Our rituals

There are certain rituals, all my own, that I follow with Ponnu. I have this fear that I may die and not have told Ponnu what she means to me. I don't ever want to end up like that.

So in the morning, I go up to her room and much to her father's amusement say, "Hey, my princess, wake up. Good Morning." After a while of this, and if Ponnu is still sleeping, I go on with "Wake up baby. It is morning." Most days she wakes up after a little while. But on some days, she refuses to budge. If, after a while of more such words from me, Ponnu has still not woken up, her father will remark, "Your princess is still sleeping?" He takes charge then. There is this loud, "Ponnu, wake up," after which he proceeds to switch on the bedroom lights. With a howl, Ponnu is up and in the bathroom.

In the many conversations that we have on the phone through the day, Ponnu and I sign off always with, "I love you." Once I was entering office and found my chief in the corridor talking to someone. I was on the phone with Ponnu. By the time I could go past my chief, Ponnu wanted to hang up as she had a class to attend. "I love you, Ma," she said and I replied, "I love you too". I hung up and then saw my chief raise his eyebrows at my declaration of love. I have yet to be more embarrassed.

Every night before going to bed, Ponnu and I say our goodnights to each other. On one occasion I hugged her and said, "You are the best child in the world". Ponnu's father happened to be nearby and chipped in with, "Of course the best kid, if there are no other kids in the world."