The Best Morning Ever, I Mean Ever

The day started as usual. Alarms snoozed tirelessly for hours, from five in morning and when finally I left bed, it was seven thirty. Took some water. Went to bathroom. Brushed yellowish teeth. Greeted to the couple-friends in other room, who came last night and cooked delicious chicken. Skipped bathe and dressed the same clothes of last day. Put on shoes, dirty from last evening’s surprise mud, near metro station. By then, it was already twenty past eight. And I got a call from Taniya.

I thought first, I’d pass. See, I had no time. But then I decided to put her through earphone to avoid future confrontation and there she was, with dizzy but warm voice still longing for bed and blanket. While Delhi was getting hot and humid, Mauritius being in other hemisphere was colder.

We spoke semi-formally and then I asked about the little devil, who was supposed to be asleep till now. I wanted to see her just for once, before going out for a shitty day. I did a video call. She was sleeping in other room with her granny, and when Taniya went there to show me her sleeping serene face, totally contrary to her real self, she was already little awake.

I called her. “Papa. Good morning. Have you dreamt well? Do you want to share it?”

Now on any other day, Vedantika didn’t care. I was always used to be on the neglected side. But today she looked towards the screen lazily and then WOW, she smiled. Her best kind of smile, where her small teeth were slightly visible in between the two adorable lips. And she muttered, “Papa”.

That was nothing. A daughter always called her papa as papa. But I froze there. Clock ticked towards eight thirty. I had to leave now not to be late in office. But I just couldn’t move from that smile.

She then talked and talked. Probably describing her dreams or something else. I couldn’t understand a bit but listened aptly. She showed her water bottle and the things she owned, and the things she learned. She put her hand on her lips and then touched the screen. And I got the answer of a primordial question. ‘Does she miss me?’

I didn’t care for the time or office or anything. She just gave me the best morning ever. I mean ever.