by Wasif Hameed
“Kochi, one ticket,” Meenu said, trying her best to assume the calm demeanour of a veteran traveller.
“Ernakulam, two hundred and ten. No change?” Conductor said frowning at the five- hundred-rupee note Meenu held out to him. She searched frantically in her purse and came up with a ten-rupee-note, sighing with relief.
“Great job, Meenu,” she muttered, kicking herself for forgetting that in long-distance buses people used the name Ernakulam for her hometown.
The conductor blew the whistle and the bus whirred to life. A slight trepidation came over her as the bus glided out of the bus station. But by the time it made its way out of the slow-moving traffic and arrowed into the highway, she was convinced of her undertaking. She had stored enough music in her phone to last the four-hour journey. But she forgot all about it and sat by the window looking out, as the world changed tones imperceptibly from blue to purple to black. Her first trip on her own. She was afraid Amma would be furious when she learned that she had come on her own. But she was sure Amma would ease up. It was after all Meenu’s 18th birthday the next day.
This birthday, it was her turn to surprise them. She had told her family that she had a test at college and hence, would not be able to make it home for her birthday.
She still remembered her conversation with Amma over phone a week back. Amma was sad that Meenu couldn’t come home. To cheer her up, Meenu had said that she need not worry about her. Perhaps she would enjoy her birthday. After all it was her first year at college. She described how they celebrated birthdays in her college, mentioning the kicks on the butt. She also elaborated on how the cake’s icing was reserved for smearing on the birthday girl’s face. But her mother continued to sound low. Then Meenu grew moisty-eyed too though she didn’t really know why.
It was dark by the time Meenu arrived at Ernakulam. She rushed to the auto stand.
“Where to?” an auto-driver asked her from behind, smiling, his eyes the same shade of red as his mouth filled with betel juice.
Her teeth chattered, more out of panic than the cold. She heaved a sigh of relief the moment she saw a bus. She realised that this was one of the buses that passed by her house. She dashed towards it and stood among the crowd of women returning home from work, exhausted and eager to get back to their homes too.
It was a small walk from the bus-stop to her house. A comforting warmth passed through her when the lights from her house came into view.
She rang the bell, exultant at finally having made it. She gathered her face into a beaming smile for her parents. It was the servant, Kamlechi, who opened the door.
From behind Kamlechi, Anu, Meenu’s younger sister, peeped out. She appeared shocked rather than surprised.
“What are you doing here?” Anu asked, sounding more bewildered than excited.
“Surprise,” Meenu managed to yell even though she knew something was wrong.
“Papa and Amma have travelled to your college to pull a surprise on you. They told they had taken a room in a hotel and will come back only day after. After your birthday.”
Meenu thought her heart just stopped. Her entire body shook and she tried to stabilise herself by clutching her bag. This surprise, or shock rather, was beyond her anticipation.
“I guess it’s just the two of us then,” Anu said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“You weren’t interested in celebrating my birthday, were you?” Meenu asked trying not to sound defeated.
“Unlike you, missy, I have a test at school tomorrow. An actual one, not a fake test,” Anu said sarcastically.
As Meenu was trying hard to come out from the wide-ranging emotions she was going through, her phone rang. “Surprise, Meenu!” Amma and Papa shouted together into the phone.
“We’re just outside your hostel. Tell your warden, and come to the front gate. We’ve booked a hotel here. See the gifts we’ve brought for you. Anu couldn’t come…,” her father spoke breathlessly.
“Papa, I’m at home,” Meenu said weakly into the phone.
“What?”
“I’m at home. I wanted to surprise you guys. I had no test. I’m here. I’m home. Please don’t be angry.”
Papa was silent for a while and then cut the call. A little later, the phone rang again. It was Amma’s voice, “We’re coming home.” Meenu said okay, nodding distractedly and the call ended almost immediately.
She knew they were going to be furious. She thought it would be better if she went to sleep; that way she would have to face them only the next morning.
Soon Meenu heard Kamlechi asking her if she wanted anything to eat. “No, I had something on the way,” she said.
“If you feel hungry any time, the food is next to the kitchen table,” Kamlechi said and retired to her room.
Meenu switched on the TV brooding over how different the night could have been.
“No TV. Amma cut the cable because of exams,” Anu shouted from the top floor.
“Perfect,” Meenu mumbled and threw the remote on the table and sank into the sofa.
She heard Anu’s footsteps as she came down the stairs.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” Anu asked.
“I feel so useless now.”
“Oh come now. If Papa and Amma had not had that plan, we would all be celebrating now. Not your fault that you both planned a surprise.”
