Few months flew by.
Beeti's second birthday is just around the corner. Over the past few months, Beeti has been a diligent student. Hearing mythology and moral stories with her grandmother in the day, and at night she accompany her brother in his academic studies.
Her brother had just completed his annual examination and was promoted to second standard.
On this particular day in the middle of June, the siblings were on their way back to home.
Bankim was already one month in of his summer vacations. After playing crazy with his friends he picked up his sister and bid their grandmother goodbye. Though they can still see her if they were to turn back.
She was making sure the kids reached home safely.
"What did you learn at Grandma today?" asked Bankim, as the sibling walked hand-in-hand.
Their figures casting two shadows, longer than them, from the after glow of setting sun.
Beeti was enjoying her current life. It was calm and peaceful, though for someone from future decades, it came as a surprise that she can actually survive without her gadgets and other technolgies.
It's almost gonna be six months from her rebirth now, and she had almost adjusted herself towards the life back in early 2000s.
She loved her grandparents company, her time with her big brother, which was so scarce and precious for her. The simple life of those days were just so fulfilling for her.
As she was enjoying the walk back home, Beeti heard her brother asking, she replied in her baby voice," counting, to 50!"
"Wow!!!"
"Then can you count for me to hear?"
"Of course", Beeti nodded.
"1"
"2"
"3"
.
.
.
"50"
"Wow!!! Amazing"
Bankim was seriously thinking that his baby sister is a genius.
Embarrassed by the praise, Beeti uttered a soft "Thank you", as counting to 50 was not a big deal for the 25 plus year old her.
Bankim looked at his baby all embarrassed, and couldn't help himself from pinching her cheeks. Beeti's eyes widened dramatically at her cheeks being pinched. And she pouted.
Looking at his sister's animated face and the cute baby pout, Bankim burst into laughter. Then he chased after her, as she was walking ahead in feigned anger.
...
It took a lot of coaxing from her brother to appease her. He has to promise to piggy back her once a week for a month ( which was not big deal for her brother).
After dinner, Beeti went to sleep with her parents. Even if it is common for kids to share bed with their parents, even for some cases the teenagers share a room with the parents ( same room different beds), she still felt uncomfortable for the first time as a 25-year-old, but now see loves the warmth and comfort of her parents. Her big brother sleeps on the other bed, sometimes grandparents would accompany him when they stays overnight at their place.
"Goodnight Maa!"
"Goodnight Baba!"
Beeti's sweet voice came out as soft murmur, her eyes dropping from drowsiness. Soon, she feels asleep. It can't be helped, she is still a toddler and needs to sleep for her development, she doesn't want to remain short statured like her past life, she wants to grow tall. Anyways, it's hard to resist the drowsiness as her body really can't take being overworked.
"Goodnight sweetie" whispered the couple ever so softly, afraid of waking the baby awake. The couple then feel asleep with Beeti in the middle of the both.
...
Author's note:
It is common in India for parents to share rooms with the kids. In some family, kids don't have their own room till they are adults, sometimes girls shares room with their mother till they are to marry,( in most of the middle or lower middle class families) not to mention the story is of early 2000s, and I too am telling from real life situations of some families, though not every families are same.)