KUNTU

By Bahaish Kapoor

Bee sat next to the washing machine, watching the swirl of clothes and foam through the window. It reminded her of the solar system in Mrs Reddy’s class. It was soon going to be time for school, and she had to go change but Bee liked helping Amma around the house.

Madhu (while humming a sweet tune) turned into the nook, a small quarter behind the kitchen, which housed the washing machine and the ironing set, even a little clothesline for when it rained and the drying had to be done inside the house. Amma was carrying with her more clothes to feed to the hungry washing machine. Bee studied the stacked clothes and her eyes widened with shock. “Amma, not Kuntu! You know I can’t sleep without it!”

Amma marveled at her six-year-old, her ability to form sentences had progressed hand-in-hand with her ability to protest. My daughter after all, Amma thought.

Amma picked up the yellow and rust baby blanket, soft and woolen, with various stains and rips (a testament to its age) and waved it in front of the cherubic Bee, who was now pouting furiously doing her best imitation of Amma when she acted tough with Papa. “We must wash Kuntu! It’s become filthy, Bee. We can’t let it be!”

“But who will protect me from nightmares and monsters, Amma?” Bee’s face was now full of concern.

Amma picked up Sleepy, Bee’s teddy bear who was leaning against the washing machine. “Sleepy will be with you.”

Bee placed her hands on Sleepy’s ears, making sure he wasn’t listening and leaned in toward her mom, her voice dropping to a quiet whisper. “But who will protect him?”

Amma giggled, lifted up Bee and placed her on the washing machine, its gentle rocking made Bee giggle too. She held onto Amma for support. Standing on top of the washing machine, she was now eye to eye with Amma.

“Nobody will dare trouble the mighty Bee! I promise! Show me your mighty roar!” Bee giggled and roared, it translated into a funny yelp. “Now go get ready for school!” Madhu placed Bee back on solid ground. Bee jogged into her room.

That night, after school, and after finishing her homework and TV time, having brushed her teeth and after having ridden a horse (called Papa) around the apartment, it was time to sleep. Madhu sat next to Bee on her bed, humming a tune, caressing her hair. Bee’s head sunk into the soft pillow, with Sleepy cozily tucked between her and her arm.

Bee watched Amma, her beautiful face glowing in the nightlight, a soft smile curving the edges of her lips as she hummed. Bee asked inquisitively, “When will Kuntu be back? Sleepy and I are very concerned!”

Amma giggled as Bee kicked this new blanket which was far too thick and the wrong color. “I tried to make it dry but it’s a thick blanket, beta. It’ll be back by tomorrow.”

Bee nodded gently, not wanting to hurt her mom’s feelings, but she was growing angry. Why couldn’t Amma wait a few more days? She knew it was winter and the nights were longer. Mrs Reddy had said so in class. The monsters would have more time to lurk in the shadows and hatch a plot against her and sleepy.

Amma kissed her forehead and whispered, “Good night, Bee!”

“Good night, I love you,” muttered Bee tiredly as she pulled Sleepy closer. Papa watched from the corridor as Amma tiptoed to the door and silently pulled it shut. Papa wanted to play with Bee for longer but Amma wouldn’t allow it. It was a school night.

As soon as the door whispered shut, Bee opened her eyes. She turned to look at Sleepy. “Are you asleep, sleepy?” Sleepy shook his head, no. Of course, he couldn’t sleep! They didn’t have Kuntu!

Since as far back as she could remember, Kuntu had protected Bee from the dangers of the night. Monsters, nightmares, lightning and miscellaneous sounds that had no reason or rhyme. Mom had a security blanket just like Bee’s when she was little. Grandma had named it Kuntu, a play on the Tamil word for beehive or nest. And now, Bee’s Kuntu was missing. Bee and Sleepy felt unprotected.

As she heard Amma and Papa switch off the living room lights and retire to their bedroom, Bee was hit by sudden determination - something had to be done!

She turned to her trusted friend and whispered, “Should we go sleep on their bed?”

Sleepy, who was still on Bee’s shoulder, turned toward her and shook his head. “That would be most unwise, your majesty! Your Amma and Papa believe we are big now.” Sleepy jumped up from Bee’s shoulder and began to survey the dark corners of the room, possessed by sudden bravado. “We must use this to our advantage and prove we can deal with any threat!”

Bee bolted upright in bed, her body pushed into action by a mix of shock and anger. “To our advantage? Are you listening to yourself? We have the whole night to get through!”

Sleepy looked around and good sense began to return to him. He ran to Bee and hid behind her back, nervously studying the room. “Perhaps you are right, your majesty. The princess Bee has always been wise. How could Queen Madhu betray us so? What is to be done?”

The one thing that needed to be done was clear. Bee just didn’t know how to do it. “We must retrieve the golden blanket,” she spoke with soft clarity. “But how?”

