Seven Hills, fifth floor, suite no 13: the Bachchan baby arrived on Wednesday morning in full style befitting her famous lineage. The diarist learns that Aishwarya is the only patient on the floor and the hospital has ensured that the entire staff that’s working on the floor deposits mobile phones before they go up to the floor, lest someone sneaks out a picture of the bonnie baby. Talking of whom, close friends who have seen her swear to your diarist that she is a spitting image of her mum – the same pellucid eyes and complexion as also her slender fingers. No wonder dad Abhishek was tweeting smileys through the day.
‘Soft innocence rests in my arms’
Superstar Amitabh Bachchan is the family’s official cameraman to record the birth of his granddaughter. And as he clicks, he confesses to shedding some tears of joy behind the lens. He blogs, “The soft innocence of nature rests in my arms, oblivious of what else happens around her. Occasionally she opens her large and what looks now to be eyes of the lighter hue, which those that have dealt with similar, know shall change with time. Often the gentlest of smiles quiver across her pouted upper lip, the shut eyes bringing expression through the brows and the settling down to that dream she must dream. Her head covered in the littlest of head gear she will ever adorn, snuggles into her mini quilt of varied colours dominated by the pink softness of its material.”
In silent communion with son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya’s daughter, the grandfather writes, “As I look down upon her I bring myself back to the visual when I had placed her Father in just condition into my Father’s hands, to be heralded into our home. I stare at her in silence. She reciprocates in similar vein. It is too delicate a moment. I am unaccustomed to such delicate state. Should I shake my arms cradle like to give comfort, or maybe simply remain still as family, cameras and members gather around.
The ladies about, ogle with baby-like sounds intermittently, and deliver diverse opinions on who she resembles. There are animated conversations of how this state of delivery was reached, in some intricate terminology and detail. These words are new to me. I have not heard them. Or perhaps not heard them often enough to know them. After a pregnant pause it is time for her to be airlifted from within my arms. I give this angelic face a prolonged look …”
His thoughts turn to his own father, the late poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, “Dad ! I hold the 9th Bachchan in my hands .. this family that you started .. !! Amitabh, Ajitabh, Shweta, Nilima, Namrata, Abhishek, Naina, Bhim and now .. this beauty, unnamed so far … I hope you and Ma look upon us from above and bless us and your latest addition. To carry forward what then may have seemed a somewhat limited expectation. The tradition continues and may it prosper by your love and your aashirvaad.”
It’s been a tiring but satisfying journey for the family. He shares, “It has been a tiring day for all, especially the Mother, who has shown exceptional strength and courage. It has been a day of great joy and combined happiness. It has been a day of immense emotion. Tears of joy have erupted among all that were from family and about Aishwarya all along. On occasion they have tried desperately to occupy mine as well. But as the ‘official’ camera recorder of the event I have secretly dropped a few behind the eyes of the lens that I hold. These are rare moments and rare reactions.”
He adds, “A new life a new generation has begun. The process of continuity reigns. The world still rotates the way it does. We shall live our destined lives and be removed, but the process shall continue. May the process be eternal for the one that has just arrived. May it be full of happiness and joy always and may we be a part of it for as long as we can … As one well wisher in his mobile message declared – ‘May you live to dance at the wedding of this angel in your life’. May we all … indeed !!”
Lots of money riding on baby B
It’s a well-known fact that several crores of rupees were riding on two things: the delivery date of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s baby; and the gender of the child. Now that this has been confirmed, one would think that the bookies would settle their accounts and engage themselves with something else. However, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai’s Baby, fondly called Baby B, continues to engross the bet placers. We hear, that the next thing that they are putting big monies on is: what initial will the baby’s name begin with? While many are of the opinion that it’ll be an A-family, what with both parents’ names beginning with ‘A’, others say that the Bachchans will follow the Raashi, given their superstitious nature, and will indeed name the baby with a K. ‘A, J, Y, B, K, R’ are the most prominent alphabets suggested by numerologists. But we’ll just have to wait and watch what this pretty little one will be named, while the bookies bite their nails until then.
‘Baby B will be very helpful to her father’
Daivagna Sharma, a city based numerologist, who had predicted that Aishwarya and Abhishek will have a baby girl on April 4, even before Ash’s pregnancy made news, is now ecstatic that what he foretold has come true. Wasting no further time, the soothsayer is already coming up with predictions for the just-born baby’s future. He says, “Although it is clear that the baby will be immensely successful if her name starts with ‘S’ or ‘M’, the Bachchan family is keen on naming her something that starts with ‘T’, ‘A’, ‘J’ or ‘I’. The naam karan ceremony will mostly be held in a Ganesh temple with Lord Ganesh’s blessings.”
Talking about the qualities that she will imbibe from her famous family, he explains, “The girl will be very helpful to her father. She will be a very good orator like her grandfather Amitabh. Also, she will get Aishwarya’s mother’s charitable nature and she will be interested in creative writing like her great grandfather Harivansh Rai Bachchan.” Abhi’s baby will be highly qualified, Sharma claims. “She will study languages, sociology or fine arts. She will be beautiful, have lustrous hair and sharp eyes. She may go on to become a singer or a great public figure.” Well, with such a great gene pool to boast of, what can we say but lucky Baby AB!
