Happiness Is...

 It was still dark outside but she quickly got out of bed and in no time was ready in her school uniform. She even found time to rub off the dust from her black shoes that were lying under her bed for months together. She walked up to the mirror on the wall, adjusted her hair a bit and smiled….I did good!

She then walked into her parents’ bedroom and went straight where the mother slept. She removed the thin wrap and gently tapped the sleeping mother on her bare hand. “Wake up Mama and make me my breakfast.”  A startled mother woke and couldn’t believe what she saw before her…her little one, all dressed up in school uniform and her packed satchel on the floor.

“Pinky, go back to bed. We do not have to go anywhere for school now…not now and not anytime soon. We have brought the school into our house and will continue to do it on the computer screen as you have been doing for months now. “

“No Mama, I want to go to the school. I don’t like this computer school. I want my friends. I want my teacher. I want my games. I want my school bus. I want my tiffin box,” said a five year old toddler, almost in tears.

The mother got off the bed and hugged the little girl and kissed her tight on her chubby cheeks and then on her forehead. “Babu, I know you like going to school but because of this bad and dangerous disease all around us, the school is shut. The teachers are not going there. Your friends are also not going. No school bus is plying. Everything has come to a standstill. Yes, but I can make you some nice snacks and put it in your lunchbox to be had at home when you are hungry.”

“No Mama. I hate this school from home. I even checked with some of my friends who have all agreed to go to school today. I am sure they are all going and I am not going to be the one to miss all the fun. Please Mama, take me to school,” said a pleading Pinky.

“It is not safe outside. How can I allow you to go? I love you so much and cannot see you fall sick. Now that you are ready, we will have breakfast and by then it will be time for your morning online assembly and PT class.”

“No, no, no…I will not do PT before the computer screen. I will do it standing on the school lawns.”

“At school the teachers punish you and even smack you at times for not doing your homework. So when you are at home, you are safe. The teachers cannot even scold you now. It is so much better studying at home. And Mama and Papa are there with you all the time.”

“I like my teachers. They love us and they never beat us. They only tell us good things and get angry when we make mistakes. They even get goodies for us and often play with us. I cannot have all this when studying at home. Why don’t you understand Mama, I want to go to school.”

By now the tears had started pouring out and the commotion woke up the father who was pretty startled by the scene before his eyes…a crying daughter and a sobbing wife! He rubbed his eyes to check whether he was not hallucinating. “What’s happening to my beauties? Why are you both crying?”

“Your darling wants to go to the school and is refusing to do the home study. I have explained everything to her but she is like you…headstrong and never strong on logic…ab sambhalo isko…I am tired and going to the kitchen.”

After a while, the father and a smiling daughter walked into the kitchen to the utter surprise of the mother. “We are all going to the school together…Pinky…Pinky’s Mama and Pinky’s Papa.”

Outvoted, the mother agreed. The parents quickly changed into semi formals and all of them had a good breakfast together. Today, the girl did not have to be told to eat quickly or else she would miss her school bus, she did not even have to be told that she had to finish the hard edges of the bread and sip till the last drop of milk in the glass was over….she did it all on her own…and did it happily.

Pinky put her bag on her shoulders and slung the water bottle over one arm as she confidently opened the back door of the car and happily allowed her mother to sit in front, a seat that was permanently hers all this time. The mother, too, was surprised at the change but without making any fuss, strapped up the seat belt as the father started the engine.

In no time they reached the school. There were a few more cars that followed as they got off the car. Pinky was excited as she stepped ahead of her parents. Four other kids also reached the school gate at the same time. A masked security guard standing inside gave the kids a big salute and the kids stood in a row to return the salute….Jai Hind!

“School toh bandh hai…you cannot go inside.” There was a lock on the gate which saddened the kids as they peeped inside through the slits in the rows of wooden planks on it. Inside they could see the school building and the pathway, all of which was empty. They then saw the playground. It was kept so nice and green. The grass was mowed perfectly and there was not a drop of dirt around. All around the playground were beautiful flowers blooming. Their eyes then went to the gardener who was tirelessly working to keep the flower beds trimmed and tidy. The old gardener looked up and saw the peeping kids and with a broad smile he waved at them. The kids put out their hands and waved him back….Mali Chacha Namaste…Namaste Namaste…

The father walked up to the security guard and requested if he could open up the gate for a little while and allow the kids to play on the ground. “Sir, I will do it but if the principal comes to know about it I will lose my job.” “Don’t worry, no one will ever complain.”

As the guard went to unlock the gate, the kids were already pushing it hard with all their might…and when it was opened, they rushed towards the playground. As parents stood together with masks on their faces, you could not see their smiles but could clearly see the watery eyes as they saw their kids rolling on the ground…running after each other….shouting….singing….and then the kids were joined by the guard and mali chacha as they went round and round in circle singing….ring a ring of roses, pocket full of posies…

Life regained. Happiness restored.

SS