Candid Moments

“ Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you dear Khushi, Happy Birthday to you!”

That was it! It was there!!! It was so natural that even the cameras couldn’t keep their focus away to capture the perfect moment.

She smiled! With equal expression of delight and surprise, she smiled heartily. The place had an aura of celebration. And she knew it somehow that all of it was for her. Like a princess, she posed to halt the candid moments.

Smile - Click! Click!


No body could stop her and guess what no body wanted to! The smile was infectious and everybody plunged into the moment.

She was getting old! Yet another year old!

Sometimes we just don’t realize how the time flies. I can imagine the eager wait by the hospital lounge. Her father, keeping his fingers crossed, waiting in anticipation to hear the first cry of life. His first step ahead and so be called a father for rest of his life. Words of assurance mumbled within, prayers prayed in silence, a sense of joy equally perturbed by a sense of the unknown fear.

Suddenly! It all happened!

Waaah…. Waaaaah…wa…waaaaaahhhhhh

The lounge was filled with the cry of a new birth. A moment to cherish! He became a father. Apparently the 9 month wait yielded the best gift he could ever ask for.

The doors of the operation theatre opened dramatically, reflections of the light hit brightly from the specula placed in the room, slow instrumental track played in the background to soothe the environment and then the doctor came in a complete white gown holding the baby caringly in his arms. The entire scene was impeccable, as if the baby directly descended from the doors of heaven, assisted by the guardian angels.

“Congrats! You been blessed with a baby girl”

“Khushi beta, papa ko cake khilao”

Drawn back into the present celebration, I heard Khushi’s mother’s voice. It was now Khushi’s turn to feed her parents.

Her small fingers reached the table and managed to cut a tiny chunk of the cake.

“Papa – cake lio”

The traces of the cream stayed on her tiny fingers as she treated her father with the cake.

Click! Click! A mere perfect moment!

Many more clicking followed by and many more moments cherished well. One would not find it hard to see the cheerful smile on father’s face. Its then when I felt the deep secret wanting to burst out into the light – I want to hold my own angel, guide her through the struggling walk, make her taste the 1st spoon of cerelac, carry her on the back and for a change pretend to be a elephant without any shame, make her sleep on my lap and the best of all listen to her when she complains of her mother.

The camera zoomed in on the candle – melting from the top, number 2 in orange and yellow just going down. She was yet another year old!

Click! Click!