Not Again!
I wanted to go back…didn’t want to climb up….Will I get those displeased expressions? What will be said? These questions persisted. How was I going to handle the situation, was a big question mark. Perhaps, I could begin by saying sorry. That was an old idea and I knew it was not going to work.
The house was on the first floor and every step I took I tried a different answer, that would hopefully do the trick but even when I reached the last stair and stood in front of the house, I was yet to come up with an appropriate answer. My friend looked over her shoulder and asked me not to worry, saying so she rang the door-bell. The door opened and I could hear the inevitable one word question - chocolate? The door opened wider and the small one stood there, her eyes looking directly at me and I thought “no! No! Nooo! Not again”. I knew I had to get it for her; but it so happened that we were busy chatting and I forgot .Since I was already at their place, I would have to walk at least 2miles in order to get it (that’s not an exaggeration). My friend, who is also the mother of the two year old interviewer, said “we will get it later”. The expression immediately changed from expecting to sadness. So I asked her if there was a shop nearby. She held my hand and took me to a bedroom and from the window pointed at some place and said there is a shop there. Her elder brother said “that is closed in the noontime”. Déjà vu, I thought. And I remembered the first time I had met the little one.
My friend had invited me to her place. I knew she had two kids and I planned to pick something up for them, on the way to their house but unfortunately I forgot (sounds familiar?) so when I landed at their place; empty – handed the little one greeted me smilingly but after realizing that I was not carrying anything worth, she went to play. For some time she played in her room and refused to come out to meet me again. She hid behind the curtain and watched as her mother and I chatted. One time, I hid behind the curtain and the minute she came out I grabbed her, she was scared at first but soon began to laugh, with that I told myself “ice is broken” and smiled at the thought. The rest was easy or so I thought. She recited poems, danced, sang and I thought “good she has forgotten about the chocolate”
After spending some time, I got up to take my leave. At the door I held the little one and said “I could not get anything for you, next time when I come I will get it”. She put her left hand on her hip and raising her right hand, motioned me to wait so I waited, puzzled. She came back and said “tum nahi lekar aaye kyuki tumharey paas paisey nahi hongey. Tum ye rakho.”(You probably did not get anything because you did not have money so keep this). She put her right hand forward and I extended my hand, filled with anticipation. I thought it is a flower or some sort of a card or toffee raping paper, with all these things in mind I opened my palm and lo! A 2 rupee coin fell from her hand and landed in mine. She looked up to me and said “tumko zauat hogi”(you need it).
The two faces staring at me brought me back to the present and the only thing I could think of saying was “no! No! Noooo! Not again”.
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