Khisko!

Khisko!

A family tradition …

One of my most favorite things has been “sunday morning cuddle time” …. the kids (used to) come over to our room, still half asleep, to cuddle and get another round of sleep before everyone got too hungry and someone had to get up to make breakfast. Mishti always participated and Suvo never did. A lot of pushing and shoving happened, negotiations on who got to be in the middle, who did not get enough comforter or pillow, and of course fighting about who had the stinkiest breath - Mishti won this contest every time !

Diya has been missing in action for some time - too busy growing up to become a teenager all by herself - the multiple interstate moves and me working in Detroit while they were all in Texas for over 8 months, taking its toll on this precious ritual and the feeling of connectedness it created for us. Aadi and Mishit kept up the tradition though and never missed a day, while Diya spent most of her time in her room, learned to sing and play five different instruments, colored her hair blue and grew taller than me. 

In the mean time, Aadi has fallen into a routine of reading a book after dinner  every night (which is a great habit) in our bed (i have to admit i enjoy his company for a bit) where he inevitably falls asleep and i have to carry/drag him back to his room in his sleep (a back breaking task that i do not enjoy). Mishti, never to be the one who gets left behind, has taken to sleeping on my pillow, attaching herself to my head like a Tiara. Many nights I wake up confused by her loud snoring right into my ear and my head feeling too hot as a result of being snuggled into her belly. Once, i got so annoyed, that half asleep, i picked her up and threw her off the bed. Unfazed, she jumped right back onto the bed and made a nest on my feet this time and fell right back asleep. Well, as much as I complain about these antics, i love the daily drill and miss it when i am away on travel and so on. And I miss Diya in this mix. 

Things changed the other day when she showed up after dinner when the rest of us were … let just say “lounging”. Suvo was on his laptop getting some work done, Aadi was reading Tintin while sneaking some glimpses of the movie i was watching on Netflix (total binge mode) and Mishti was searching for the best spot to be in the exact center of all of us. I suddenly heard “KHISKO” and looked up to see Diya standing by the bed demanding for all of us to move over (khisko in hindi means ‘move over’ … a phrase she picked up from Nana-Nani and uses often). Well, while i was happy that she was “back” … I realized there was no place to move over … she has grown, Aadi is much bigger and why on earth could Suvo not do his work in the office, and Mishti - get off my stomach !@#@!#! 

We shifted and shuffled, someone kicked a book,  someone screamed, Mishti fell off the edge twice, i gave up on watching the movie and Suvo tried his best to stay on task … but ‘khisko’ we did. With Mishti finally settling on my chest, kids’ falling asleep on each of my shoulders, pinned down by their limbs, pressed and squished until i could not breathe, i realized that ‘khisko’ doesn't just mean ‘move over’ … it means “make room for me, I’m here” … so ‘khisko’ we always will. 

Reality check: Imagine having to carry TWO sleeping kids back to their rooms in the middle of the night … i.e. if you can disentangle yourself and get out at all … but it is worth it!