My earliest memory of Vaishutai

My earliest memories of my childhood, are just fleeting memories, just the hustle and bustle of a busy, loud and loving family. Aaji, usually on her bed which was in the dining room, and she had a vantage point everywhere in the house, or outside on the jhopala. Aai either in the kitchen, or reading a book in the living room. And my earliest memories of Baba are him telling us bed-time Jami stories, or me going for a haircut with him. I don't really remember Deepali or Vaishutai or what they used to do. I do however remember playing with Shayu a lot.

One day, Shayu and I were playing "ghar-ghar" under the dining table. She had a nook, and I had a nook. And we were going on with our play, oblivious to who was around us or listening to us. Vaishutai was sitting in the same room doing her homework. She was on the floor, with a make-shift desk and studying. And she called out to me and Shayu, and asked us to go get some "mamre" from the kitchen and water, and told us she was going to show us some magic. I promptly ran and got it, and then Vaishutai with all the "aura" of a cool older sister, dropped one "mamra" in the bowl of water and made us listen to the hissing sound. She made us do it too... and made us wonder why it made that sound.

We were super impressed, and I was beyond happy to have such a cool sister. I must have been in the 1st grade, so she must have been in the 7th grade or so.

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