My 11-year-old niece gave me a book recommendation

I asked for book recommendations on Instagram the other day and among a lot of responses, I had one from my 11-year-old niece. ‘X. Read this, Kritika akka’ - she said. I looked the book up immediately and was quite surprised at the recommendation because it was way ahead of her time and age, I had thought then. I perceived her to be more of a baker than a reader, let alone something as deep. “Let me know how you like it” she quipped after.

I sent her a picture of the book I was reading – ‘What to do when I want to do everything’ by Barbara Sher - and she asked me to tell her how it was. In all honesty, it’s the last conversation I imagined I’d have with my niece who is almost 20 years younger. Don’t be fooled by her calling me akka (elder sister); it’s on my insistence and my brother’s ratification. My sister-in-law once joked that I was their aunt really and they should not be calling me ‘akka’, but it was ingrained so nice and so deep, that they didn’t budge.

But book recommendations...really? They grow up so fast, don’t they? I lived with my brother and his family eight years ago when I just moved to Bangalore and both she and her older sister were so young and full of innocent joy and unrestrained enthusiasm. It’s amazing to think about how they’re now all grown-up bordering on the impending teenage years. 

We began texting each other on Instagram almost every other day thereafter. She'd tell me about her day, how bored she was - as were we all during lockdown - what she’d been baking and what her little Golden Retriever had been up to. She thanked me for checking on her slit finger, and how she whiled away time on the family holiday and how she couldn’t trust her little pooch when left to herself because she'd eat things she wasn't supposed to. She’d send me kisses and hearts and hugs and say we should catch up. 

It’s usually a conversation I would have with those close to my age perhaps, but social media has changed the connections and relationships we share with people. We know more about their lives, their likes and dislikes without the need to particularly specify. We know what they’re up to most of the time if they’re the active kind, which is almost everyone today. An aunt becomes an akka and knows more than any of my aunts has ever known about me. 

It’s all part of the cycle of social evolution we’re trapped in. I’m not complaining though; for one, I’m not that sister or aunt who you’d rather hide things from because for most parts, I mind my own business (except when it comes to my sister). And two, it’s brought us closer than our sporadic meetings would have. 

I thought about her recommendation while walking home today and couldn't recollect what she'd said. I went back to Instagram to check my chat but the reply had disappeared in 24 hours with the post. I texted her asking what book she had recommended. She nonchalantly replied: “Which book?”

“Remember the book you had asked me to read when I had asked for recommendations? You said you really liked it?”

“I don’t remember. Sorry akka.” 

I didn’t remember the name, she didn’t the book; it’s just the time we’re living in.