Just another day .... Chapter #3

It was after 7 PM in the evening when Vivan returned home, all drenched in sweat. He had scored 27 and taken 1 catch and was hence was happy. He saw his father’s bag on the dining table and knew he had returned. The door of the room was half open and Vivan sneaked at the side of the door. This was a little game Vivan and his dad played. One of them would sneak to the side of the door and scare the other when they came out of the door. So he stood there without making any sound and waited for his dad to come out. He could hear his parents talking.

“How about we take Vivan to someplace nice in the summer vacations? I’m sure this will be a change for him and he’ll enjoy!” he heard his mother telling his dad. His heart leapt with joy but he strained his ear to hear his father’s reply.

“What? You know we can’t afford it, right? The EMIs are coming up and just because we’ve not been keeping up with the deadline for the last three months, we’ll have to pay additional interest. How can we shell out money for a trip?”

Vivan didn’t understand any of the technical terms, but, his father’s tone told him that it couldn’t happen. Then there was silence. He dropped the idea of scaring his father and quietly went into his room and opened his books again. Not really bothering to study. Fifteen minutes later, his dad entered the room and asked him, “When did you return, Champ? We didn’t hear you come back.”

“It’s been ten-fifteen minutes, I guess.”

“Alright. Your mom tells me you’re having trouble with some questions. Shall we look at them?”

“Yes. I’ll get the books”. He went over to his bag and returned with a couple of books and pointed at the questions he wanted help with.

“Let’s see, what have we got here?” His father replied while looking at the questions.

They spent about twenty minutes completing his homework and by that time, it was time for dinner.

Vivan and his father sat down at the dining table while his mother arranged the plates and dishes at the table and began serving. Vivan was altogether silent again. They ate in silence. When they were about to finish, Vivan’s father looked at him and Vivan had all his attention on his plate. He could see that his kid was a little lost. He then said out loud, “I feel like having something sweet after dinner today” and then looked at his better half for a response.

“Don’t look at me. I’m way too tired to stand in the kitchen for another 30 minutes. I’m just going to change and sleep now and let the maid take care of washing the dishes in the morning.” She retorted.

“So, if you’re that tired, you wouldn’t come with me and Vivan for an ice cream, would you?

“You both are going out for an ice cream?” she said

“We are?” asked a surprised Vivan.

“Oh yes we are, Champ. And honey, you are invited, but, seeing how tired you are, I guess me an Vivan will have to eat your share.” Said his father in a mocking tone. Vivan giggled.

“Well, nobody but me is even touching my share.” She got up, piled up all the dishes and carried them to the kitchen. Vivan looked at his father who was staring at his mobile screen.

“Dad, can I have a fudge?” Vivan tried his luck because fudge was a dessert only for special occasions.

“Well, sure Champ, whatever you like” replied the father still looking at his mobile. “Grab the car keys for me please”. Vivan, full of joy at the thought of having a fudge, leapt from his chair and fetched the car keys and handed them to his father. “Let’s go”, he said hoping both Vivan and his mother listened to it. They got into the car and went off. Vivan was as cheerful as ever while having his fudge. His father looked at his mother and smiled at her. He read her lips when she mumbled “thank you” and smiled back at him.

 

 

THE END.

Just another day .... Chapter #2

While returning back from the school, he was least interested in what was being said or done around him. He was silent. The thought of going out for a vacation was not in his mind now, but he was rather unsettled. When he got down from the bus at his stop, he saw his mother waiting for him with that ever-so vibrant smile which was almost contagious to Vivan, but not today. He seemed lost. His mother noticed that and tried to divert his attention by asking him how the day was and he replied to that in a subdued manner, simply saying, “It was okay”. Walking side by side, Vivan kept kicking a stone on his way and his mother kept telling him about what she was planning to make for dinner and that his father would come a little early today. Nothing seemed to interest him at the time.

 

When they reached home, his mother asked Vivan to go change and freshen up while she prepared him lunch. He obeyed like always and when lunch was served, he sat down eating, but not entirely interested in the food. He was not thinking about the conversation in the school anymore, but, the balance of the day was messed with. Like all mothers understand without their kids speaking a lot, Vivan’s mother also understood that something was troubling him, but she didn’t want to nag him. He was a simple boy like most at this young age and his expressions were a mirror to his thoughts. She tried to deviate his attention again and asked, “So, how was Mathematics today? Did you have your notebook corrected?”

“It was good”, he replied. “I got a star for the homework”, this time with a little more emotion.

“That’s pretty good, isn’t it?” she said with an elated smile.

