Bholu makes mischief
“Amma, this mango pickle is delicious. I don’t think I’ve eaten a tastier one before,” Sneha said in delight, licking her fingers.
“Liar!” her mother said fondly. “I used to make the same recipe in the city also.”
“Nahin… Nahin… There’s something different about this mango pickle,” insisted Sneha earnestly.
“Yes, Amma. I agree with Sneha,” Jai said. “Your magic has multiplied here in the village. Everything you prepare is extra tasty.”
Lata laughed. “Alright, alright. Now finish your meal. Keep the utensils by the well. I’ll wash them there.”
“Yes, Amma,” the children chorused.
“I’ll go and meet Savita Kaki once the housework is done. Are you both coming with me?” Lata asked, spooning some rice and dal onto her thali.
“No, Amma. We’ll play with Somu and the others. We’re going to have a sitolia match today,” Jai replied.
“Where are you all going to play?” Lata asked, eating.
“In our courtyard,” answered Sneha.
“In our courtyard?”
“Yes, Amma. It’s quite big. Somu and the others used to play here when the house was closed. They told us that they used to climb the trees and also play hide-and-seek around the front courtyard and the backyard,” Jai shared this piece of information.
“Very well. But be careful today. No going in the backyard. I’ve dried the clothes on the clothesline there. Don’t go wiping your dirty hands and faces to the clean washing,” Lata warned them. “Otherwise, I’ll make you wash the clothes.”
“Yes, Amma. We’ll take care. Anyway, we have no plans of going that side. We’ll be playing here in the shade of the trees,” Jai said. “Sneha, have you finished eating?”
“Yes, Bhaiyya. Shall we keep our thalis outside, Amma?”
“Yes, children. I’ll be along in a minute to wash the utensils,” Lata said, eating the dal and rice.
~ ~ ~ ~
“Hey! That’s cheating! You can’t do that!” Gopi shouted.
“Cheating? What nonsense!” retorted Gauri.
“Of course. You held onto my shirt and called your team mate to hit me with the ball!” yelled Gopi.
“Come on! Didn’t you do the same thing with Jyoti?” shouted back Gauri.
“Alright… alright…” intervened Jai. “Enough shouting! Let’s get back to the game. We’ll give you an extra strike, Gopi. Is that ok?”
“Extra strike! Why?” opposed Gauri. “Gopi is such a cheater.”
“Cheater? Who? Me?” Gopi shouted, hand on his hips. “Look, who’s talking!”
“Will you both stop fighting!” chimed in Sneha.
“Why… ye-sss… ye-sss. We weren’t fighting anyway,” Gopi stammered nervously.
Jai grinned. His younger sister was something.
“Shall we resume the game, if you have finished your arguments?” Sneha queried, looking from one to the other.
Gauri nodded.
“Good! I think Jai Bhaiyya should get the strike now. What do you all say?” Sneha looked around.
“Yes! Yes!” agreed everyone.
“Very well. I’ll take the strike,” Jai said, feeling important. He looked around for the ball. “But where is the ball?”
“It should be here somewhere,” Somu said.
“Come on. Let’s look for the ball,” Sneha said impatiently.
“Where can the ball go?” Gauri said looking around.
They hunted high and low, under bushes, in the hedges but they couldn’t find the rubber ball.
“Shall we look in the backyard?” Jyoti suggested.
“In the backyard?” Jai asked, puzzed. “How can it go there?”
“Arreyy… we were trying to hit the team who had the strike. It may have bounced off the wall and gone in that direction,” Jyoti reasoned. “Anyway, what’s the harm in checking?”
Sneha agreed. “That’s true. We’ve already looked for it here. Even under the bushes.”
“Alright… Alright…” Jai said.
The children walked around to the back of the house and stood still.
“Oh no!” murmured Sneha.
“What’s all this?” Gauri said in surprise.
“What will Amma say!” exclaimed Jai. “I wonder who’s done this!”
“Look at all the clothes,” Gopi said, his eyes almost popping out. “How terrible!”
“What a silly thing to do!” Jyoti shouted irritably.
“But what is all this and how did the clothes become like this?” Sneha said and walked closer to the clothesline to get a better view.
“It looks like paint,” Jai observed, clutching at the sleeve of his white kurta, not white anymore. It had splashes of yellow, green and blue on it.
“Look at my green frock!” wailed Sneha. “My favourite one. It’s got all black lines on it.”
“What a thing to do!” Somu said, holding a corner of the blue bedsheet in his hand.
“Who could have done it?” asked Sneha, looking at her brother.
“No idea, Sneha. These splashes and stripes look like water colours,” Jai said, examining the stains.
“Water colours!” Sneha repeated thoughtfully. “My water colours…”
Jai looked at his sister.
“What?” queried the other children. “What is it?”
“Jai Bhaiyya, are you thinking the same thing?”
Jai nodded.
“What are you both thinking?” the others asked, looking from one to the other.
Just then a giggle was heard… and another… and another.
“Who’s that?” Somu asked, gazing around.
Sneha smiled before answering, “That… is Bholu!”
“Bholu?” queried Gauri.
“Yes,” nodded Jai.
“Who is Bholu?” asked Gopi, confused.
“Wait a minute,” said Jyoti. “Is this the Bholu Deenu Kaka keeps talking about?”
“What?” squeaked Gauri. “Bholu… the bhoot.”
Sneha grinned and nodded.
“What rub-b-ish!” Somu said nervously.
“It’s the truth!” insisted Sneha. “These are my water colours. I was painting in the front courtyard and I went for a while to help Amma and they disappeared.”
“You…You must’ve mis…mis-placed them,” Gopi stammered.
“No way! We searched for them high and low. Didn’t we Jai Bhaiyya?” Sneha turned to her brother for support.
“Yes, Sneha. I remember even suggesting that Bholu must’ve got hold of them but then we didn’t hear any giggles so we thought that one of you must’ve played a prank…” Jai said, shrugging his shoulders.
“No… No… Why would we play a prank by hiding Sneha’s colours and colouring book?” Somu said stiffly.
“Hmm. We got that and anyway what we assumed first was right. Bholu was up to making mischief,” Jai said with a laugh, pointing to the clothes.
Another giggle was heard somewhere further. The four children huddled together and trembled, looking around in dread.
“Don’t worry,” Sneha spoke in a soothing voice. “Bholu won’t harm you. He’s a poltergeist, not a scary ghost.”
“That’s all very well,” Jyoti said, still looking around in fear. “But what about these stained clothes? Will your Amma believe your story about Bholu?”
Jai hesitated for a moment.
“We’ll have to do something,” he said thoughtfully.
“But what, Jai Bhaiyya?” Sneha queried, puzzled.
“Beta Ji… Bitiya Ji…” a familiar voice called just then from the front courtyard.