“He’s my Lakshmi!” exclaims Akriti Kakar, as she talks about her newborn. The singer and her husband, filmmaker Chirag Arora, welcomed their son on November 1, making Diwali all the more special for the family.

“After becoming a mother, I am brimming with smiles and gratitude. It’s been just a few days and expectedly so, it’s been a roller-coaster for us! No matter how much anyone prepares you or you read about it, this journey of parenthood is unique to every parent and child. We’re just letting the feeling sink in for now and making sure we do everything right for our little one,” she tells us, adding, “He’s the most precious gift we could ever get on Diwali.”

The festival, for the 37-year-old, has always been about loved ones coming together for a wholesome celebration. “We don’t play cards, the focus is music, food, puja, elaborate rangoli and cosy family time. This time too, it’ll be the same — just way more special because we’ll have our little one with us!” she shares.

Kakar says they have a small puja planned for the day. “We will do a simple aarti with him in my lap. We normally do a hawan, but the smoke might bother my son. His nani (Akriti’s mother Nirmal Kakar) is making a customised dhoti-kurta in organic cotton,” she shares, adding, “We plan to gather and make a delicious dinner like every year. Only this year, everyone will be tip-toeing around the baby. We will have to keep it to just family and no outside visitors for now as we don’t want to give him any exposure.”

In terms of gifts, the Iski Uski (2 States, 2014) hitmaker says nothing comes close to experiencing the joy of motherhood. “Any kind of gift would be trivial in front of our little sunshine boy! He’s truly lit up our lives and filled our hearts. As a gift to him, we’re keeping aside some gold and also planting trees in his name,” she reveals.