umbrella firmly held in my hand and the other hand firmly clasped by a delighted little elf.

Mind stopped multi-tasking. Instead these lyrics popped up without a warning:

"Chhai chhapa chhai chhapake chhai. Paaniyo mein chhinte udaati hui ladki" !!

As she likes to say nowadays, the “MORAL OF THE STORY” is:

Sometimes it’s just so much fun when a predictable routine breaks.

Sometimes it’s so lovely to enjoy life from an innocent child’s perspective.