Little Miss Curious

July 15, 2014 October 11, 2016 by Vinodini in 19 Comments
The families from the neighborhood had got together for dinner at the lawns of the club house of the residential colony that they lived in, to celebrate Diwali (the festival of lights), a few days before the festivities were to begin. Some families were about to leave for their annual vacations either to an exotic location, or to join their relatives who lived out of station, to celebrate the festival with them.
Little Grishma dressed in her new floral frock, perched her tiny self comfortably on a plastic chair under a Gulmohar tree, eating out of her dinner plate that was loaded with yummy festive goodies. As she ate her food, she watched the twinkling lights adorned on the tree above her, peeping out randomly like shining stars on a clouded ink-blue sky. Her gaze traveled from the tree to the people spread out in front of her, socializing with one another. Her Ma and Pa were busy chatting with the Mehta family. As she savored the food slowly, her inquisitive eyes began to indulge in her usual habit of observing people silently. And as she did that, scrutinizing a few people closely, her ever curious mind popped her with a few questions which went something like this:

Why didn’t the dashing Mr. Kumar greet the glamorous Mrs. Bajaj in front of these people? Weren’t they supposed to be friends? The night before this, weren’t they holding hands and walking around in the deserted park that overlooked the window of my room?

And then her eyes wandered to the stout Mrs. Iyengar, who was being extra sweet to her daughter-in-law Sudha, just as soon as the rest of the ladies joined them. How come? Don’t I overhear her spouting the choicest expletives at poor Sudha accusing her for being a misfortune to their family, every morning when I pass by their kitchen window, en route to school?

Also, why was old Mr. Bisht snapping curtly at his teenage niece Sarika? Didn’t I see him in their balcony this evening, forcing her to sit on his lap much against her will, as he offered her chocolates?

And yet again, why were Mr and Mrs. Kaul being so courteous to their old parents? Did she not see them throw out of their house, the frail couple’s belongings in a fit of rage and ordering them to get out of their house and go find an old age home this very morning?


Strange, how these grownups are….Why can’t they make up their minds for once? Really. 

She thought to herself as she let out a confused sigh, shrugged and went on to concentrate on her food instead

 

Linking this to Day 15 of UBC July 2014 and NaBloPoMo July 2014