"...o tomar k hoye?"

For my baby crush.

"When she grows older, she will look at you and think- this old lady used to be my best friend."

Hi. Remember me?
You are all grown up and beautiful. And taller. You wear heels now,wonderful shades of black,brown and colours I don't recognise anymore.
But I recognise you.
The red of your fluffy  cheeks have been replaced by a subtle, lingering blush, your hair falls down on your shoulder like a dark waterfall. Your eyes shine like a pair of stars.
You were only two and a half when I saw you for the first time. Your pink hairband matched the colour of your dress as you ran along the school corridor.
"Mithi...!" Ma'am had called you from a distance.
So that was your name.

Mithi.

Days grew up into a Year and there you were- standing  outside my stall with Ma'am. It was the first Saturday of December and tradition called it "Carnival".
It was a stupid game, I recall -tailing some kind of an elephant or a mouse. Although Ma'am played, you took back the gift.

Moments later you were running around with a huge chocolate and a teddy bear from the soft toy stall, under your arms.
I remember Ma'am saying,"oke dhore aan toh!"
"5 minutes"
You kept saying.

You became so many things to me Mithi. You were my  gateway to escape my days of China clay and extended tiffin breaks.
Startled kids would often ask me,"DIDI o tomar k hoye? "
I never told them that were my best friend.
"O ki tomar bon hoye?"
I would smile at them and say,"hain re,o amar bon hoye..."