Arjun learns a lesson

Arjun and Saket were playing cricket. Mishra aunty called them and said, ‘Arjun, Saket, It is so hot. Why are you playing cricket now?’

Arjun looked at her and said, ‘Dadi, its our vacations now and we are getting bored at home’

‘But beta, it is hot now, you will fall sick’, said Mishra aunty.

The boys kept playing.

After some time Mishra aunty called them, Saket, Arjun come, I have made some shikanji, It is so refreshing’.

The boys could not resist the cool drink and ran towards Dadi’s home

And while they munched on some biscuits and had some cool shikanji, Dadi was busy. She kept a mango in the centre of some funny apparatus which had a wooden plank with a knife attached to it. The plank had a depression in the centre. Dadi kept a mango in the depression and brought the knife down. Cutting the mango into two neat halves. Then she kept each half and then bisected them again.

‘What are you doing, dadi’, asked Saket

‘Cutting mangoes’, told Dadi simply.

‘Yes’, but for what’, asked Saket

‘For pickles. After I cut them, I will apply some salt and some haldi and keep it in the sun for some time’, said Dadi

‘Arjun, will  you help me in cutting these mangoes’, said she

‘Me, why?? I am not a girl’, said he.

‘And what do you mean by that’, Dadi asked

‘Only girls do this work. I mean all this kitchen work’, said he.

‘And what are boys supposed to do?’, asked Dadi.

‘Umm, drive cars, go to office….’said Arjun

‘Why then does you mom drive a car and go to office’, said dadi, And I have seen your father cooking sometimes’.

‘Oh that is when mom is sick or too busy’, said he.

‘Oh then why does Sanjiv Kapoor become a chef, after all cooking is a girl’s job’, retorted Dadi

All this was confusing Arjun. He had just assumed that cooking was a girl’s domain and had never thought more than that.

‘Beta, one should know or at least try to know everything. There is nothing as boys work and girls work’, said dadi.

Saket meanwhile was trying his hand in cutting mangoes. He squealed in delight as one piece flew and fell far away. After a few strokes but he was cutting fine.

Arjun’s hand itched to try tha apparatus once. But he felt shy. finally curiosity took over and he asked, ‘May I try it once’.

In no time both boys were taking turns and having a good time.

Dadi smiled. She had managed to put some sense in Arjun and whats more a full bag of mangoes had been cut for making pickle. Her work had been simplified.

Mummy hurried to make dinner, she had been late from office and she was sure Arjun must be famished. As such she felt guilty on leaving him alone the full day and if she didn’t give him food at right times she felt even more guilty.

Arjun came into the kitchen.

‘Wait son, just 15 more minutes and I will serve you dinner’, said she

‘No mama, it is alright, I came to help you. Do you need help in cutting vegetables??’, he asked

His mom meanwhile stared at him in shock.

 

 

 

 

A family to care for…….

‘Why is it always your wishes that count Shikha, why don’t you ever consider my feelings’, Aryan said.

What about me, just when my career is taking off….’, I retorted.

This has been a regular now in our home, this blame game. 

He wants to start a family, I do not

We walk in silence to our respective cars when Aryan nudges me to see a family of stray dogs.

The mother licks her babies and feeds them. A puppy shivers, she snuggled closer.

‘Their father is not around but still see how she cares’, he said.

‘I want to have such a family Shikha, a family to cherish, a family to bond, a family to care for, am I wrong in asking for that’, he said with tears in his eyes.

And I understood.

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Written for festival of words at write tribe. Today’s prompt is to write a fiction in just 9 sentences

A friend in need…..

As I was waiting for Avinash at the gates of the campus, Shridhar came and said, ‘Riddhi be careful, you can go out in groups na, why these solitary dates’.

I saw Avinash’s bikes vrooming ahead and said, ‘Shri, I know how to take care of myself’.

It was a lovely evening, we went on a long ride, had dinner and then when I asked him to drop me to my hostel, he took me to a lonely spot.

‘No, Avinash’, I screamed as he started getting fresh with me but he would not stop and then there was a pow and a thud.

I looked at Shridhar with gratitude, he smiled his mischievous smile and said, ‘Am I not your best‘est’ friend.

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Written as a part of ‘Write over the weekend’, an initiative for Indian bloggers by blogadda. The theme this time is to write a story in just five sentences which includes the word friend.

The smell of sustenance

Insulted, beaten, cursed I withdraw to my dark corner. There seems to be no respite to my bad luck, fortune still does not seem to bless me with either a knight in shining Armour or a wonderful job somewhere far.

From my limited possessions I take out ‘Emma’ by Jane Austen. A copy which was rescued from the neighbors garbage.  I open it up and take a deep breath. The smell of the old book invigorates me. I open it and start reading it yet again. Till the time I find an escape, I escape to the world of Emma.

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Fiction in 100 words written for Writetribe Wednesday. This time the prompt was the smell of old books. I have adapted the prompt to The smell of the old book. Hope it is acceptable.

Some of us have the comfort of having a career or giving it a miss.Some have the luxury of a home where in our views are respected
While some still have to struggle for an existence

On a hot sweaty day!!

It was a hot sweaty day. I sat there sipping a lemonade.

The drone of the A/Cs was the only sound to be heard. The rest of the people were busy eating their ice creams or sipping their cold drinks.  I looked around and our eyes met. Curly hair, naughty eyes and the grin. We locked eyes, we played with our straws. He winked, I became coy.

And then we held hands and headed home.

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What did you expect-another love story …..Nay 😀

*fictitious

Jingle singer

Ronny and Poppy had been living together. She liked him because he was so dependable. He liked her because she was always there for him.  They had a open relationship which meant that he could ogle  other women and she could whistle at other men. She did not like that he did not spend as much time with her as much as she wanted. He disliked her habit of singing jingles.

Jingles; you may ask.  Yes, jingles. Like if he was going to brush his teeth, she would say; ‘Kya aapke toothpaste mein namak hain, Colgate Active main hain.’ (Does your toothpaste have salt, Colgate Active has)

Or when he was back from work, she would sing, ‘Tandoorusti ki raksha karta hain lifebuoy’.

Or when he wanted to buy a new television,’ style and simplicity that is Philips.’

But when the next door neighbor Nina  hopped in with some munchies and coffee, Poppy could  not bear it and sang out, ‘Do you have the close up confidence’

And Ronny lost his cool then and said, ‘Shut up Poppy or  I shall  send you to the aviary!!’