Bholu is Back?
“Jai Bhaiyya did you see my drawing book?”
“No, Sneha. I didn’t. It must be where you kept it,” Jai said, not looking up. He was busy doing his mathematics homework with his books spread about on the floor inside the room they were using to sleep in.
“But it’s not there, Bhaiyya. I left it on the veranda outside with the water colours. Even those have disappeared,” Sneha said in distress.
“How’s that possible?” Jai looked up. “When did you see it last?”
“Just a few minutes ago. I was painting this big elephant in my book. It had big ears and long white teeth. It was standing in a sugarcane field. Amma was washing the clothes near the well and she called me to hand her the washing soap from inside the bathroom. I went in, got the soap, gave it to Amma and went back to complete my painting but… the book had disappeared with the colours. Bhaiyya, please come with me na…”
“Sneha, I have to finish this homework. Masterji will get angry with me tomorrow,” Jai said. “It must be there only. Go and check once again. Look for it near the steps or on that wooden bed.”
“Alright… but if I don’t find it, you’ll have to help me search it, Bhaiyya. I wanted to paint that big elephant,” Sneha insisted, turning towards the door.
“Ok, Sneha…” Jai said absentmindedly, struggling with a particularly difficult problem on loss and profit.
~ ~ ~ ~
Sneha hurried out into the veranda once again. She ran to the corner where she had been sitting before her mother had called to her and looked around carefully. No drawing book… no water colours… no paint brushes… Everything seemed to have disappeared. Strange!
The little girl followed her brother’s advice and looked near the two steps, even on and under the big wooden bed in the veranda. But there was no book to be seen… She ran round to the back of the house where her mother was drying the day’s washing on the clothesline.
“Amma… Amma…” Sneha called urgently.
“Yes, dear. What’s wrong?” her mother paused to smile at her as she wrung out Jai’s white kurta.
“Amma, did you see my drawing book and colours?” Sneha asked in a worried voice.
“Drawing book? The one with the green cover showing a monkey eating a banana?”
“Yes, Amma. That’s the one,” Sneha replied expectantly.
“No, Sneha. I’ve no idea. Where did you keep it? It must be there only…” her mother said hanging the kurta on the line.
“No, Amma… it’s not there. I looked for it everywhere. I can’t find it.”
“Why don’t you ask Jai? He must’ve seen it. I’ve been busy washing clothes. I’ve no idea where it can be,” her mother said wringing out a green frock with white flowers.
“Jai Bhaiyya also doesn’t know where it is. He’s not seen it either, he’s doing his homework,” Sneha said, her lower lip trembling and tears filling her eyes. “Amma, please search my book and the colours. I want to paint that elephant.”
“Alright… alright… there’s no need to get all worked up. I’ll tell Jai to search it for you,” Lata said hurriedly. Lata raised her voice and called loudly, “Jai… Jai… Come here…quickly.”
From inside the house Jai answered immediately, “Coming, Amma…”
“Now, no crying. Jai will help you to search your drawing things. Ok?” Lata soothed her daughter.
“Yes, Amma?” Jai queried, panting. “You called me. What happened?”
“Jai, just look for Sneha’s drawing book and colours. Don’t know where she’s kept them, and now she can’t find them,” Lata said hanging a blue bedsheet on the clothesline.
“Drawing book and colours?” Jai looked at his sister. “You’ve still not found them?”
Sneha shook her head in refusal, eyes filing with tears. Jai closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Alright, come along, Sneha. Let’s search for your things.”
Jai held his younger sister’s hand lovingly and took her back to the veranda. Their mother gazed at them and smiled as she bent to extract a pillow cover from the bucket.
~ ~ ~ ~
“Ok… Now Sneha, tell me where you were sitting and painting?” Jai enquired looking around.
“Jai Bhaiyya, I was sitting here,” Sneha pointed to the spot, standing at the place. “My book was kept here, my colours here… and the bowl with the brushes here.”
“Did you look around everywhere?” asked Jai, peering here and there.
“Yes, Bhaiyya…”
Jai heard a rustling of leaves. He looked up at the branches of the mango and tamarind trees.
“I wonder…” he began only to stop abruptly.
“What, Bhaiyya?” asked Sneha.
“Nothing… Nothing… It’s not quite possible.”
“What’s not possible?” queried Sneha.
Jai sighed. “I was wondering if… Bholu…?”
“You mean… Bholu could have picked up my book and colours and brushes?” Sneha asked in surprise.
“Maybe…” Jai murmured still peering into the branches.
“But he usually giggles when makes mischief,” Sneha reminded her brother. “At least that’s what Deenu Kaka told us.”
“Yes, that’s true. Then, maybe it’s not him. Anyway, let’s continue looking… Should we ask Gauri and Somu?”
“Hmm… maybe they’re playing some prank on me? Remember, how they hid my chappals last week when we were playing on the slide in school?” Sneha said with a laugh.
“Of course! Let’s go quickly to their house,” Jai prepared to step down from the veranda.
“Jai… Sneha… Where are you both going?” asked Lata coming around the house with the empty bucket.
“Amma, we’re going to Gauri’s house,” Sneha said.
“Guari’s house? Now? Why?”
“Amma, we were wondering if Gauri and Somu were playing a prank on Sneha,” Jai supplied.
“By hiding her drawing book and colours?” queried Lata, looking from one child to the other.
They both nodded.
Lata shook her head and sighed. “You children have funny ways of playing around. In our days we never did such things.”
“Amma, shall we go?” Jai asked.
“No… Not just now. Look at the time. It’s lunch time. Will it look good if you land up at their doorstep when they’re eating food? What will Bhavani Bhaujai think?” Lata said wiping her hands to her saree pallu.
“But Amma… we’ll just ask them from the door and come back. We won’t go inside,” insisted Sneha.
“What did I tell you both? No… Not now! Come on… Go… Wash your hands and come. You too better have your food. I’ll serve the meal. Hurry up and come in the kitchen.” Lata said sternly and then added with a smile. “I’ve made dal chawal. And, the mango pickle you were eating my life for is finally ready!”
“The mangoes from our tree?” chirped Sneha.
“Yes. Now hurry up and come into the kitchen.”
“Yes, Amma,” both the children said excitedly. They hurried to the tank beside the well to wash their hands before running into the house.
Somewhere up in the branches of the mango tree someone giggled.