"Sunday...funday",danced Rinku to her tune.Mumma was home and it meant more fun.She always looked forward to this day of the week because it gave her reasons to cheer.A leave from the world of still toys-dolls that never replied to her,teddies that never cuddled her or even her favourite dompu,the stuffed chimp,who never stopped his giggle.
Mumma had promised a game of hide and seek, this weekend if she had conducted herself well at the party.
"Yes..I had."the six year old felt proud.
Hide and seek was her favourite game.
"Mom,are you ready?Be fast."
Finally her mumma had come.Games on.
Hip hip hurrayyyy.....
"Today,you'll count",Mumma proclaimed.
Not interested.
"Last time it was me",a convincing tone.
"OK..jus till 10."
With numbers,that was her comfort zone."No,twenty."
Mumma had better intentions.Games plus mathematics plus exercise.
"Nooooooooooooo.....you'll go faaaaar."
"No.I promise .I'll be near",she kissed Rinku.
Rinku reluctantly turned towards the wall.
"NO cheating"
"won..to..three..fou..fai..six.......twonty".The race had begun.
She looked behind the curtains.She looked under the table.No signs of mumma.
"Mom,where are you",shouted Rinku.No reply."Mom,come out.Mom..Mom,I'm scared.Where are you?"tears were any time ready.
Yes.The door moved a bit.
"Mummaaaaaaaaaa......"
Giggling,she ran to pull her mother out.A bear hug."I found you.I found you."
her joy was ecstatic."Now,you count till fotty"
"Forty.No.Deal should be equal.Twenty"
Rinku did not want to think.She just wanted to hide.She had found a spot to hide.
"Yes,mumma can't find me there"
She heard her mother count.She ran into the adjacent room and opened the cupboard.Supporting herself on the stand nearby,one jump straight into the cosy shelf, with clothes neatly piled around her.
"eighteen..nineteen..",she closed the cupboard,"twenty"
Darkness spread.Smiles vanished.
"find me ,mumma" a prayer.
"Rinku dear, where are you?" Mumma searched her usual hideouts.
"Mummyyyy...I am here."the shout from the locked cupboard did not reach her mother in the other room.
One minute over..two minutes over..
"Rinku,I give up.come out.You are the winner." Silence prevails.
Her mother realised Rinku had crossed the boundaries."Rinkuuuuuuuuuu..",shaken voice spreads into the next room.She moves in."Rinku.Dear,where are you",a drop or two."God,take care of my child"
"Mumma,don't cry.I'm here.Mumma in the cupboard."she banged on the cupboard."Find me mumma,don't cry.I'm here",tears one,two,three down they went.
The cupboard opened.Light flowed in.Air filled in.
Their stood her mother.
Straight into her Mumma's hands she jumped,an excited monkey and hugged her tight.
"I love you mummaa....muah..I am sorryyyyyyyy!!!"
Words..chatter..laughter followed.
"No,I should never disobey my mumma",promised Rinku herself.
Mumma had promised a game of hide and seek, this weekend if she had conducted herself well at the party.
"Yes..I had."the six year old felt proud.
Hide and seek was her favourite game.
"Mom,are you ready?Be fast."
Finally her mumma had come.Games on.
Hip hip hurrayyyy.....
"Today,you'll count",Mumma proclaimed.
Not interested.
"Last time it was me",a convincing tone.
"OK..jus till 10."
With numbers,that was her comfort zone."No,twenty."
Mumma had better intentions.Games plus mathematics plus exercise.
"Nooooooooooooo.....you'll go faaaaar."
"No.I promise .I'll be near",she kissed Rinku.
Rinku reluctantly turned towards the wall.
"NO cheating"
"won..to..three..fou..fai..six.......twonty".The race had begun.
She looked behind the curtains.She looked under the table.No signs of mumma.
"Mom,where are you",shouted Rinku.No reply."Mom,come out.Mom..Mom,I'm scared.Where are you?"tears were any time ready.
Yes.The door moved a bit.
"Mummaaaaaaaaaa......"
Giggling,she ran to pull her mother out.A bear hug."I found you.I found you."
her joy was ecstatic."Now,you count till fotty"
"Forty.No.Deal should be equal.Twenty"
Rinku did not want to think.She just wanted to hide.She had found a spot to hide.
"Yes,mumma can't find me there"
She heard her mother count.She ran into the adjacent room and opened the cupboard.Supporting herself on the stand nearby,one jump straight into the cosy shelf, with clothes neatly piled around her.
"eighteen..nineteen..",she closed the cupboard,"twenty"
Darkness spread.Smiles vanished.
"find me ,mumma" a prayer.
"Rinku dear, where are you?" Mumma searched her usual hideouts.
"Mummyyyy...I am here."the shout from the locked cupboard did not reach her mother in the other room.
One minute over..two minutes over..
"Rinku,I give up.come out.You are the winner." Silence prevails.
Her mother realised Rinku had crossed the boundaries."Rinkuuuuuuuuuu..",shaken voice spreads into the next room.She moves in."Rinku.Dear,where are you",a drop or two."God,take care of my child"
"Mumma,don't cry.I'm here.Mumma in the cupboard."she banged on the cupboard."Find me mumma,don't cry.I'm here",tears one,two,three down they went.
The cupboard opened.Light flowed in.Air filled in.
Their stood her mother.
Straight into her Mumma's hands she jumped,an excited monkey and hugged her tight.
"I love you mummaa....muah..I am sorryyyyyyyy!!!"
Words..chatter..laughter followed.
"No,I should never disobey my mumma",promised Rinku herself.
I would just say that the fear of loneliness reached me through those words of yours:)...keep on writing!
ReplyDeletesimple,sweet and striking !
ReplyDeletehey this is real nice yaar, try publishing some where i mean in some magazines or even some online periodicals, they will pay u yaar, really superb, expecting more..
ReplyDeletehey..thank u all....thank u so much...i nvr xpctd this to fetch such a response.
ReplyDeleteqte happy to kno u all njoyd it...
@sulfia..ur words are qte inspiring..i really mean it.
@aravind..is it wrth it???hmm...ok will gve it a thought :-)