By Anil Sharma

As she sleeps soundly in an incubator, two-week-old Manji has little idea that she is caught in a storm.

The infant, who is of Japanese origin and was born to a surrogate Indian mother, has developed an infection — but that is the least of her problems.

With her story beamed on television and splashed across newspapers in India, millions of people are wondering what will happen to little Manji. Will she be taken to Japan? Or will her Japanese father Ikufumi Yamada be given custody following his divorce from Yuki, who has now disowned her?

Last week, those looking after the baby in Jaipur’s Arya Hospital said they were seeking legal advice.

"As per the contract, Ikufumi can take custody of the child in case of separation and in case of the death of both the parents, Manji’s grandmother can claim her," said Kamal Vijayvargiya, a jeweller from Jaipur who settled in Tokyo and is a close friend of Ikufumi.

"We are checking on who would issue her the passport, would it be Indian or Japanese? But now as Manji has developed infection she is being kept alone in an incubator," he said.

There have been many twists and turns for Manji, who was born July 25 in Anand, Gujarat.

Sanjay Arya, the doctor who runs the 40-bed hospital in Jaipur where Manji is being treated said: "We have requested the Anand municipal authorities to issue a birth certificate. Once that happens, we are hopeful the case would be solved."

It all began when a baby desired by Ikufumi and his wife was created by in vitro fertilization using anonymous donor sperm, and implanted in a surrogate Indian mother. Manji was born on July 25, weighing 6.6 pounds.

In the meantime, Ikufumi and his wife Yuki divorced and the latter abandoned Manji.

Ikufumi is reportedly keen to take the baby back home to Tokyo, but custody is complicated by legal confusion over who should be named as the baby’s mother and father.

In the middle of all this, Manji has plenty of love, especially from her grandmother and Vijayvargiya’s family.

"Manji cannot possibly be left without care. For now, only her 70-year-old grandmother, Emiko, is here to help her," said Vijayvargiya.

Emiko has not been able to sleep for the last two days.

"The grandmother is emotionally upset, as the child cannot be taken out of the country because of legal issues. The lawmakers will have to find some solution to this."