The Kiss -'Thoda Pyaar Thodi Puchi'

“Some are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together” - Pearl S. Buck

It is said that the first kiss is the most special and memorable. It is, indeed! Before you let your thoughts dive down the memory lane, remember that you are reading a Mom’s post.

Nothing can beat the feeling of my first kiss that I implanted on my son’s forehead within 5 minutes of his existence. I will never forget and forgive that male Paediatrician, in-charge of Nursery ward of the hospital, who took away my kid the moment he was delivered, in a stealthily manner. Had it not been a hospital, I would have without a second thought, labelled him a thief, and created an uproar. He came back only after 5 minutes. During that waiting period (yes, for me those 5 minutes were longer than nine months of wait), none of the doctors or the nurses showed the slightest acknowledgement that they had just delivered a baby. Probably, because for us it is a lifetime experience and for them a routine affair. Finally, I was handed my munchkin for just 10 seconds. During that precious little time, I looked at my baby’s eyes, deciphered that I had a son (remember it is intended to be a family post), held him in my arms, kissed him on his forehead, and softly spoke 'Mera Beta'. Gosh! We women are so good at multitasking…mind it, just 10 seconds.

Thereafter, not a single day has passed when I have not kissed him. I confess, I did kiss him even on days when I had cough and cold, but the kissing place changed (the back side of his little palm or the soft sole of his feet). In the beginning, it was just one-way affair, but slowly it became two-way process, growing stronger in frequency with each passing day. The texture of kisses that my kid passed onto me also changed with time, from milky ones to the burping ones, from the toothless ones to the wet ones, and finally graduating to the perfect noisy ones, Mwaah! From my side they had more variety, it changed from the admiration ones (the ones you give in awe of your little creation, the guilt ones (the ones that a mother implants after scolding or may be hitting her kid), the blackmail ones (the ones mother ask before giving in to a child’s particular demand), to the encouraging ones (after every accomplishment), rapid-fire ones (when suddenly the fear of losing grips over; after you hear or watch some disturbing news related to children), the exclusive ones (meant only for Mumma; direct on the lips), the flying ones (when parting from your kiddo) and the forced ones (when it sadly becomes one way again…you want, the kid doesn’t comply…he want you to run after him and get it)….A word of caution, try the last one only with your toddler and that too with caution.

No wonder, the sheer innocence of a kid gives a sweet taste to all his kisses. Now, when my kid has added few words to his vocabulary, he tells me he mixed ‘Pyaar aur Puchi’ when asked, what did he add to his kissie that made it so sweet? And when I wish to have more of ‘Meethi Puchies', I tell him your kiss taste bitter, what did you add? He exclaims, “Oh! I added Mitti aur Mirchi, let me make a new one for you". I know that is fooling a kid, but ‘apne bacche ki kiss ke liye toh innu-minnu harmless jhooth bhi chalega’.

Isn’t it strange, a kiss, from time immemorial has been the most common and effective medicine that has power to heal any kind of injury a child is inflicted with? It is potent enough to heal a child physically (many a times) as well as psychologically (always). There have been countless incidents, when my son hurt himself and all he needed was a gentle kiss on his wound, and he was absolutely fine. How I wished, a kiss could do the same for all the ailments of we adults? But, I guess we have to have that innocence and belief of a child to make it actually work. The innocence which we probably have lost in our growing up years.

I am very well aware (honestly it is disheartening), that with time the frequencies of kiss will reduce drastically, may be it will be meant or saved for just few selected occasions. This could be out of embarrassment, awkwardness, or the natural death a kiss meets as a child grows up into an adult. But somehow, I want to hold onto the belief that it will not happen to me and my son. At least some types of the aforementioned kisses will always be a part of our lives. The kiss, whose essence is nothing, but a mother’s pure, unconditional love for her child.

With lots and lots of kisses,

Mumma

P.S. Hey Shri, your Mumma although should not, but is keeping an account. I am investing an ocean of kisses in the process of your growing up. Don’t worry, I am getting regular good returns, but I want the returns to keep flowing until I implant my ‘one last kiss’…on your forehead as I depart to a better place.