Though Amma and Papa were still awake, Bee and Sleepy both knew the road to the clothesline was fraught with danger. They knew that the dark corridor with the magic mirror was a challenge on its own. But that was only the beginning. In the living room, they would have to overcome the forest of shadows, where unimaginable creatures of all shapes and sizes lived. Their long leafy fingers moved across the walls in rhythm with passing cars. The TV turned into a lake of reflections, with figures stretching and moving under an otherworldly command. The living room was to be followed by the cold and long marble road to the kitchen where lizards and cockroaches had been spotted. In the end lay the nook. Even if they made the journey across the fabled path, it would require careful planning to scale the washing machine and pull down Kuntu without waking up Amma or Papa. And what was worse, all that effort would be pointless if Kuntu was still wet.

Just then, it began to rain. But it was winter, Bee thought to herself. This was unlikely. Then again, this day had been full of challenges.

The water started drumming a slow beat on the aluminum roof over Bee’s window. But the beat hastened till rain came falling like thunderous applause. A lightning strike and rolling thunder completed the ominous mood of the night. The lightning didn’t scare Bee as much as the thunderclap. She pulled the blanket up to her nose and gasped. Sleepy jumped up a little but tried to act brave, curling his cotton-filled hand into a fist. He stiffened his pose and began to think hard. There had to be a solution!

A few moments passed. After exhausting all options in his mind, Sleepy stepped forward. “I will do it, your majesty.”

Bee’s eyes widened with surprise at Sleepy’s courage. Her voice was already trembling with gratitude and nervousness. “Are you sure?”

“I was always meant to guard you,” Sleepy nodded. Bee nodded back. With that, Sleepy set out on a journey which could only be considered a nightmare. And the whole point was to have Kuntu back so they could fight off nightmares. Sleepy smiled to himself, amused at the irony.

Sleepy jumped up the door and hung onto its handle, pulling it down with his weight. The door swung open. He turned around and glanced at the grateful Princess Bee one last time before setting out into the corridor.

As soon as he walked onto the beige carpet, its hairs tickling Sleepy’s feet, he was struck by the presence of another behind him. “It is only the magic mirror,” he whispered to himself. Sleepy continued walking down the corridor and felt the presence move, mimicking him. Sleepy whipped around and caught his own reflection, a ridiculous fake bravado playing on his face. “Just as I thought,” he remarked with simple pride.

Sleepy reminded himself to play it cool. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, sleepy! A long journey lies ahead.”

Sleepy walked into the living room, into the forest of shadows and his first thought was that of marvel. “How innocent it looked in daylight!” From this angle, the dense and dark forest danced around him, shadows of trees stretched over two walls, folding with the angles of the house, their long leafy fingers swaying in the wind. A chill traveled down Sleepy’s spine.

“Remember the princess. Remember Kuntu.”

Sleepy tiptoed ahead. But the sudden honk of a car sent him jumping and he staggered back into Bee’s skating shoe. The skate hit a large wooden stool, which began to rock. Sleepy watched in anticipation. Why did Princess Bee leave her things around like this?

The stool fell onto the sofa, spilling its contents. The vase hit the bolsters and that was it. An unstoppable chain reaction was well under way. When he had stepped into the forest, a landslide of bolsters was the last thing Sleepy had anticipated.

Large, cylindrical volleys started to collapse around him, slipping off the sofa. Sleepy danced about avoiding them but they didn’t just fall, the giant bolsters also rolled about randomly, causing Sleepy to lose his sense of direction. He ran toward what he thought was the kitchen but saw the window fast approaching and made a sudden U-turn. The threads of his feet rubbed against the colorful carpet, which let out little electric shocks. Sleepy hopped around trying to avoid the shocks but it was impossible. It felt like someone had set up a mine field to discourage him. Finally, he mustered his reserve of determination and darted toward the little pool of light in the distance, it was the marble road.

Sleepy was running at top speed. Just as he reached the marble road, his feet slipped. It was like slipping over an ice lake. Sleepy kept sliding for what seemed like an eternity. He let out an automatic scream, not worried about waking up Amma or Papa. He continued to slide, the floor squealing under him until he reached the wall next to the kitchen. BAM! He slammed into it face-first with a soft thud and fell back. Sleepy remained still for a few moments, motionless, staring into the darkness above, allowing the spinning world to settle. “The princess would owe him for this,” he thought to himself before banishing the thought.

“All well?” A screechy voice broke the silence and Sleepy bolted upright. At first, Sleepy was enchanted by the exotic creature that stood in front of him blocking the door to the kitchen, for he never thought he would come face to face with a cockroach. But that was hardly the time to ponder this marvel of nature. The grimacing creature looked downright happy to see Sleepy, a bullying tone in his voice when he spoke again. “You’re a royal, aren’t you? A little past your bedtime, isn’t it? Hehehe!”

Sleepy had no idea what to say. He could only muster a silly smile and a gasp. He had to act quickly, he thought to himself. A lot was riding on this.

