Waiting

By Medha Sanjay Sharma

As she sat by the window waiting for news…some news, she remembered every moment spent with them. Today all she felt was emptiness. Waiting, the action was proving an arduous task. She did not for how long she could sit there with nothing but just hope. Every time she heard a sound it sounded like them.

“Munnu, have your dinner now” called her sister from the kitchen. She was so engrossed in that action of waiting that she did not hear her sister’s voice.

“Munnu don’t go there you will fall down” mother said, while cooking. Munnu was playing near the stairs and as she was prone to accident, mother warned her. She did listen to her mother but kept on playing like any eight-year-old would do. She was playing with her doll and kitchen set. She had hosted a party, and other dolls had come to her house to enjoy the party. “Munnu” mother called her again. However, by now music had started and the little girl was busy with the party. The little girl and her dolls were having a blast, dancing to their heart’s content. And suddenly she slipped down the stairs. She fell the whole flight of stairs in a heartbeat. On reaching the bottom of the stairs she felt she was held by someone. Her mother had grabbed as soon she as realized what had happened. The mother clutched the little girl tightly to herself. “Munnu bacha everything is okay. Are you hurt? Where does it hurt? Talk to mumma gudda.” Her mother could not stop asking questions, to assure herself that her child was okay. “I am okay mumma” Munnu said, “I think I have hurt my head it pains.” “Let me see”, mother gently lifted Munnu’s face so that she could see. “It is a scratch, oh Munnu, why don’t you listen to me? Had I not told you not to play near the stairs?” Munnu now had tears in her eyes, perhaps the aftermath of the accident or the pain in her head. “Mumma” was all the poor girl could utter between the tears. Her mother hugged her tightly and assured her that nothing would happen to her as long her mother was there.

She was jerked awake by someone. Her sister calling her for dinner had finally realized that she was not listening and had to be procured from [by] the window. “Munnu I have been calling you since the last half an hour, come on now have dinner” her sister walked away saying.

‘Why haven’t they returned? They should be back by now’ [“] the girl thought. How could she eat knowing whether they had eaten anything or not? None of them would eat without her. Today how could she without them? She had even stopped having milk since the last one week. She loved milk, but she loved them more. She could not muster the strength to drink her glass of milk without knowing that they were safe.

“Munnu wake up, drink your milk, chalo quick, quick” he said. Without even opening her eyes the little one would gulp down her glass of milk. “that’s my good girl” he would kiss her and bid her a good night. Even when papa was working late and the little girl would just drift off to sleep, he would make sure that she had her glass of milk. If he did not remember then the next morning his little girl would get angry and tell him that she did not have milk in the night. “But you were already sleeping” he had said once. “Does not matter, you have to give me milk, even if I am sleeping, you don’t love me?” the little girl said whatever she thought was right. However, from that day she had her glass of milk even if she had slept.

The girl smiled remembering this incident. Howbeit her smile vanished as quickly as it had come. She could not think of anything else. She had one more thought that kept on badgering at all times. What would she tell chotu if anything happened to them? These thoughts had kept her awake in the nights.

Just as if on cue Tuffy started barking. He had heard something. The girl listened intently. She heard the familiar sound of a car, a horn, tyres stopping. She rushed outside and relief surged in the girl’s soul, her parents were back from their last day treating pandemic patients.

By Medha Sanjay Sharma