2

She broke into a run to slow down after a while.  Everything looked stand still to her.  She looked around.  There was no one on the secluded road to her home.  Sun had hidden himself somewhere in the dark thick coulds.  She looked up in the sky.  The overcast skies teased her.  She stuck out her tongue to tease back  and resumed her run.  A big droplet splashed on her nose and she stopped.  The droplets were making a dotted design on the newly asphalted road.  She looked at it in amazement.  “Rangoli...!” she thrust her hands on her hips standing there to find out shapes in that random raindrops making weird designs on the road.  

“Hihihi... Rains... finally!” she grabbed the opportunity.  The rapid rain made her joy double and she started revolving around in the rain, drenching herself completely.  A racing car passed by splashing muddy water on her and she ran towards it angrily, making faces...!

“Mamma will be angry..” she somehow brought herself on the ground and walked in the rapid rain inhaling the earthen smell, stomping in the water filled  potholes.  She stopped dead.  “Aray... what is this?” She couldn’t walk past.  

********   ********   ******

“Dhaa....!” her mother was restless looking at the rapid rain.  “She will come, Mamma!” Disha was standing by her mother’s side looking at the deserted road  deep into the vanishing point.  The rain made her more worried.  Dhatri had not returned.  Salil came out. 

“Nilima, can I get a cup of tea?” he asked trying to ease out the tension.  Nilima turned.

“Yeah! And garam garam bhijiya!” Dharini roared.  Nilima looked at her husband.  He held her hand.

“Go! She will come before you boil the milk!” He said smiling and Nilima turned into the kitchen.  Disha went for her help and Salil waited with bated breath for his youngest daughter.

Dhatri saw him waiting in the veranda and changed her route.  She jumped over the wicket gate into the backyard and tiptoed into the house.

“Hey-hey.. Stop!” Disha caught her shoulder and turned her around.  Her father came in looking at her drenched figure curiously.  He gazed down and fixed his eyes on her bulging tummy.  She had held her huge tummy with both her hands trying to hold it from falling down.

“What is that?” Disha pointed at the huge tummy.  Dhatri jerked herself free and ran into her room.  Dharini got up from the bed and closed the door securely.

“What?” she asked in excitement. Dhatri raised her frock up and that thing stirred in its sleep.

“Wow! Black one?” Dharini was over excited and picked the thing up from Dhatri.  She kept it on the bed and it crawled into the duvet.  

“We got to hide it somewhere!” she declared looking at her youngest sister.  Dhatri nodded and looked around.

“Cupboard!” they both pointed at the inbuilt small cupboard in the wall and Dharini picked up the duvet.  They both stuffed it into the cupboard and kept the door ajar.

“Change your frock!” She ordered Dhatri and Dhatri obeyed happily. Dharini helped her to change and even tried to dry her tightly braided hair with the towel.  There was a bang on the door.  Dhatri looked scared.  Dharini held her hand in support and they both opened the door.  

“Mamma... hummm... nice smell!” Dharini ignored Disha and walked into the kitchen to see what her mother was preparing.

“Dhaa... what did you carry in?” Disha was furious.  Dhatri looked confused.

“What?” she asked stealing a glance into the room to see everything was ok.  

“You hid something in here!” Disha pointed at her tummy.  Dhatri looked down.  “What? Where?” she asked innocently closing the room door behind her.  Her father was behind Disha and Dhatri dashed to the kitchen.  “Mamma.. hungry!” she said loudly, seeing that Disha had followed her.  Dharini stole a glance at Dhatri and they busied themselves in laying the table.  Disha stood before her.

“What did you hide?” she asked and her mother looked at her angrily.

“Disha, call your papa ..!” she ordered and Disha went out without a word looking at the younger siblings angrily.  Her father came in and winked at Dhatri.  She smiled inwardly and winked at Dharini.  Dharini looked at her father and joined her hands.  He nodded considerately but glanced at his wife.  There were clearly two parties in the house.  Dhatri, Dharini, Papa verses Mamma and Disha.  Disha glanced at all of them from the door.  

“If you try to sneak in something filthy in my room, I will throw you out!” she threatened both her siblings.  

“Your room? Which is your room, Didi?” asked Dharini thrusting her hands on her hips, now sure that her father was with her in this adventure.  “Yeah.. which is?” Dhatri too came to her support.  And they all heard the crashing sound from the room.  Mamma put off the gas flame and they all ran towards the room.  Dharini being ahead of everyone tried to peep in for damage control.  

That thing had struggled its way out of the duvet and out of the cupboard bringing everything stuffed into it down with the duvet and had come out and was exploring the room.  Disha’s mouth fell open in shock for a moment and the next thing all of them heard was she shrieking at the top of her voice blowing her head off in rage and disgust.

“Awaaaiiiii... That thing... Out.. Out... right now!” she yelled and went out to get a stick or broom.   Dhatri went in a caught it and again hid it under her changed and now a dry frock bulging her tummy again, holding it by both her hands.  She looked at her father pleadingly and he nodded turning to see what Disha was upto.  She had returned with a broom.

“No!” Dhatri yelled holding the stomach protectively and Dharini stood before shielding her.  “Out.. out!” Disha yelled and younger sisters stood their ground knowing that they had support.  

“Out of my room..!” Disha screamed raising the broom looking at Dhatri’s bulging tummy. 

“This is our room..!” they both yelled back.  Nilima was at the door with her husband.

“What is it?” she asked confused.  Dharini was shrewd enough.

“Promise us! You will not throw it out!” she said wrapping her hand around Dhatri’s shoulder.

“Let me see what you have got!” her mother touched her belly and the thing stirred under cover purring merrily.  Dhatri raised her frock exposing her bulging tummy and took out the sleeping kitten, a complete spotless black kitten.  It opened its green bright eyes once and went back to its sweet sleep.  Dhatri had a broad smile on her face.

“Kitten... No!” Disha screamed.  “You know, I am allergic... throw it out.  Go and leave it from where you got it!” she said getting hysteric.

“No!” Dharini and Dhatri were adamant.  Her mother didn’t know what to do.  She too wanted that thing out of her house at the earliest.  She looked at her husband but he had gone in and had picked up that sleeping thing in his palms.  Dhatri was dancing and clapping happily.  Dharini had dashed towards kitchen to get some milk and Disha was screaming her head out covering her nose with the scarf.