'Mom, can I go to play?' my daughter asks me trying to make her face look as innocent as she can.

If my answer is a yes, she will hug me and say 'world's best mom' and disappear in a moment.

If my answer is a question rather than a yes , like 'have you finished your lunch?', her face will contort at unimaginable angles and she will say 'world's worst mom'. As a performance enhancer she will add some tears from her tear glands which are always at the beck of her call.

All this conversation is happening at 5 in the evening. In fact I have given her lunch at 3 after coming from my clinic. Meanwhile i have finished surfing through fb, read google news, a couple of quora questions and upvoted anybody who either wrote a tear jerking reply , showed his secularism or nationalism. After this i had my forty winks and have gotten up. Still my daughter's plate looks just the way i had given her.

She has meanwhile watched cartoons, drawn some pictures and fought with her brother probably.

Eating is nowhere in her agenda!

'Without finishing that, you are neither allowed to go to play nor any of your friends is allowed into the house' I say with a stern voice.

'Despacito....' she starts singing as an answer.

'What? '

'Mom, there is one more song i like. Shall i sing?'

'No, first finish your food'

'I'm in love with the shape of you and we push and pull like a magnet do' she starts. She continues and I am surprised at the lyrics and their grammar. When I think of objecting to her singing the song, i realize that our bollywood songs have even worse lyrics in a language she understands better than English.

Moreover i have a bigger issue to deal with. Her food.

Whoever said it is difficult to tackle teenagers? I am elated since my son has become one. Except that he doesnt want to study, i am mightily pleased with him. Give him books to read and food to eat. I am rewarded with a happy smile.

But my 8 year old is a difficult puzzle.

She doesnt want to eat and i need to feed her all three times daily if i want peace.

'What do you want for breakfast?' I ask my son if i am in good mood.

'Chitranna' is his answer.

'Shall I make aloo parathas instead?' I negotiate.

He gives me a thumbs up and his trademark smile. I am a happy mom.

'You never ask me what I want' my daughter says.

'You don't have any favourite food my beauty. You will say maggi noodles. So i don't ask' i laugh.

'Yeah, brother is your favourite child. That's why' she whines.

'Okay, tell me something among healthy food. I will prepare' .

'Come on come on turn the radio on' she starts singing and laughing.