She is sweet. She is beautiful with an angelic smile. She’s got dimple chin, rosy lips and loves her face because of that. She can talk for hours together without any pit-stop breaks. She loves Mac’s Happy Meal. She can scribble different colors, lines and create a  cute pic out of nowhere. She gyrates happily to any Hindi/English dance numbers ala Beyonce style. She hums the song “Lemon tree” with full josh jumping and dancing. She loves Tom n Jerry, Scooby Doo, Popeye n Olive, drools over Richie Rich. She dreams of drawing and drawing and becoming a world famous drawing artist. She is my niece – Ankita.

Ankita has been close  to me ever since she was born. Have held her in my arms when she was 12 day old new-born infant. She was fair like fresh mist, her lips were red. Her eyes had the sparkle of a twinkling star. It was different experience holding her in my arms, a bony mass helpless, tiny and yet so beautiful! Her cries would disturb the entire household. Her tiny fingers, tiny pinkish palm, beady eyes used to make me wonder – “How can an infant be so small?” She used to cry at stroke of dawn and there were times where nobody knew how to pacify her and make her quiet.

Ankita is famous for her quick repartee. This weekend when my purse was stolen I had promised her that come hell or heaven, she would be taken to Mac’s for a burger. Happy meal is a big ticket with the tiny tots because of the extra gift which every kid loves to proudly show off. After the purse  was stolen I was completely lost and was busy calling different numbers to freeze all my debit/credit cards. I had a sad look on my face and I think she presumed that I would snap back at her if she asks me about her promised Burger treat. So she clutched my mother’s saree and slowly whisphered in her ears “Ammama, Does aunty have enough money to get me a Mac’s burger?” When my mom told me about this I had tears in my eyes and I gave a bear hug to Anki. 

Anki loves soft toys especially the ones owned by her aunty…ahem..that’s me. I have a collection of teddies, chimps, cuddly bears and what not. Ankita was too curious to know about the soft toys. She asked my mom one day, “Ammamma, for whom are these soft toys?? I think she could never imagine her aunty owning all babish soft toys. ;)

My mom said “That’s for Ash’s baby”.

“But how will Aunty have a baby when there is no Uncle”.

I was at wit’s end. Kids can be so innocent yet so sharp.

Ankita studies in Class – UKG. She dotes a lot on her mom, and always says that some day she wants to be like my sister – tall and beautiful damsel. My sis is very anal about anything and everything that Ankita does and says. One day as usual Ankita went to school. Kids and their squabbles, talk about it!  When her benchmate teased that she will go and beat her mother. Ankita’s response was something which resonates in my mind even today. She said “Don’t say that, because Mother is next to God”.

I was dumbstruck.

God bless you my child! Love you lots!