My Lil Devil

He’s sharp. He’s hyper. He’s smart. He’s alil cracked. He’s blunt. He’s the apple of his baba’s eye. And he’s my nephew, Naufle; the first child of our house. They say that firstborns are always given special care and attention. They are sensitive and keep bundles of emotions hidden in their heart as being overshadowed by siblings makes these children vulnerable and emotional. But this is not the case with Naufle. You would see him clarifying his every action, good or bad, giving you the insight and the background of it. Yes, he gets alil jealous when his babu brings any toy for his sister and doesn’t tell him first. But he loves his sister to core. He can’t let me have her for one day. No, he’s all brotherly when it comes to Areeba. He proclaims whatever he doesn’t like. Publicly. Not even caring if any guests are sitting around. Oh yes you can feel the heat rising in our cheeks and our forced smiles. But this is how he is. We have accepted this fact. It’s strange that when we were kids our parents use to mold us according to their beliefs and norms. But in today’s world we mold ourselves according to children. We change the subject. We laugh openly and let others join in our laughter. We simply ignore it altogether. As if the child doesn’t even belong to us.

His baba wanted him to be different, unique. He wanted him to give abundance of confidence in the form of applause, encouraging words and even getting down on his knees and doing whatever he finds interesting. It’s amazing how becoming a parent changes you completely, transforms you into dimensions that you don’t even know are there in you. Your whole world revolves around the needs and wants of your child. You fret about their future instead of yours. No matter how hurt or broken you are, you smile for them because it makes them happy.

Children don’t keep grudges. Even if they do, they keep it for the obvious reasons. They forget and forgive. I guess that’s how they grow up so fast. Unlike we grownups, who dwell consistently and instead of moving forward, we get stuck in our past. Naufle even doesn’t care if you hit him the other day, if you’re here today making him feel special, he’s then all yours. He has this maniac, crazy and totally insane laughter which always surfaces when he’s doing something wrong. If you’re not the victim it will surely tingle your good side. But if it’s the other way around, brace yourself!

He misses his baba, and that too a lot. Anybody can judge that. You don’t have to be a child specialist to concentrate on his every single story which starts with “my baba…” The only logical explanation that we can ever come up for all his rude behavior and insane attitude is the prolonged absence of his father from his life. He doesn’t talk to him on phone but he’s always present in his cute, funny mimicry that of course has been passed onto him by his guardian and his mentor. I remember my husband making me uneasy and out of words by saying that you always talk about your chotay bhaijan, not any other person. It was then I realized that no matter what life hits you with, your blood relations, your roots don’t leave you. You stay grounded without knowing the fact that there were always around you supporting you in your words, your stories, your actions, your mischiefs and your laughter. We all miss you bhaijan. Come back soon.