“Ufffff!!!” Where the hell is Srinu, she thought yet
again, for a thousandth time.
Not a single soul seemed to
wandering about in the rain, while Srinu was yet to return.
Just then a Lightning flash came
and the little one not yet having experienced fear ran out to the locked front-gate
to experience it.
He came in back running, and
announced, “You know what? The tube light has
fallen.”
Jaya became curious, how can he
see the street light’s tube from the gate? She went out to
the gate, along with him to see. She couldn’t make out in the dark if the tube of
street light was intact or not.
“Pandu, can you see Street light?”
“No”
“But then you just said that the light has fallen?”
“But I wasn’t
talking about the street light.”
“Then?”
“I was talking about the tube light of God.”
She forgot everything about
anything else. She became curious, “God’s tube light?”
“Yes, wait, I’ll
show you, God has many tube lights.”
Then there was another lightning
through the sky, and the little one exclaimed, “See, I told you.”
Jaya remained silent for a while,
but after comprehending what he meant, gave a hearty laugh, seeing his
innocence, took him into his hands and hoisted him on her waist. She kissed his
pink cheeks and said, “My
dear scientist, it is not God’s
tube light, it’s a lightning.”
The bewildered little one said, “What does that mean.”
Although she was itching to
explain the reason behind it, she herself being a teacher hated to keep people
devoid of the reason, she brushed off the thought as she wasn’t
sure if she can patiently explain the science to a mere toddler, while she was
constantly worried about her husband. In
the end she retorted to say, “You’ll learn when you become big.”
“When will I become big?”
“Soon, if you take your food and milk without throwing tantrums
and listen and obey to what the elders say.”
Just then, fully drenched, came home Srinu. She left the child aside, and slumped her shoulders in ease which, till then, were taut with tension and anticipation. She became flustered again, “Where were you till now?”
It was Srinu’s
turn to be surprised, “You
know that there are dramatics competitions going on in the town
auditorium.”
“But there’s
a storm, I thought they’d
be cancelled.”
“It’s
not an open auditorium, and has some nice acoustics, no outside noise, how can
storm interfere?”
said Srinu who was a big connoisseur of Drama, he, being a reputed stage artist
in his youth, but could never pursue his interest as he was a son in a big
family which meant opting for a good government job and financing his sisters’
marriages.
All the same, he came back
alright, that's all Jaya cared so she was back in her high spirits, though she
felt like strangling the organiser for his not-so-wise decision to carry on
with the schedule.
She didn’t want to give
Srinu the impression that she was concerned and worried, so she said in an
affected angry voice, “Anyway,
who cares about those damn dramas, there were some things to be brought, the
oils and spices in the kitchen need to be refilled. I don’t think we can refill them today, no one
in their right mind would open their shops now.”
Though that’s
a lie, she knew Srinu would never get that it’s a lie, for it is but a kitchen news.
With a tired sigh Srinu sunk in
the couch having washed his hands and legs and having removed his dripping wet
shirt, and shivering a bit due to the cold weather while she brought steaming
cups of tea, for herself and Srinu.
Srinu, who was playing with the
little one, left him and took the tea, feeling a little grateful for the hot
drink.
“I want tea too,”
declared the little one, goaded by the scent of masala tea, which Jaya makes
really well and the picturesque wisps of smoke coming from the porcelain cups, accentuated by the candlelight, evoking the sense of warmth to the senses numbed by the cold and continues
rain.
The
masala tea of Jaya, so famous in the family, was usually compared with that of
Jain's tea, it's the regular tea plus some ingredients Jaya adds in precise
quantities, rich in aroma unlike normal tea which hardly has any odour.
“No, my dear young man, you can’t get tea.”
“Why?”
“You’re
not big enough for tea and coffee, I’ll
give you Bournvita again, if you want,”
said his mom.
He contemplated for a minute and
said, “When I become big, I’ll grow a moustache, like daddy, and
drink coffee and Tea and call you Srinu and call you Jaya. Grandpa, grandma,
uncle, aunt and everyone else call you Jaya and Srinu, except me and brother.”
They let out mirthful unrestrained
burst of laughter, which wavered their hands and Srinu, who was listening
avidly to the little one, barely touched his tea yet, which now trickled over
the white porcelain cup. But having just come home from his favorite avocation,
he didn't let this tamper his ebullience. Still laughing he put aside his cup,
and drew the little one near, pinched his cheeks and acted as if pulling and
twirling the imaginary moustache of the little guy, and they all laughed, just
as the elder one woke up and joined the party and started laughing, after
allowing himself a huge yawn and stretch, though he had no idea whatsoever.
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