“Get down, Sam. NOW!!" Radha shouted at Sam who is standing on the cupboard with a paper tangling in his hand.
“Dear smrithi. I owe you an apology...” Sam read out loud.
"I didn't wrote dear smrithi and all"
"So what? I'll add it up"
“Sam, give that to me,”
“Shyam!!. Come here. This girl is writing a love letter to smrithi” Sam called out with a hilarious laugh.
Everyone is in Radha’s house.
Shyam rushed with a handful of snacks. “Really!!. Congratulations, Radha” Shyam said, reaching out for her hand.
Radha rejected by tapping it aside. “Get that paper from him”
Shyam squinted at Sam and raised his hands up. Sam handed it over like a very good boy by getting a snack in return. “You must give something to get something”
“Fine!!. Now give that to me,”
“Give something to get something” Shyam said by fending off the paper to the other side.
“You already have everything in your hand. What else you want?”
“That’s your problem.” He continued the letter. “..I owe you an apology for mistreating you. I wish I knew this before...” He read by swinging his hand in symphony.
“Shyam!!” Radha shouted.
“Time to tell your magical word” Shyam said looking at the paper.
Sam covered his ears in precaution.
“AMMA!!” Radha screamed to the peak.
“Little late” Shyam murmured.
Liya and krithi entered the room with the tray filled with glasses. “Started your fight, ah?. Now what?,” Liya asked. She is about to place it in the cupboard.
“Ma, wait, wait”. Radha went near, took a glass and limped towards shyam and handed over it to him.
“How sweet you are, Radha” Shyam said, sipping the juice.
“Now give that to me.”
“I’ll take back that word” Shyam shrugged. Radha grabbed it from him and stuffed it inside her pocket.
“What’s that?” Liya asked.
“Love letter, aunty” Sam said with his mouth full.
“What?”
Sam took a sip and after a gulp he said, “lo..”
“Leave letter, ma” Radha managed a bit.
Three others looked at one another. They thought liya know about smrithi.
Radha blabbered “Leave letter for krithi, ma”.
“Can’t even a say a single lie,” Shyam said in her ears. “Move aside before she smells something fishy,”
Radha is not good at telling lies.
“Ah, actually, krithi is going out for a vacation, aunty. So she asked her to write the letter, ” Shyam sugar coated the lie.
“I see.. But,”
“The juice is so good, aunty,” shyam cuts in between
“Ok, I’ll bring some more “liya said and went in the kitchen.
“Are you out of your mind, Sam?” Radha vented
“How do I know?. I thought she knows, ” Sam said, crunching.
“Why didn’t you tell her, Radha?. Not even the assembly?” Shyam asked, wondering.
“No!. She will not sleep,”
Liya returned. “Here you go”. Liya poured some more into his glass.
All sat down in a round. Radha sat on the bed. They used to spend most of their time in Radha’s house. So they are part of the family. Everyone in Radha’s family knows them. And they know everyone.
“So, how is your class going?”
“Good, aunty. We spend most of the days outside,” Sam said.
“You won’t change. Do you?” Liya said.
“Manufacturing defect,” Shyam winked.
“Where is Avi bro, aunty? Could not see for long time” Sam asked.
“Here I am” Avi entered the room.
“Where were you?” Liya asked.
“I was talking to my friend outside” Avi said. “So, what’s up?”. He put his hands around Shyam and sat beside him.
Shyam asked Radha whether Avi knows about smrithi. She nodded yes.
“We are going to do one experiment, bro” Shyam said.
“Is this a science experiment or your kind of experiment?” Avi mocked.
“Both” Shyam said
"What's that?"
"Will be revealed soon"
“Radha, did you complete your lunch?” Liya asked.
“Hypothetical question, ” Sam said
“Ma, I.. today”
“You are not Kid anymore, Radha. How many time did I need to tell you, Han? What is she doing on lunch hours?, Krithi? " Liya raised her voice.
“Thinking” Shyam smirked.
“only few, ma,”
“I know about your few. Where is your lunch box? “Liya stood up and went out to take the box.
“Tell her that there’s special class if she asks anything,” Radha said to them in between.
Liya entered with a lunch box half open.
“You are in ninth grade...”
“There’s a special class,” sam said.
“Not now, sam” Radha said with an agitated sigh.
“Don’t you know the difference between few and half?, Radha?” Liya said, showing the box.
“Ma, the reason is..”
“I’m done with hearing all your reasons, Radha. I’m gonna complain to your class teacher,”
“Ma, I’m in ninth grade. Complaining to class teacher? That too about lunch?”
“Don’t you know you are in ninth grade when you close your box without completing,”
“Ma, be patient. I...”
Radha looked at Shyam and Sam, who is watching and crunching the snacks as if seeing a movie.
“I don’t need your philosophy, Radha. I’ve not dropped from gurukulam to be patient all the time,”
“Gurukulam ah?”
“Gurukulam ah,”
“Gurukulam ah,”
Three of them said after one another.
“Are you guys, okay?” Avi asked.
“Did you say gurukulam, aunty?” Krithi asked.
“Yeah,”
“Sorry for interruption, aunty. You continue!!” Shyam said.
“Continue ah?” Radha said, jaw dropped.
“What to say?. No use” liya said and rushed inside the kitchen.
“So, smrithi is from gurukulam?” Avi asked.
“Radha didn’t tell you about that?, Bro” krithi asked.
“Sorry, I forgot,” Radha said. “So, that’s why smrithi is very good at patience,” Radha said
“You are supposed to calm her down. You go.” krithi said pointing the kitchen.
“No discussion till I come,”
Radha came in after some time.
“What did you said to calm her down?” Krithi asked.
“Will never ever again,” Avi said on her behalf. “As usual,”
“Are you not ashamed of it, Radha?” Sam asked sarcastically.
“I’m your friend, remember?. How can I be,” Radha fluttered her eyes with half smile. “Now back to discussion”
“Bro, does gurukulam exist even now?" Shyam asked.
“Yeah, I think so. I’ve read somewhere,”
“What did they teach?” Krithi asked.
“They used to teach basic stuff like about who you really are and important things that are needed for survival. And also they will have deep understanding for everything,”
“Will they also teach algebra, differentiation?” Shyam asked.
“I’m not sure about it. But yeah, if no, then how can smrithi enter into the school in between,”
Something flashed in Radha’s mind. “In short, if I don't know who I am then I cannot know who you are,”
She blurted it out "If I don't know who I am then I cannot know who you are,”
“Why you are saying this now?” Krithi asked.
“If Anna is true, then she might have known herself as she is a part of gurukulam. That’s why she knows about me with a little effort,” Radha said and took the paper out of his pocket and scribbled something.
“Yeah, right?. Possibility!!” Shyam said. “What are you scribbling?”
“It’s not a letter to smrithi. I’m just jotting down in order not to forget anything, ”
“Preplanning!!”
“Hey did you guys noticed that she is not carrying that weird book for the last two days,” Sam said.
Everyone nodded in silence.
“You guys must definitely talk to her tomorrow. Otherwise it might happen again. And I’m sure that you guys will break your head in the name of cracking her riddle”
To be continued....