The lost moment

‘Appa.,….’, Rajini screamed.
‘Shhhh….’ he replied.
He was on the phone, making animated gestures as he spoke. He seemed to be really agitated, why, Rajini couldn’t understand.
She then ran to her grandmother and tugged at her sari.
‘Ei, madi!!’ Her grandmother winced. ‘How many times do I tell you not to touch me when you haven’t had a bath?’
Rajini glared back in anger and ran off to find her grandfather.
‘Thatha!!’
Her grandfather didn’t respond. His eyes were closed, and he was reciting something. He poured some water into his hand and flung it backwards. He was praying.
Rajini’s excitement lessened a little.
She ran off to find her mother, her last resort.
‘Amma…’
‘Rajini,’ her mother said. ‘This is not the time….can’t you see I’m cooking?’
‘Amma, just a minute’, the 3-year-old pleaded. ‘Come out to the balcony….something is happening…please, ma…tell me what it is….’
Her mother took a deep breath, as if to calm herself down. Rajini ran to the balcony. ‘Ma, quickly!!’
Her mother added the salt to the boiling sambar, knowing she would forget to do so otherwise. And counted the three whistles from the pressure cooker so she could turn it off. Finally she went to the balcony.
Rajini was standing, her neck craned to the road that they could see from their balcony. When she realised her mother was there, she turned.
‘It’s not here…..it’s gone, ma….’