The Call

The overnight rain had definitely left its mark. The sun gleamed rather disinterestedly, more so to instate that it was indeed morning. Puddles were there everywhere. Between the grills of our verandah gate, I could see uncle Shekar in his custodian khakis. I never liked him that way. But it was his 'job’. Rather, another sacrifice made for the family. Being a watchman on night duty demanded a lot. It was never going to be easy, and he knew it, far better than anybody else.

He finally emerged out of his ‘office’ in the pretense we were more familiar with – baniyan and lungi. We always felt he worked harder than needed. The sleepless unadventurous nights showed right through his body. His overall physique took a beating. The eyeballs protruded quite ferociously. The arms looked more like the stems of a poorly nourished tree.

He moved rather briskly however, not showing any signs of sleeplessness, towards Raja, my little brother. Both seemed visibly disappointed seeing the water all around. Their game of bat-and-ball was not going to happen.

Shekar uncle ran his fingers through Raja’s silken hair, caressing him and soothing him. Be it six-and-a-half year old Raja, rather Petu as I used to call him, or my 78 year old grandma, uncle always had that magic enigma which allowed him to get along with anyone.

Chai. Mom was loud and clear. We knew we had exactly 5 minutes to reach the kitchen; else breakfast would be gone. The aroma was too tempting for that. She wanted us to be punctual boys when we grow up and this was one of her many rules. We never complained, for we knew she had dealt with a lot.

Ever since appa passed away last year, Shekar uncle and Sita aunty came over to help mom. Grandma somehow recovered from the loss of her partner but the loss of her son had its toll. She needed help now, to even move around. Mom had no option, but to drop her job and take up the role of a home nurse.

Grandma was already at the dining table when we arrived. We took our favorite seats and made sure Shekar uncle sat in between Petu and me. Mom soon joined in after some prayers, which she said were for appa.

Breakfast was in progress without too much fuss. It seemed like the start of any other day until that came - The call.

Quite innoxiously the telephone rang. My hands went cold as mom got up from her seat and walked towards the receiver. It was between the second and third ring that Mom lifted the receiver. Hello. I could almost feel my heart beating against the table. My breath was getting heavy. What was Jay telling her. Would she go mad? Was that a tear in her eye? Was it a big mistake that I asked him to get mom's permission first? Was I setting a wrong example for little Petu? The thoughts running through my mind were far too many. I shot a quick glace to my left and right. Petu and Shekar uncle were in their own 'feed the crow' game. Grandma was quietly having her food.

I couldn't afford seeing mom sad. At the same time I didn't want to let this go. I tried to concentrate on the conversation while pumping my fist to inject some life into my otherwise numb arm. My heart skipped a beat as she kept the call. She turned and had her sight straight at me. Her look was piercing. I felt like the stranded lamb in front of the cheetah we saw on National Geographic the previous night. My entire body was trembling by now. She was heading towards me.

My mind turned blank. My brain refused to work. There was nothing I could explain even if I tried. She quietly sat back in her chair with her eyes still locked on mine. She knew I was behind this. Should I have given mom a hint first? My heart was filled with guilt by this time. A fine layer of tears filled my eyes.

Pop. The silence was broken and the questionnaire began. The first was the one I feared most. She enquired why I didn't express my interest towards this to mom. I had no other option but to tell her I lacked courage. The others on the table looked on dumbfounded.

The next - "Who is Ajay?" put me off a bit. I wished Jay would have told her at least a bit and made my job easier. I was trapped. I had to spill everything out now.

In a wavering voice, sniffing up the tears i mumbled "Our class monitor". There were no more questions. She got up from her seat, came to my side, handed me a Five hundred rupee note, kissed me and said "Have a good trip, my child".

I couldn't believe it. My wish to go for an excursion from school finally became true. I hugged her and whispered "Love you Mom".