Responsibility and Love

4

Anika looked confused at the packets of baby diapers on the store shelf. She had only ever gone to the baby section when it came to buying baby clothes for her nieces but not for diapers or anything like that.

Mishti: daddy normally buys the Pampers diapers.

Anika nodded, thanking her niece before taking a big packet of Pampers diapers and keeping it in the shopping basket. She probably needed to buy more baby stuff for Zaira just in case but what?

Milk.

Anika knew that Gauri fed Zaira her own milk like she did with Mishti. Since Anika was not the girls' real mother, she could not feed Zaira her own milk so she needed to buy formula milk.

Anika: why are there so many brands of milk?!

She said in shock seeing a shelf full of different formula milks for babies.

Mishti: what are brands?

Anika: things that make life hard for grown-ups.

Mishti: oh...why are we shopping for milk?

Anika: it's special milk for Zaira.

Mishti: babies are too much work! They have all these special things.

Anika: I know jaanu, I know.

She looked at the formula milk, confused. She then decided to get out her phone and search which brand of formula milk would benefit Zaira. As Anika was on her phone, Mishti decided to be a little bit cheeky and put a packet of Uncle Chipps, Frooti packet and a dairy milk chocolate bar in the shopping basket.

Anika: anyone can tell that you are Om's daughter.

Mishti: kaise?

Anika: because your papa used to do this, put items in our mum's shopping basket when she wasn't looking.

Mishti: so we are buying these?

Anika: hmmmm let me think.....

Mishti: it's a simple answer, just one word and it starts with a 'y'.

Anika smiled, ruffling her niece's hair before saying: okay let's buy these things then.

Anika loved pampering her nieces. Ever since Mishti was born, she had been pampering her non-stop and then Zaira came along to also enjoy Anika's pampering. She could never say no to her nieces.

Mishti smiled in delight and then Anika finally found a good brand for Zaira. She decided to buy 6 packets for now and whilst she was at it, she brought a baby bottle.

Anika: accha so we got everything we need?

Mishti: I think so.

Anika: great so Bua is going to pay for these then we will go home and do some homework.

Mishti: we only get homework on Fridays.

Anika: when did that happen?

She looked at Zaira who looked just as confused as she did.

Mishti: since always.

Anika: when I was little, we got homework everyday.

Mishti: even at my age?

Anika: yes at your age baba.

Mishti: well that was in the olden days.

Anika gave a smile with an eye roll as she paid for the things in her shopping basket. The lady at the till who was serving Anika gave a chuckle hearing what was coming out of Mishti's mouth.