My Egyptian Princess

The wet month of July 2008 dragged along, down pour in Bangalore and the 'Sequeira' clan had nothing to look out for in this gloomy weather. All we looked forward to was the winters and Christmas. This was until we received an overseas call from Jyothi (fondly known as Jo), the elder Sequeira sibling.

Let me narrate how our days and our lives were to change with just one phone call. Dad was watching his favorite Kannada serials on that Saturday night and mom was waiting for one of her weekend rituals to commence - a long chat with her darling daughter. This has been the ordeal since August 2005 when Jo first left to the US. As usual, mom was dosing bedside the phone, when finally the phone rang.

Hellooo Jo! kashein asai puta (translate - Jo, how are you my child) said mom. And am sure on the other end my sis would have said - Hi mom and bla bla bla :). After the initial hi's and hello's, mom heard the news that made her jump to her feet. Before we panicked she said, Wow! Is it? that's wonderful!!!

Dad and me, who till then paid no attention to the mother daughter conversation came running to check on mom's reason for delight. Mom with her very charming smile told us that Jo was expecting her first baby... The next day, when the proud uncle (Praveen, fondly called Pravy) was equally excited with the news; when he gathered himself after the state of exhilaration and fell back to normalcy, the first thing he did was, booked the 'God Father's place in our new arrivals life, sad that the booking was not properly registered and Noel (Jo's brother in law) took that place. Anyways, although I was super happy, I was not sure how this news would make a terrific change in my life.

Months passed and with each passing day Jo looked bigger. She would narrate to us the morning sickness saga in her first trimester, she would talk about her first and following baby scans. It was interesting to see how the excited grandparents at this end of the line would keenly follow-up the developments and give their valuable suggestions. Jo kept telling us how the doctor taught Joel to change nappies and all other father chores [so good for Jo! wish that Ullas is taught the same :)]. Through all this, I was still wondering how much of difference the baby would make in my life.

Finally it was December, Jo was in her last trimester. Mom flew to the US and Dad, Pravy and I were left behind to celebrate a quiet Christmas. On 19th of December, we heard the familiar overseas ring and anxiously surrounded dad, pressing our ears as close to the receiver as possible. It was mom on the other end, she said, its a girl! She is very cute and it was a normal delivery. That was all we needed to know. After a small kit kat break, we received snaps of our little brat (then she was an angel), thanks to the current days super fast Internet service.

Pink cheek, red lips, drowsy eyes and a small little thing swaddled in lots of cloth was all we could see in the snap. But, standing there, staring at my niece, I could feel a transformation happen within me. I was an aunt and this was my little baby. Jo and Joel had rightly named her Kaira - the Princess. I still feel the lump in my throat when I picture this beautiful day in my life when I saw my little princess.

Its been 2 years, 5 months since then, but the memory is as fresh as a cucumber. I feel like I always knew and loved this treasure whom I fondly named - Ficku (usually the names I coin are meaningless and not so pleasant sounding).

My Little Princess... you mean the world to me, Shi aunt (that's what she calls me) loves you from the bottom of the bottom of my heart :)