I peeped into the living room, shyly, as Ma called out to me.
'Come, Minu, tell Uncle hi...'
I bashfully crept up and hid behind my mom, tugging at her saree pallu. I peeked out from behind her and smiled at the man who was a new uncle at home.
I had never seen this man before, in my 6 years of life.
He took out a box of colour pencils from his bag and stretched his hand toward me. 'These are for you, Minakshi,' he said and handed them to me.
I took the box - it had 24 colours! I then mumbled thanks, still suspicious of this new relative. Who was he? Why had I never seen him before?
'Colour something and show uncle,' said Ma. I wondered why she was referring to him as 'uncle' and not 'mama' or 'chitappa'.
I nodded and went to my room and tore a page from my school drawing note, and then remembering I would later have to ask Ma to stitch the pages together (again) as the pages were coming apart because I'd torn a page.
I drew a butterfly, what I was an expert in drawing. A big one. Bright, beautiful wings. I used each of the 24 colours in the pack.
I ran out into the living room where 'uncle' was. I showed him the picture.
'Beautiful!', he cried in appreciation. I looked at Ma. She smiled approvingly.
'Oh, Lakshmi,' he said, ' I need to make an ISD call, where can I make one?'
'The booth is at the end of the 3rd street from here,' said Ma. She then noticed the confusion in uncle's eyes.
'Maybe Minu can take you?'
'Of course. Will you, Minu?'
I looked at Ma, wondering how she could let me go with this stranger, 3 streets away from home. She nodded, as if reading my mind, telling me 'It is safe. Go with him.'
I couldn't believe my ears. She was letting me go with some stranger! What if he kidnapped me, or worse still, wanted to hurt me?
I had not much choice now. I ran to the door, and shyly called 'Uncle!'
He got up and came with me. I took him to the shop where I waited inside the booth and watched the little fan getting stuck and working again, while he spoke on the phone. Whenever the fan got stuck, I used a cone made of a flyer in the booth and twirled the fan around, and it would work again.
He was done. We walked out of the booth, and he paid the bill. Then, noticing me wistfully looking at the jar of toffees and candies, he asked if I wanted a Dairy Milk.
'No!' I vehemently answered, worried about the consequences at home. (Ma would scold me for eating it without offering Somu, my elder brother, still at school)
'Sure?' he asked. I nodded.
He then went over to the counter and spoke to the man with brown teeth there.
And as I looked, 'uncle' got a cigarette and lit in a box with a switch nearby. He drew in, and a ring of smoke came tumbling out. I immediately choked, and coughed. I pinched my nose to block out the smell.
He held out his hand. 'Let's go.'
I looked at him. He held out his left hand, still smoking with the cigarette in the other.
I just turned and ran with all my strength.
'Minu, Minu, wait!!' I could hear him yelling.
Overcome with fear, I ran even faster. This man was out there to kill me. I ran until I reached home and hid in the safety of my mother's arms, while she wondered why I was panting, and where 'uncle' had gone.
'Come, Minu, tell Uncle hi...'
I bashfully crept up and hid behind my mom, tugging at her saree pallu. I peeked out from behind her and smiled at the man who was a new uncle at home.
I had never seen this man before, in my 6 years of life.
He took out a box of colour pencils from his bag and stretched his hand toward me. 'These are for you, Minakshi,' he said and handed them to me.
I took the box - it had 24 colours! I then mumbled thanks, still suspicious of this new relative. Who was he? Why had I never seen him before?
'Colour something and show uncle,' said Ma. I wondered why she was referring to him as 'uncle' and not 'mama' or 'chitappa'.
I nodded and went to my room and tore a page from my school drawing note, and then remembering I would later have to ask Ma to stitch the pages together (again) as the pages were coming apart because I'd torn a page.
I drew a butterfly, what I was an expert in drawing. A big one. Bright, beautiful wings. I used each of the 24 colours in the pack.
I ran out into the living room where 'uncle' was. I showed him the picture.
'Beautiful!', he cried in appreciation. I looked at Ma. She smiled approvingly.
'Oh, Lakshmi,' he said, ' I need to make an ISD call, where can I make one?'
'The booth is at the end of the 3rd street from here,' said Ma. She then noticed the confusion in uncle's eyes.
'Maybe Minu can take you?'
'Of course. Will you, Minu?'
I looked at Ma, wondering how she could let me go with this stranger, 3 streets away from home. She nodded, as if reading my mind, telling me 'It is safe. Go with him.'
I couldn't believe my ears. She was letting me go with some stranger! What if he kidnapped me, or worse still, wanted to hurt me?
I had not much choice now. I ran to the door, and shyly called 'Uncle!'
He got up and came with me. I took him to the shop where I waited inside the booth and watched the little fan getting stuck and working again, while he spoke on the phone. Whenever the fan got stuck, I used a cone made of a flyer in the booth and twirled the fan around, and it would work again.
He was done. We walked out of the booth, and he paid the bill. Then, noticing me wistfully looking at the jar of toffees and candies, he asked if I wanted a Dairy Milk.
'No!' I vehemently answered, worried about the consequences at home. (Ma would scold me for eating it without offering Somu, my elder brother, still at school)
'Sure?' he asked. I nodded.
He then went over to the counter and spoke to the man with brown teeth there.
And as I looked, 'uncle' got a cigarette and lit in a box with a switch nearby. He drew in, and a ring of smoke came tumbling out. I immediately choked, and coughed. I pinched my nose to block out the smell.
He held out his hand. 'Let's go.'
I looked at him. He held out his left hand, still smoking with the cigarette in the other.
I just turned and ran with all my strength.
'Minu, Minu, wait!!' I could hear him yelling.
Overcome with fear, I ran even faster. This man was out there to kill me. I ran until I reached home and hid in the safety of my mother's arms, while she wondered why I was panting, and where 'uncle' had gone.
