Karma Sutra - A modern day fable

Once upon a time in WinterWonderland, there lived a littleGirl who refused to grow up, which was just as well because grown-ups never did anything fun. The littleGirl lived with a littleBoy she played games with. Ofcourse, being just the two of them and lots of snowy emptiness, they just played indoors. Soon a littleBaby joined their tiny household and made it one giant funhouse!

With each passing day the littleGirl found herself swamped by feeding schedules, waste management, and The Holy War against the common cold epidemic. The littleBoy spent his time minting money to sponsor the littleGirl's activities.  So when did that leave them with time to play? Never.

The littleGirl wondered if this maternal gig was really for her. She missed every bargain sale which let me tell you is really bad for any girl. And then there were those lost drives around an empty town for a midnight icecream and snoozing under the covers until the Sun was high in the sky. Plus all work and no play would make even theCreator grouchy.

Sometime the littleGirl wished she was surrounded by a bevy of servants and nannies...people to take care of her every whim and the littleBaby. Then she would have ample time to sprawl on a couch and watch the littleBaby play while someone else attended her. Oh! how she longed for an extra hour of sleep. She cribbed, sighed and cried for a miracle.

Then one day the littleFamily went to a party. After hours of nonstop music, some mundane conversations and lots of great food they came home tired but giggly that they still had a social life. Unbeknownst to them another guest had tagged along - a very stinky virus from a very bad cough.

First the littleBaby decided to befriend the guest inspite of her mother's Cold War. The littleGirl followed her with the A Big Flu. And just like that her dream came true. 

As she sat quarantined in another room, the littleBoy did everything for his littleBaby and his littleGirl. And he did it great. The littleGirl couldn't kiss the littleBaby, or hug or touch. If she did have to carry her she had to wash her hands twice and wear The Ugly Mask. The littleGirl now did have all day to sleep and laze but the chills and aches did little to help her along that way.

As she watched the littleBaby babble to the littleBoy, she realized what she had once thought as overwhelming was all she ever wanted...to hug the littleBaby, smell her milky sweetness, change her diapers, listen to her laughter, have a mock fight when she bites...she wanted it all. 

She wanted it ALL!

Moral of the story: 

Be wary of your deep desires. They just might come true and bite you in the ass!

Sprinkle some Golden Magic

The early morning sun noiselessly creeped into the nursery, its long golden hands trying to nudge the inhabitants awake. Princess Maya slowly opened one eye and peeked; Did her toy horse just twitch and try to push the Sun's hand away? Or did Missy Pig flutter her wings? Now she was fully awake.

She got up and tottered to the edge of her crib to check on her animal friends. No, the animal carvings on her crib rail were just that...wooden and unmoving. She stretched her tiny hands towards the window to catch a fistful of the sun. Maybe if she rubbed their back with the sun, they might just wake up. Just then the door to the Royal Nursery opened and in walked Little Princess.

"How's my little sunshine today?" cooed Little Princess as she lifted Princess Maya off the crib. 

"Great!" answered Princess Maya, "I just want to go out and play in the garden. Let me down. Now!" 

Afraid she was going to drop the squirming baby, Little Princess held onto her tightly as she danced her way to the divan by the window. She laid Princess Maya on the divan and proceeded to tell her the story of The Raven and The Owl while dressing her in clothes appropriate for royalty.

Littlest Princess gave her mother an exasperated look.

"Can I go to the garden now? I am all dressed." she said and tried to wriggle from her mother's arms and out the window. Little Princess pulled her back and smiled sweetly, "There! Look how pretty you look. Now we need to go for breakast with your father. You know how he dislikes being late for The Royal Court".

Princess Maya shouted, "But, but I want to climb that tree and pull all that grass and, and..." Why wasn't her mom understanding what she was saying? Little did she know that all that her mom ever heard was "Goojibooji boo gaaga baaji" in different tones.

Maya looked out the window, at her favourite mango tree and the crow sitting on it and sighed, "Isn't there anyone who can understand what I say?"

"I can" said the crow.

Princess Maya stared at the crow and then she smiled. She knew the Golden Sun was magical. If only she could sprinkle some on her mom. 

"Wait for me. I'll be back" she crooned from her mother's arms. The crow smiled back at her and winked as the tiny hands disappeared behind the door.

Mistress of the Basket

Nothing ever is the same once you've jumped off the cliff. Or picked up a wailing baby. The Man felt no different. Princesses may appear magically but sadly there's no magical way to satisfy all their needs.

The entire kingdom was turned topsy-turvy the moment Princess Maya arrived. The best carpenter in the kingdom was beckoned to build the sturdiest and yet the most wonderful looking cradle in the world while the Royal seamstress was asked to weave soft sheets of silk.

The Man paced outside the nursery with the baby as The Little Princess tried to create a whole new world inside. The baby in his arms crinkled its eyebrows and The Man could sense a cry forming. Princess Maya let out a soft whimper. Just when he thought he couldn't hold off any longer, the door opened and he stepped into the nursery.

The Little Princess and her bevy of helpers had truly outdone themselves. The cradle was a masterpiece crafted in rosewood, and the sheets were as soft as satin. The Man softly laid Princess Maya on her bed.

The moment she touched the bed, Princess Maya wailed. The Man held her tight; the Little Princess rocked her back and forth but no avail. Princess Maya just couldn't be pacified. The Queen and The King rushed in to help, but all the lullabies in the world weren't enough to soothe the tiny baby. The Man and the Little Princess looked bewildered.

Then The Man rushed in search of the Royal seamstress. Maybe cotton would be softer. The Little Princess ran to the Royal garden. Maybe a nightingale's song would quiet the baby. The King walked up and down the room, nodding his head as that's what he did best. While they each tried to find a solution, the Queen held Princess Maya and tried to rock her to sleep.

Minutes passed into hours. But Princess Maya hadn't slept a wink. The Little Princess slumped into The Man's arms, unsure of what to do. The King was snoring in a corner, next to a broken basket. The Little Princess used to play with it as a kid. An exhausted Queen slowly placed the crying baby in the old basket and flexed her arms.

After a few minutes as she bent down to lift the baby, she found Princess Maya fast asleep, her tiny hand tightly clasping an old blanket. The little one had drifted to sleep in the comforting smells of old wood and worn down wool.

Little Princess smiled at The Man. Raising a princess wasn't a new tradition to be learnt. It was simply forgotten and need to be remembered.