R A K S H I T
"I know I'm cute, my mommy tells me this daily but you don't need to stare, I get shy!" He blushed awkwardly and sat on the swing. "Now, can you push it? Phl-uese"
I was not a big fan of kids but the smile of this kid was without any front tooth, so I could not help myself from laughing when he smiled his cutest smile to get me give him a push at the swing.
The boy didn't like the idea of my laugh though.
It was evident from his grumpy face and the way he crossed his arms around his chest, jumping from the swing.
"I am offended by you. Goodbye. Never ever meet me or I will tell my mommy agree that wifey and girlfriend are right about you" His face bubbled up with the air he took in to indicate the amount of anger he was controlling.
To be honest, I was curious when he spoke about his girlfriend and his wife talking about me. Who were they? Toys, dolls, school girls which might have given him a scale to use and poor fellow was enchanted.
"Oh seriously, and who are they? Your mommy's car, your toys? Or your imaginary girl" I helped myself on the swing and watched the kid march upto me and pass me some glares.
"Oh please, I am not as single as you. My girlfriend is Sia and wifey is Divya. And they are tall! Not my toys and definitely real! Divya lives next door and Sia lives beside her. You know, my mommy has taught me that we should not tell our or someone's address to people we don't know" Doing a great job buddy, a great job.
"Then why are you telling me?" I didn't recognize the kid at the first sight but having a close look, I felt that I had seen him somewhere before.
"Because you are our neighbor so you are smart enough to know where they live" he sighed, and slapped his forehead with his left hand.
The connection was out and I realized this kid was none other than Drishti's son. That's why he looked so familiar.
Neglecting the fact that he was poking and squeezing my biceps, I shifted my mind to think about the ways by the help of which I could ask him what they said about me. Maybe that's why she was ignoring the fact that she agreed to walk back home with me.
She was coming safe and that was enough. But being another normal human, curiosity ran in my veins.
"Are these real?" He asked innocently and wrapped himself around my arm, continuing admiring them with popped out of excitement eyes. "I also have! Let me show you"
"Yeah you do" Without letting him show his biceps, I lifted him till his feet were off ground and walked towards the other swing on which he was sitting.
"Put me down! Kidnapper!" Wasn't he the person who acted as if he had known me for years? "Oh, you are going to push me on the swing" he chuckled as I put him on the swing and went behind to push him.
He clapped happily and laughed gripping the wire of the swing as it oscillated in the air. Children get happy with the slightest moment of joy that comes in their lives, the reason why we miss our childhood. Life seemed so perfect back then, away from every tension and problems of the world.
I continued pushing him on the swing but stopped when he said that he was feeling a little dizzy. Muttering a low omg under his breath, he jumped from the swing and ran towards the exit of the park, all alone.
We were not very well acquainted to each other, but what I was not going to do was letting a minor run alone on the streets. "Hey kid! Wait" I screamed and ran towards him when he stopped near the tree towards the exit and looked back at me.
As I reached him, I kneeled down to his level to talk to him. "Where is your mom?" The first question that should have come to my mind was knocking at this time. Great!
"Mommy is waiting at home. I ran away to play and forgot that she must be worrying. That why I am hurrying. I don't want mommy to get tensed. She is pretty delicate, just like a flower! My mommy" he spoke enchantedly. His voice showed how much he loved his mother, their bond was strong, real strong.
"Mother and son both have this habit to roam all alone in dangerous places" I murmured and stood up.
"Did you say something about me?" When I nodded in a no, he added "I think you did. But anyhow!" He shrugged his shoulders and tugging his hands in his jeans started walking towards the exit.
"I am coming with you" I spoke and followed him out of the park, towards our houses.
"Why? Do you need protection? You scared?" Someone tell me how old this child was.
"No, but you need my protection"
"What? No!" He stopped in his tracks and opened his mouth widely when my offer struck his so called self esteem. "I do not need anyone's protection! Don't try manhandling me. I am not going anywhere with you" If he continued to scream the way he was screaming, the people passing us would jump to a misconclusion that I was trying to kidnap him.
"You are not going home all by yourself even if you came alone. You like it or not" Though he disliked it when I pulled his hand out of his pocket and lead him forward, his fake cries of agony were slowing down and I seriously thanked god for that. Suddenly he stopped and pulled his hand back.