“I guess so,” Meenu responded and she realised she was sounding really annoyed. She knew Anu was just trying to be nice.
“So is this about you trying to be an adult and all that?” Anu asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” Meenu said. This time they both let out a chuckle.
“Amma and Papa would be late. If you are going to stay awake till then, I can be with you.” Anu said.
“No, I would rather be alone. You don’t have to. Shouldn’t you be studying?”
“If I flunk, you’re vouching for me when the report card comes,” Anu said.
“Or is it ‘when’ I flunk?”
“Oh please. I’m smarter than you ever were at least.”
“Big words for someone who is still in sixth standard. You better keep telling that story to yourself,” Meenu chuckled.
“Hey, remember the fun times we would have playing Ludo? Should we play a game now? I really think we should,” Anu suddenly said with a twinkle in her eye.
“Anu, I don’t think I want to…”
But Anu had already run to her room.
“Can you come here for a moment?” Anu called out.
Anu was searching for papers in the cabinet when Meenu went upstairs.
“There’s no board. So, we will make one,” Anu said.
They dug through a pile of stationery and came up with a red pen, blue pen and a pencil to colour the board and pieces.
“Red is red, blue is blue. Black is green and white is yellow,” Anu said. “And this eraser will serve as our die,” she continued, holding up a white eraser with dots marked on all its sides.
The excitement slowly began to catch on to Meenu. The makeshift board and die had somehow brought down the years between them. Meenu realised how, of late, especially after she entered high school, she had ignored her sister’s antics as silly. She felt they were something she had grown out of. But now, as they sat working on the board, she realised that even though people grew up, they always carried a little bit of their childhood within them.
“Let’s spice it up. If I win you’ll give me your pocket money. If you win I’ll give you my trinkets,” Meenu said.
“Deal!” her sister shouted back.
The game got underway. Every single time they had played it in the past, the sisters had fought about the rules. Both had their own versions of the rule book.
“No, you can bring out the piece only if you roll a six on the die,” Meenu screamed, while Anu was pretty sure that you had to roll a one to do that. The areas on the board where one piece cannot cross out an opponent’s piece was different for the two. All quarrels were settled by a best of three rock-paper-scissors-game. The sisters cackled whenever they cut out the other’s pieces.
As they played, the eraser bounced too much. While they hurriedly played their turns, quite often, the makeshift die would roll under the furniture. Especially during Anu’s chance.
A few games in, Meenu actually forgot all about the debacle and the consequences of her actions that she would need to face when her parents returned.
Suddenly, they heard the doorbell ring. “Papa and Amma,” Meenu exclaimed. The two girls rushed down the steps and opened the door.
Papa was bleary-eyed from the drive back and forth. Amma fiddled with the bright red box in her hands. Her brand new saree and Papa’s black party-wear shirt gleamed brilliantly, making up for the tiredness on their faces.
They hesitated at the door. Slowly, her father began smiling and said,” You’re all grown up now, aren’t you?”
Meenu grew teary-eyed. She ran into his embrace. “I’m sorry, Papa.”
“Oh come now, sorry about what? For planning a surprise? Then we’re sorry too.”
“I shouldn’t have travelled all the way, alone. And that too without letting you know.”
“And here I was, thinking my girl had grown into a strong independent woman.”
“Well, here is the gift for your long-awaited eighteenth birthday, you brat.” Amma gave her the box as Meenu whimpered.
“Everybody, everybody, please see yourself to the cake cutting ceremony. It’s already 11:58.” Anu announced.
She ushered them to the dining table where a cake was waiting for them.
“What is this?” Amma asked.
“Call it what you may, it’s all the biscuits, bread and cakes in the food jar crushed and mixed. And oh, some condensed milk and jam for icing,” Anu beamed.
“How did you manage all this?” Meenu asked.
“Well, sometimes the eraser went under the furniture intentionally. I made these while it was your turn to search,” Anu replied with an air of pride.
“It’s time” Amma announced. “Happy Birthday, dear Meenu,” the family chorused.
With a spoon, Meenu took a scoop of cake and fed it to Papa, Amma and Anu.
“Happy Birthday, you grown up,” Anu hugged her sister.
“Well, at least today you are the mature one,” Meenu smiled gently.
Just then Meenu felt a kick on her back. “This is for the trouble for the day. Quick, Anu. I’ve given mine. It’s your turn now,” Amma shouted. “Let us see how we match up to the parties at your college.”
Meenu joined in the raucous laughter that followed.