“Greetings, dear cockroach. I am a diplomat from the Princess’s court, here to collect her belongings. Please move aside so I may go about my task!”

“Really? Well, greetings royal wazir! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zalim, the leader of the roach clan.”

Hello, Sleepy nodded. But even without being able to see himself, he knew fear was playing on his face. Sleepy forced a wide grin. “Greetings, Zalim. Now move aside please! It is not smart to keep her highness waiting.”

“You want me to move, is it? Well, I say it’s nighttime and when it’s nighttime, your rules don’t apply!” The cockroach stepped forward, rubbing two sets of hands together, a wicked smile on his face. Though he was much smaller than Sleepy, something about his walk made it seem like he had been in many battles and won.

Sleepy felt threatened, he knew he had to think on his feet. Turning around now would mean returning to the forest of shadows. He didn’t want to do that at all.

“Quick!” he shouted into the dark to nobody in particular “bring out the royal lizard!”

The Cockroach stopped in his tracks, raising an eyebrow. “What did you say? The royal lizard?” The smile returned to his face. “You’re bluffing!”

“There it is! Here it comes! Don’t beg for forgiveness later for our royal lizard…” Sleepy had to think of a name, “Jallaad spares no one!” The cockroach was still unconvinced. But a sudden lightning strike illuminated the wall, creating a vicious looking shadow predator on the wall. Zalim reflexively jumped in his place, turned and darted to his clan under the fridge. YELP! Rolling thunder came lagging behind.

Sleepy was equally shocked by the shadow. He jumped back but was relieved when lightning struck a second time. As the house lit up, he could see it was only a distorted shadow of a crouching cat on a wall outside the house.

Phew! Now for the final leg of the journey. Sleepy ran down the kitchen floor. It was a valley of tiles between two granite mountains. When he finally reached the nook, after taking a sharp turn, it felt like he was almost safe. Under gently rocking clothes hanging from the dark sky, Sleepy contemplated the journey back. It would not pose much of a threat for he would have the golden shield of his woolen companion, Kuntu, with him.

But suddenly, as Sleepy was growing comfortable with the thought that he had made it, a spider descended from the dark. Its legs were rhythmically dancing a silent beat. It glided down on a near-invisible thread, glistening faintly in the dark. With a large smile on its face, it looked up at Sleepy.

“Is it dinner time already?” The spider’s voice was smooth and cold.

All is lost, Sleepy thought to himself. There were no more tricks up his sleeve. Just then, a flash of light filled the room, hitting the spider squarely in its face. It winced as the beam of light

blinded him. It retreated silently and swiftly to where the light met the dark. Sleepy turned around curiously, shielding his eyes with his arm. Was it Queen Madhu?

As Sleepy’s eyes adjusted to the dark, he could see the faint outline of his savior. Princess Bee stood with a torch from the closet of secrets. It hadn’t even occurred to Sleepy to venture into the closet. It would have drawn Queen Madhu’s wrath for sure. But here stood Princess Bee, waving a torch at the nook, smiling at her loyal wazir.

Sleepy had never been happier to see her. He ran to her and hugged her shin. “Your highness,” he shouted, “you saved me!”

Shh! Bee hushed him, then smiled. She placed a hand on his back and patted him. “How could I let you do this alone?”

Sleepy was still reeling from shock. “But how did you travel across the magical corridor, the forest of shadows, the marble road?”

Bee thought for a moment before answering. “I didn’t think about it. I was just thinking of you!” She hugged Sleepy for being so brave and he hugged her back.

The rest of the trip had been easy. They had carefully climbed up the washing-machine. Bee had grabbed Kuntu first in order to confirm that it was dry. To their surprise, it was. Then, Bee pulled on it to see if it had been fastened with a clothespin. It hadn’t been. The weight of Kuntu was enough to hold it in its place. Bee had then carefully sat on the washing machine and jumped off, bringing Kuntu down with her.

After that, holding it over their heads, Bee and Sleepy had tiptoed back to their room. As soon as the door had whispered shut, Bee and Sleepy had dashed into their bed and squealed with excitement.

At that exact moment, almost magically, the rain stopped. Bee and Sleepy knew they wouldn’t forget this adventure for a long time. Then, under the warm glow of their woolen shield, the two friends drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, as soft sunrays entered Bee’s room and bathed her in a golden glow, Amma entered the room and saw Kuntu at the foot of the bed. She walked to it, confused and curious. She picked it up. Bee opened her eyes and saw Amma holding it.

Sleepy was still asleep so Bee whispered. “We got it back last night.”

Amma smiled, still trying to put together all the pieces of the puzzle. Bee recalled all that had happened last night and a smile spread over her soft features.

“But I don’t think I’m scared anymore, Amma. I can do without it.”

Amma beamed with pride. Her daughter was growing up.

By Bahaish Kapoor