Kittu is a student of class 1 in our school. He is a junior to us (We are in third standard). It took a lot of effort from us to persuade him to act as a messenger. First I tried to make him agree for only one chocolate for two letters he delivers. He didn’t agree, but demanded a chocolate for a letter. But that could cost me too much. Then my princess came to know about all this. She called Kittu and tried to bully him. No effect. She used saama, daana, bheda dandopaayas and he started crying. She was so sharp that she knew she had to soothe him and stop him from crying. Somehow she managed to make him agree for one chocolate for 2 letters. I still wonder how she had done that, because I couldn’t do it myself.
This exchanging of letters is a weird thing. She doesn’t do anything in the way it should be done. She always tries to make things complex for her as well as for me. As it has been becoming difficult for her to meet me, because of her innumerable occupations, she planned all this. I never dared to oppose her. I knew what happens if I did so. She will hit me and the worst thing is I can not cry like Kittu. I could fight anyone but her. How could anyone fight her? She is that beautiful.
I went to a side and opened the letter. It read “Parthu... Come and meet me at the wall behind the temple.” Was it an order? Of course, she never requests me. I would have obeyed it any other time but for the next hour’s maths class. So I wrote “I have a maths class now. Sir will skin me if I didn’t attend. Please come to the class else you might be skinned too.” I tried to be as polite as possible. Kittu took the letter and was back soon in another 5 minutes. He gave me another letter and I gave him one more chocolate. “You idiot. Are you a man? Don’t you have the guts to bunk only one class? And don’t worry about maths sir. I’ll manage all that. Be here in 5min”. I had no other way. When I was ready to go out, sir came to the class. “God! I am finished. She won’t let me off easily.” I thought. After the class I hurried off to the temple. She was still there. Her cheeks were rosy and from that I could make out that she was angry. She was very beautiful when her cheeks turn to pink. I didn’t dare to look into her eyes. I resisted my desire to look at her, bent down my head and meekly approached her.
“Why are you so late?” she demanded an explanation.
“When I was coming out, sir came and I couldn’t escape.”
She grabbed my hair and started pulling my head from one side to the other. I screamed in pain.
She asked me “would you ever dare do that again?” How can anyone do that again when they know that they receive such a reward? “No” I cried. She was satisfied with the answer and let me off. She had plans for something big, which I could make out from her eyes. Whenever she gets some new idea, her eyes will be full of some glow and mischief. Then she looks even more beautiful. I was gaping at her open mouthed. She asked me to follow her and I did it without any questions.
We went towards the one end of the village. She stopped when we reached Subbaiah thata’s (thatha – grandfather) mango grove. She took out a paper and a pen and started drawing some circles, rectangles, lines and what not. I should say that she is terrible at drawing. I didn’t understand what was going on. After 2min or so she said “this is the plan of Subbaiah thata’s mango grove. How does it look?”
Me: “It looks great. How did you know that the grove looks exactly same? If we watch it from sky will it look like this?” (This is how she complicates things)
She: “yes. And now listen carefully. You need to come here tomorrow and keep a watch of who are coming and leaving the grove and at which time they come and leave. You should watch it till afternoon. And again come back here day after tomorrow in the afternoon and do the same till about six in the evening.”
Me: “what should I do after that?”
She: “you should tell me all those details and we will plan accordingly.”
Me: “plan for what?”
She: “stealing mangoes from the grove. You idiot. Can’t you understand even this?”
This was the second time she called me an idiot. I had a great impulse that to tell her that I have a name and I would like to be addressed by that name and by nothing else. But I suddenly remembered the treatment I received and kept quiet. But what puzzled me was when they themselves got a big mango grove from which she can get mangoes, why was she planning to steal mangoes.
She: “I heard that stolen mangoes taste great” (with a mischievous smile)
For the next two days I did all the things which she asked me to do. I worked as if I were a James Bond. I gave all the details she wanted. She was quiet for some time. Then she took out the paper on which she drew the plan and started explaining me when I should go to the grove and how should I enter without being seen blah blah blah. I listened to her carefully.
After her explanation I asked “are you not going to come with me?”
She: “Don’t worry. I will come and we will do this together.”
I felt light at heart after learning that she’ll be accompanying me. We planned to execute this on next Sunday. I eagerly waited for Sunday to come.
The day of adventure arrived and as planned we were at the grove by 1.15pm. The security will be very less at this hour. So our task will be easier. We eagerly waited Subbaiah thatha to leave the grove for his lunch. He left at around 1.25pm. There would be only one guy to keep a watch now. We were moving very slowly and entered the grove through the fence. We walked as if we were soldiers going to attack on some terrorists. We reached a mango tree which was full of mangoes. As per the plan I have to climb up the tree while she keeps a watch. If someone came that way she has to let me know so that we can escape without being caught. I have to pluck the mangoes and throw them to her. Then she collects them and after we feel we had enough we will leave the grove from the same way through which we entered. This was the plan.
I climbed up the tree very easily (I am an expert at this.). I started implementing the plan very effectively. Whenever she felt I was too fast in plucking the mangoes, she warned me to be slow. After some time we had a good number of mangoes with us. So she asked me to come down. When I was coming down we suddenly heard someone coming that way. In a hurry to get off I fell to the ground from some height and injured my left leg. We started to crawl on the floor and safely reached a bush and hid behind it. Luckily the guy who came that way didn’t find us. Then we started to walk slowly. But after a couple of seconds I couldn’t walk and fell down. She looked at me with a question mark on her face and whispered “Parthu… what happened?”
She was concerned and her face showed it.
Me: “Nothing, but I have slight pain in my leg and it is difficult for me to walk.”
Then it happened. She took my left hand and put it around her shoulders. The pain which hurt me very much a few seconds ago was gone. Her touch had some magic. She made me walk very carefully and we managed to escape without being caught. She was asking all the way to my home whether I was fine or not. My mom saw me limping and came running towards me and asked me “What happened?”
Now my princess looked very tense. I looked at her and replied my mother “nothing amma... (Amma - Mother) I fell down on the road.” Now my darling looked a bit relaxed. She thanked me with her eyes. I smiled.
At first I thought the injury was minor but it took me almost one week to recover and be back to school. Deepa visited me every day after the school was over and used to bring me something or the other to eat. Doctor Uncle told me one day that I could go to the school again from next day. She looked relieved than me. After everyone was gone from the room she came close to me and whispered in my ears “once again thanks” and then the most memorable and unforgettable thing of my life happened. She put her right hand on my left cheek, left hand on my head, came close to my face and gave me a kiss on my right cheek. I was on cloud nine. I was damn lucky to be kissed by the prettiest girl’s rosy lips. She went away saying “will catch you tomorrow at the school.” I couldn’t come out of the trance for quite some time.
Next day I went to the school. I stood outside the class room during the break. Then I saw Kittu running towards me. He had a letter in his hand. I knew this is the time for our 1948th adventure. After all I am not a fool to miss a kiss by a beautiful miss, am I?
P.S: Title inspired from James Bond movie. Felt apt for the story :)
No comments:
Post a Comment