Never in my remotest dream had I thought that a phase would come in my life when I would have to compromise on my beauty sleep.

Not even the “sasural rules” could do anything in front of my beauty sleep. My body yearned for 8 hours of sleep and I slept for that duration. However late I may have slept the night before, I would wake up only after taking 8 hours of sleep.

Once my mil casually said, “You should wake up early in the morning, if not for the household chores, then at least for your own self, for your good health. Haven’t you heard Early to bed,  early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise?“

That very moment I hugged my mil tightly and poured out my heartfelt emotions, “Mummyji, I love you, I never knew you care so much about my health. Your words made me emotional, you are the first mil who cares so much about her dil.”

Her son was also sitting nearby, I looked at him with taunting eyes and teased him, “See, she never asked you to wake up early for good health but she is asking me to because she cares about my health more than yours”

RJ Karishma’s blood ran in my veins way before she herself was born.

The mother-son duo never taunted me for my late waking-up habits ever after.

But, my 8 hours beauty sleep rule was hit hard by a tiny creature. And to date, even when he is 11, he plays havoc in my world of sleep.

By God’s grace unlike other kids, he never disturbed my nighttime sleeping routine till he was a few months old. In fact, he used to sleep a lot. And only after his birth did I realise why most of the time, he was inactive in my tummy during pregnancy.

I remember creating chaos at home if I don’t feel his kickstand movements for more than 8 hours.  I would fuss and rush to the doctor for a checkup and she would simply say, “You worry a lot, your child is perfect, he is just sleeping.”

Things were going fine but real hell loose broke on me when he started crawling. There is a saying in Hindi savdhani hati, durghatna ghati. But this word ‘savdhani‘ had no relevance after my son started his crawling endeavours.

Even after a lot of savdhani from my side, durghatnaye happened and I became overprotective. This little charmer stole away my sleep. I had nightmares and I still have nightmares related to him. If he is not around, I can’t take proper sleep.

Once, when he started crawling, I made him sleep between me and my husband. Thereafter, we also slept. After some time, out of habit, I put my hand to check on him but he was not there. I dragged my hand further to check upon him but he wasn’t there. Panic gripped me, I woke up screaming, “Lakshay, Lakshay“. I switched on the lights, my husband too woke up startled. We found our little munchkin hanging at the side of the bed in the mosquito net. I wonder to date how could anybody sleep peacefully like that but, he was sleeping. I couldn’t sleep the whole night that day.

Once, when he was around 1 year old, we two were sleeping during the daytime. I don’t know what transpired that my son felt the urge to brush his teeth. Without disturbing me, he got up from the bed and went to brush his teeth. He put a stool and clambered upon it to take his toothbrush out from the cabinet but unfortunately, the tiny being fell and his chin hit the washbasin. He got hurt badly. His shrieks woke me up. When I reached near him, he was all drenched in blood which scared the hell out of me. 
Thankfully, at that time only, my husband had come home from shop for some work. We rushed him to the doctor and timely necessary medical treatment was provided. Same way, he fractured his hand right in front if my eyes, in spite of excessive savdhaani.

A mother keeps track of her child every second but the second she turns her face away even for a microsecond for some or the other work, something or the other happens and this is what Motherhood is all about.