“You know what?” said Little Museem

“What?” asked Sweetu

“I think I am in love” said Little Museem.

It is was quiet a line to come from a 7 year old nicker clad kid who is yet to know that there is world beyond the Superheroes and his Chaadi Kingdom.

“Oh! Wow! How did you know that Museem?” asked Sweetu. This is one girl, who even after having an intelligence better the normal 7 year old of her neighborhood, believes and accepts all that Little Museem blurt out.

“I don’t know Sweetu but all I know is that I get this feeling when I am with mother and you” said Museem very innocently

It is not clear whether Little Museem was anticipating a reply from Sweetu or had Sweetu not heard his last line for there was a long silence between them. It was only broken by the crumbling sound of a chocolate wrapper popped from a pocket.

“Oh! You have a toffee”

“No! it is just the cover of the toffee I ate in the morning”

“You are lying because you do not want to share it with me”

“No! It is not so I always make my toffee half-half with you”

“Liar! you did not make the big Kit Kat half-half with me in Domo’s birthday”

“That was my Kit Kat only and you also did not give the Twix you took from Domo’s birthday”

“I did not take Twix from there!!”

“Yes! You did! u stealer cock”

“I am not a stealer cock. You are a big fat liar”

WHACK!!

Silence and then a cry.

The hand did ache after that hit and the face was more than just red. The conversation ended. The cry of pain and the ache on the palm was still very evident even long after the two went their respective ways that day.

“Museem! What happened? Why are you starting at your food like that” asked Little Museem’s mother.

“Nothing Umma, I am not feeling good” said Little Museem

“Now you better eat and go to bed before your father returns back from office. I am sure he is having a bad time in office and with you not finished eating even after 9pm, he will surely thrash you”

Little Museem ate all that was on his plate. No it was the fear of his dad that made him eat, it was just that he wanted to get to bed at the earliest so that he can forget what happened between him and Sweetu.

“Now’s that’s strange, I was sure he was going to make a fuss about his chappati and then fight for his right of staying up late night during vacations. I wonder what happened?” thought his mother as she washed the dishes.

She did not give it much thought for her husband was at the door and she totally forgot about Little Museem, who was by now in his bed, for Little Museem’s father looked really tired and in need of his wife’s warmth.

“Sweetu, don’t you want more of your favorite cauliflower curry?” asked Sweetu’s mother.

“No, mama I do not want anymore. Can I have my milk now?” asked a rather low voiced Sweetu.

Sweetu just ate all that was on her plate. No she did not eat anything with her weekly pocket money. It was just that she wanted to get to bed at the earliest so that she can forget what happened between her and Museem.

Little Museem cried that night for what had happened between him and Sweetu.

Sweetu cried that night for what had happened between her and Museem

A day went by with Museem just sitting at home, watching TV or sitting on his bed. Sweetu helped her mother clean the house and then spent the rest of the day loitering in the house. Their rather subdued and silenced approach the whole day surprised their mothers.

“I wonder what is wrong with this kid, it is vacations and the kid wants to be at home itself!” thought the mothers

It was inevitable to be away from each other the whole vacation. Little Museem needs help in his Hindi holiday homework while Sweetu just could not imagine a vacation without Little Museem’s chocolate and “sharing his pocket money” offerings for her Hindi help.

2 days went by, the two of them kept themselves indoor for the fear that they might see each other when they go out to the park. The curiosity got the better of their mothers and so on the third day…

“What is bothering you dear?” asked the mothers

The silence between the two had taken toll on them.

“Mama! I fought badly with Sweetu” cried out Little Museem

“Mama! I fought badly with Museem” cried out Sweetu

Fighting back tears and sobs, the two told their mothers the incident.

“Now! Museem, that is okay, you should always remember that one should not get angry nor one should call people unwanted names. Now just go to Sweetu’s house and say that you want to be friends again and that you are sorry”

“No! she will be angry with me” replied Little Museem

“No! Son, I will call and tell her mother what happened and I am sure she will understand. Now you go take a bath and then get ready to go to her house”

Little Museem went to his room to take a bath while his mother dialed Sweetu’s home number.

Little Sweetu wept has she said narrated the incident between her and Little Museem. Her mother consoled the little one and said “Sweetu, it is not good to call your friends with unwanted names and people should never get angry with their friends. Forget what all has happened and go to talk to him. I am sure he will be worried about his Hindi Homework.”

“No! I wont go to him, he will be really angry with me” said Sweetu.

“No, you don’t worry about that dear, I will tell Museem’s mother what happened. She will help you talk to him. Now let us go and buy some grocery and when we are returning we will go to Museem’s House. OK?”

“Okay mother”

“Good, now go take a bath and then we will go out.”

“I guess they have all gone to their hometown” thought Museem’s mother as the phone in Sweetu’s house went unanswered.

“Museem!! Have you finished bathing?”

“No mother. I will finish now”

“Okay be fast”

Museem’s mother went to the kitchen to check on the lunch.

Little Museem was putting on his shirt when he heard the door bell ring. Museem’s mother opened the door.

“Hello, I thought you all went to your hometown”

“Oh, no! What made you think like that?”

“Well I have been trying your phone for the past 1 hour.”

“Oh! Me and Little Miss Frown Face went for an outing”

“Ah! My Little Mister frown face will just be back after his bath”

The mother’s laughed. While Sweetu just put her head down.

“He told me about the incident about an hour ago and I have been trying to call you ever since”

“Ha ha ha! What I coincidence, Sweetu told me today morning and I thought I would take her out for a while to change her mood and then drop to meet you to ‘make truce among the warring parties’”

The mother’s laughed while Museem was just coming out of his room all ready to confront Sweetu at her house. He was planning his confrontation as he came out of his room but all the plans dissolved when saw Sweetu and her mother in his house.

“Museem! Look here, Sweetu and her Mother has come. I guess there is someone wants to say something to you” said Museem’s mother

“Ah! Yes Sweetu, I guess it is time you two made up for that fight” said Sweetu’s mother.

“I am sorry, I will never do anything like this again” said Museem, with his head held low.

“I am also sorry, I will never be bad to you again” said Sweetu.

“Will you stop staring on the floor and look face to face!!” said Sweetu’s mother.

Little Museem hesitated but then slowly raised his head to catch a glimpse of the blush that had run across Sweetu’s cheeks. The she raised her head.  They were now face to face.

“Friends again”

“Yes”

Their smile showed the amount of relief and happiness they had. Was it the relief of getting the Hindi homework done and getting the chocolate offerings? Or was it the happiness that their guilt had gone? I guess there are some actions in life that needs no explanation.

It was the end of winter of 1991. Spring was in the air. Little Museem and Sweetu were beginning to see something new.