I was too quick at thanking God, wasn't I?
"Now what?" Kids nowadays had their own tantrums, this one was a living example.
"I will not shout and follow you silently if you get me an ice cream" The toothless smile and his tiny fingers pointing at an ice cream truck at a distance made me realize why he was silent for a small amount of time.
"Do you know that we just met?" And you were acting like I was your dad.
"So? You are my friend. Mommy says we should never be shy in front of our friends" he spoke proudly and looked at the truck.
"Since when did we become friends? We met half an hour ago"
"That's how friends are made. Do you think we plan our friendships? No, we just meet another human and be like- okay I like this fellow human so from today you will be friend" There was a point in his explanation which made me smile. No wonder children are said to be small versions of God. Never in these five years I had someone who called me a friend.
He was the first one to call me his friend and trust me, that feeling when someone so pure calls you his/her friend, the feeling is special.
As I was smiling at the point, he pulled my shirt downwards and rested his index finger on his chin "Ice cream?" I chuckled when I realized that what mattered to him the most now was just the ice cream truck attracting him.
"I wonder how your mom handles you" I laughed as he held my finger in his hands to cross the road.
"Don't worry, she wonders the same" he patted my hand and looked here and there before crossing the road and reaching the ice cream truck.
This kid must have forgotten the fact that he was not tall enough to look at the flavors displayed inside the freezer of the truck.
He grumbled and looked at the ground "Let's go" He cried and started walking away with a heavy heart.
What he said was correct, his mom should definitely wonder how she handled him.
"Come here you over dramatic piece of toothless panda" tucking my hands under his underarms, I pulled him towards me and lifted him to a height which would enable him to see all the flavors displayed.
"Thank You! But I definitely heard you calling me a panda, that too a toothless one" He continued looking through the glass barrier and there came a point when he got so frustrated in choosing that he started to yell at the ice cream seller for having so many flavors. "Chocolate or mango! Oh god why are so cruel!" He cried.
"Please be quick child, I have to go to other places too" The owner of the truck was growing impatient and he had a valid reason too.
"Wait, I want, um, chocolate, no, mango, no! I want" he messed his hair with his hand and attached his head to the glass. If it was absent, he would be sitting on the ice cream for sure.
"Give him one chocolate and one mango ice cream" His face immediately lit up when he got two ice creams just for himself.
And they say money can't buy happiness.
Learn how to invest it and it can.
"But Rakshit the money! We should not waste it" I did not know how exactly he knew my name but his concern was a source of shock for me. He was a lot mature than he looked.
"Don't worry. 'Friends', did you forget?" He nodded his head in positice and took the ice creams in his hand after which I put him down on the ground and paid the man.
We were walking towards our respective homes when I decided to ask him how he knew my name. From his mom, obviously, but I was still adamant on asking him "By the way kid-"
"First of all my name is Varun. Varun Drishti Sharma!" Varun licked his ice cream which failed to hide his smile when he mentioned his full name.
"Ok Mr. Varun, so" this kid was smart, so let's not ask him the question, the answer to which was obvious "Tell me something about you"
"If I told you about me" licks his ice creams together "Will you tell me something about yourself?" Licks again
"Yes sure"
"Ok then, hold this one" he handed me the mango ice cream and bite his chocolate one before he started talking about himself "I am Varun. I love my mommy the most, she is the best, she cooks me delicious food, she wakes me in the morning, she is the most beautiful girl in this entire universe and I love her soooo muchhh. My mommy-"
"I asked about you, not your mom" I laughed as he jumped along his steps and started talking about his favourite cartoons, colors and ending with something that made sense.
"I only like a few people, ie my mommy who is my love, my Divya, my Sia and I hate that guy who clings to my mommy and i hate Victoria who cheated me twice for a guy who had an eraser. I am never returning back to her!" He sighe "oh and I am four years old. I will five soon, and I will invite you to my birthday also! Cuz you are in my liking list Raksh!"
"That's so nice of you Mr. Varun"
"Now tell me about your-"
"Varun!" Just as we reached near my house, we heard his mom's loud concern filled scream and sae her standing in front of us. Tear strains clearly visible on her face.