What a chaistastic day, filled with warmth and endless cups of love!!!

 It was the third day his nanny was on leave. For the first two days, his Appa had lovingly taken care of him, and on the third day, I unexpectedly had a holiday. The night before, I made up my mind—I would spend the entire day with my little heart, not letting a single minute or second be stolen by thoughts of chores. After all, that’s what his Appa always reminds me to do.

The next morning, after bidding his Appa goodbye as he left for work, I nestled right next to the cradle, just waiting for my baby to wake up. And when he did, oh, that smile! It was everything I wanted to capture and hold onto forever.

There have been other days, even Sundays, when I’ve wanted to sleep in or lie around lazily. But not that day. That day felt special, like it had been set aside just for us.

When he finally woke up, his eyes sparkled with the most magical twinkle, and my heart melted. This was a moment I never wanted to end.

I gently lifted him from the cradle, holding him close and planting a soft kiss on his chubby cheeks. After washing his little face and brushing his tiny teeth, I carried him to the lit lamp, and together we prayed—chanting "Ganapa Ganapa" and bowing before the god.

With him perched happily on the kitchen counter, I began clearing the sink piled with dishes, singing all my favorite songs and putting on a lively mono act just for him. He watched me, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. I brewed some chai and asked him if he would like sabudana idli for breakfast. His enthusiastic nod was enough to melt my heart.

We settled on the diwan by the windowpane, and breakfast turned into a playful drama session. I tried every trick I could think of to make him eat, while he giggled and playfully tested my patience. Once breakfast was done, we moved on to folding clothes—over and over again—because he loved pulling them apart as soon as I stacked them neatly!

Ironing came next, with him placing clothes on my head and touching the warm fabric, exclaiming, "Hot!" before reminding me to "make the other side hot too." I was nervous about him being near the iron box, but by God’s grace, nothing went wrong.

Next came Abhyanjana (oil massage) time, which turned into a game of chase as he ran around giggling, delighting in making me work harder to catch him. When I finally managed to oil him, he clung to me like a little Betala, smearing oil on my dress. Even though the floor was slippery, and my outfit was stained, I couldn’t help but laugh at his antics.

Bath time turned into a water festival, complete with splashes and giggles, as he enjoyed making fountains out of the hot water. Afterward, we indulged in a playful lunch where pulao was more generously shared with the carpet than his tummy!

The afternoon was filled with reading books, coloring, and tidying up the room together. Sweeping and cleaning felt less like chores and more like a fun bonding activity with him by my side.

As evening approached, we stood by the windowpane, eagerly waiting for Appa. The moment Appa came into view, my little one’s face lit up, and he called out, “Appa, Appa!” with pure joy. Watching their reunion was the perfect way to close the day.

Later that night, after finishing all the chores and preparing for the next day, Appa suggested a ride. He took us to a cozy chai shop, where we sipped fragrant rose (kadak chai too!!). Our little one enjoyed the ride with pure delight, making it a memorable end to a day overflowing with love, laughter, and togetherness.