The Binding String

T W E N T Y - T W O

"Haan na. Kahan humare idli aur kahan woh sada hua nonveg. Roohi batao Papa ko which is your favorite dish?" (Yes exactly. There is no comparison between idli and that unhygienic nonveg. )

"Haan haan Roohi bata do apni madrasi Mumma ko ki tum poori punjaban ho." (Roohi tell your Mumma that you're like us. Punjaban.) Raman asked while making Roohi sit on his lap. Otherside Roohi continued to eat her cookie while looking at her parents with amused expressions, wondering where she landed. She never saw such banter between her parents, it was new for her. They even had there milk with her which never happened earlier, she is becoming a good girl now? The same good girl about her friends discuss?

"Mujhe coconut chicken pasand hai." (I think I like eating coconut chicken.) Roohi exclaimed finishing the milk and cookie making her parents tight-lipped. She is wise something like her father and a quick witted just like her mother, Raman Ishita looked at each other and smiled sheepishly. Raman wiped Roohi's mouth with his thumb pad and made her sit over her lap more comfortably and continued to read newspaper spreading it on table, "Papa mujhe aaj school nahi jana." (Papa I don't want to go school.)

Raman Ishita shot there heads up together from there respective newspapers and looked at Roohi with confused face, "Kyon Roohi. Kya hua?" (Why? Something happened?) Ishita asked while folding the newspaper. She expected some reply from her but the girl remained exceptionally silent and bowed down her head. "Did someone said you something?" This time Raman asked making Roohi settle on dining table.

"No Papa." A meek reply from Roohi made them sigh with relief. They smiled softly thinking it's just a normal thing for a kids to deny going school but such things are not good to be entertained. Ishita decided to make Roohi understand calmly but her phone rang before she could keep the discussion continued. She finished the conversation in short and looked at Roohi, "Sorry Roohi but you have to go school. Mumma had to stay longer in college so she might be return late today and Neelu didi is not going to stay for entire day as well."

"And even Papa had to go out of city today Roohi. We cannot let you stay alone beta. Be a good girl and go to school Rooh." Raman poliety said hoping the child understand his words and do not argue anymore whereas Ishita picked the empty cups and glass to dump in sink. Raman made little girl stand over her feet and himself went inside to attend an official call and Roohi left alone to fight with her own thoughts. Through all the time sitting on bowl of commode Roohi continued to remind herself the qualities of good girl her five years old friend Tripti told her. Her little mind assumed that the reason behind her parents happy faces are her disciplined behaviour. Maybe Mumma Papa likes that, children who do not speak much and do not oppose her parents at all. She decided not to speak infront of Mumma Papa anymore, she won't tell them anything and her Mumma Papa will love her like they loved her today. Later when Raman asked to Roohi if she want him to drop her at school she stood clueless, what to tell him. Will he stop loving her if she deny him? But Roohi didn't get chance to speak when Raman rushed outside of apartment saying he had some urgent call from office and he won't be able to drop Roohi school instead asked Neelu to take her. Ishita caressed little girl hairs and bid her bye, the couple was relieved with the new start and retired for there respective workplaces forgetting the eyes which wished to say lots of things she never dared. Later at evening when Ishita reached home she found Roohi asleep already much for her surprise. It was just seven of evening and too early to sleep without having meal. She started to tap her fingers over glasstop of dining table worried about her daughter habit of skipping lunch and dinner and she dialled her mother in law number.

"Mummy Ji does Roohi had habit of sleeping early?" Ishita finally came on point after talking random stuffs.

"Not that early Ishita but she used to take her dinner by seven when she was staying with us and milk by eight and after that either me or Bhalla ji used to make her sleep." Santhosh informed her from otherside happy with the fact that Ishita started to take responsibility of mother which she used to despise earlier. They had some casual conversation after that and then Ishita disconnected the call wondering how to solve the issue. She went inside Roohi's room to wake her up and give her earful scolding for skipping her meals but her heart melted seeing her sleeping innocently in her school uniform. Ishita removed her socks and then her belt, her bag was lying on the pink rug, she inspected her school bag which was indeed cute looking of combination of pink and white, having a face of bunny at front with oval shaped black eyes and two long furry ears. She decided to wake her after preparing something for dinner but stopped recalling Neelu words who asked her to take out her lunch box from bag which she forgot to do. She unzipped her school bag and took out the lunch box thinking it would be empty but to her surprise her lunch came as it is as she packed in morning, it looked like girl hasn't touched anything. In past two months she never cared to put attention towards her little daughter but today as the things were unfolding one after another it started to make her scare.