“It is and mom, nobody else got it among my friends. Just me” he said with a proud smile, almost forgetting that he was even upset. The lunch now tasted better somehow.

“So what else did you do in school?” she asked.

“Well, nothing special. Oh! Rishi and his family are going to Goa in the summer vacations. Tanmay has already been there and he was telling us there is a pool in the hotel. Pranav hasn’t been to Goa but he has been to a beach and he’s scared of the waves. He’s always scared of everything.” He kept stuffing his food while talking. She instantly guessed what might have tripped Vivan’s mood.

“Vivan, complete your homework before you go playing”, said his mother when they finished lunch.

“Yes, ma’am”, he yelled from the other room.

The reply reassured his mother that her kid’s mood was back to normal now. Realizing how simple kids are, the fickle nature of their transparent heart, brought a faint smile to her face.

 

Vivan spent about thirty minutes completing the little homework that he had and then, shutting his books ran off to his mother and found her in the kitchen arranging dishes.

“Mom, I’ve completed most of it”, he told her while sitting on the kitchen shelf. “There a couple of questions that I don’t understand, so I’ll ask dad to help me out”.

“Why can’t I help you out?” she replied

“Because it’s Algebra” he said plainly.

“So?” she said not looking at him, still arranging the dishes.

“So, the last time you taught me Mathematics, we were stuck on one question for 30 minutes” he reminded her.

“You don’t say, smarty pants, it was a tough one”, she said with a wry smile. “Now get off the shelf and go play, but, dad will be home in a couple of hours so you get back before him. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am”.

 

He jumped off the shelf, ran to his room to grab his bat and ran out of the door, yelling while shutting the door behind him. “I’m going”.

......... To Be Continued

Just another day .... Chapter #1

The class was quiet and Vivan was sitting resting his elbows on the desk, half yawning. He never liked the Hindi period. It was all right there and ever so obvious. That’s what we’ve been learning from the time we started speaking, he kept telling himself. Sure there are some odd words which are hard to pronounce, let alone learning their meanings, but, a class VI student knows enough of the language to use simpler words instead which explain the text just fine. The fact that this was the first period on this day of school didn’t help either. The only consoling thought being that the period that followed was Mathematics. He loved numbers. The way numbers and variables worked together and how different operations brought out something else was nothing short of magic to him. The Mathematics period was his dose of caffeine. He wasn’t the brightest or the sharpest or the fastest in Mathematics, but, he liked it nonetheless.

 

The bell finally struck after what felt like a lifetime and the Mathematics teacher stepped in. For the next 40 minutes, Vivan was wide awake and attentive like he was watching a magician go about his routine tricks. He took notes, and tried to grasp everything that was being taught. When the bell finally struck again, indicating the end of the period, he was smiling. Satisfied with what he had learned.

 

The class was noisier again. The hustle of bags and books was because it was the lunch break. He took out his lunch and went over to his group of friends, Tanmay, Rishi and Pranav. The boxes were opened and spread across the table and the chit-chat started. Rishi told the group that his father was planning to take their family out for a trip to Goa in the summer vacations. Tanmay had already been there and told him all about the hotel and how there was a pool in which he played for the entire day splashing water at his younger sister and how they enjoyed on the beach and the boat ride and what all his father bought him. Pranav pitched in and told his tale of when they visited Andamans and played on the beach and about the huge waves that appeared like they’d swallow you and about the endless expanse of water to which Tanmay nodded his head vigorously in agreement because his mouth was stuffed with food. “I was standing at the corner of the world. Water was all that it was in front of me”, added Pranav. Vivan was silent throughout the conversation. He didn’t go out very often. He felt uncomfortable at such conversations. Whenever someone was narrating something like this, he’d try and force a smile so as to suggest he agrees because he had nothing to comment. He had somehow become better at forcing a smile in the middle of such conversations because nobody seemed to notice that he was having trouble sitting through it. He’d chose the Hindi period over such conversations any time, because it at least didn’t require him to fake a smile and he could yawn in peace. He was in a similar situation when his friends discussed where they’d gone for dinners on the weekend and the new video game that their fathers had gifted them. Their boxes were empty in the first 10 minutes, but, the break lasted for 20, which meant he had to sit through for 10 extra minutes just nodding absent mindedly. The bell finally rang and he was relieved to return to his seat, but he had trouble gathering his thoughts now.

 

He too wanted to see those gigantic waves that Pranav was so scared of. Pranav was silly, he thought. He wouldn’t be afraid, but may enjoy it. He wanted to go there, but he couldn’t ask his parents to take him. That break apparently left the rest of the day rather unpleasant for Vivan.

 

……………To Be Continued