Echoes of MaAn: Love beyond Separation

||28|| Abu Dhabi.. Here We come ( Pt 5)

The next morning, the sun shone brightly over Abu Dhabi, promising another fun-filled day. But today, it wasn't about theme parks or roller coasters. No, today was going to be about family — pure, unadulterated, chaotic family time, complete with both sets of grandparents in the mix. And, of course, the star of the show: little Aadhymaan, whose chubby cheeks and toothless smile had every single adult wrapped around his tiny finger.

Anupama and Anuj had planned a leisurely day at the Emirates Palace, knowing well that once the whole family was together, chaos would reign. And they were right. The chaos began at breakfast.

The Breakfast Buffet: A Comedy of Errors

The entire family gathered at the hotel's lavish breakfast buffet, which had everything from fresh fruit to pancakes, to pastries so intricate they could be mistaken for works of art. Of course, for the grandparents, this was also an opportunity to fuss over Aadhymaan, and for Aadhymaan to make his presence very, very known.

"Beta, have you given him his banana today?" Sushma asked, pulling out a tiny container of mashed banana she had packed from India, just in case "the bananas in foreign countries aren't as nutritious."

Before Anupama could answer, Meera chimed in, "Banana is good, but don't you think a little bit of mashed up idli would be better? Aadhymaan needs protein, you know! Look at him — already such a strong boy!" She flexed her arm as if to prove the point.

Rajesh, not to be outdone, leaned over with a croissant in hand. "A little butter won't hurt, right? He should enjoy some European food. We are in Abu Dhabi after all!"

Meanwhile, Madhav was trying to sneak some orange juice into the mix. "Vitamin C, it's important! Keeps the immunity strong!"

Anupama stood there, helplessly watching as her six-month-old son was being offered a strange buffet of mashed bananas, idli, buttered croissants, and orange juice. She could almost see the tiny wheels turning in Aadhymaan's baby brain as he tried to decide which grandparent to appease first.

But before she could intervene, Aadhya swooped in, like a superhero with her own agenda. "Nani, Dadi, stop! He's too young for all this food! He needs baby food. I saw this on the internet!" she said, dramatically waving a spoon in the air. Malvika, who was filming the whole thing on her phone, burst into laughter.

Anuj, watching the madness unfold, leaned over to Anupama. "Looks like we're not the parents today. We're just the bystanders."

Anupama sighed, half-amused, half-exasperated. "I've never seen a baby buffet like this in my life."

A Poolside Circus

After managing to finish breakfast (with most of it ending up on Aadhymaan's bib), the family decided to head to the pool. The Emirates Palace had a stunning, palm-lined pool that seemed like the perfect spot for a relaxed family hangout. But the word "relaxed" was quickly proving to be a relative term.

As soon as they got poolside, the grandfathers, Rajesh and Madhav, had already started a fierce debate about the right kind of sunscreen for a baby.

"I read on the internet that the SPF should be at least 50!" Rajesh declared, holding up a bottle as if it were the Holy Grail.

"But you can't use just any sunscreen on babies," Madhav countered, waving a different bottle. "This one has natural ingredients! Organic! It's written in big letters, see?"

The two men stood there, arguing over which bottle was superior, while Anuj, having had enough, snatched both and squeezed a random blob onto his hand. "Alright, alright! I'll use both! Happy?"

Rajesh and Madhav grumbled but finally relented, and Anuj quickly slathered the sunscreen on his squirming son, who by now looked more like a slippery fish than a baby.