The Monkey Bars

Image from Pixabay

"What are you doing?"

Sonu opened her eyes, breathing heavily. Her brother was standing in front, looking at her in confusion.

Taking a few quick breaths, Sonu said, "Hanging."

"I can see that," he said, rolling his eyes. "But why? You hate playing on the monkey bars!"

But Sonu was in no state to answer. Her breath was coming in shorter gasps, and her face was turning red. And her hands! They were hurting so much! Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed herself to hold on for a little longer. But right then, her hands started slipping, and she had to let go.

Landing on the ground with a thud, she took a second to make sure nothing was broken. Satisfied, she sat down on the sand, catching her breath.

After a few moments, when her breathing finally seemed to come back to normal, she looked up at her brother. He was still standing there, hands on his hips, watching her antics.

"So?" he asked again. "Why were you hanging from the monkey bars?"

Sonu looked away, remaining silent for a few seconds. Finally, she mumbled something softly.

"What?" Bhai asked, looking confused.

Taking a deep breath, Sonu spoke again, this time loudly and clearly. "If I hang from there I'll become taller."

There was silence for a bit, and then her brother burst out laughing. "What?!" he chortled. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

Pouting her lips in annoyance, Sonu huffed her shoulders and said, "Shilpa aunty said I would!"

At this, Bhai's laughter died down a bit, though he still looked quite amused. He walked over slowly and sat down next to Sonu.

For as long as she could remember (which wasn't many years ago), she had been the short one. Her parents were tall. Her brother was tall. All her cousins were tall. Even in school, she was the shortest in her class. She was always made to stand in front of the line because of that! In fact, there were many students in the younger classes who were much taller than her.

And every time she complained to her parents, their only response was that 'one day' she would shoot up in height. That one day still hadn't come. Until it came, Sonu was still very much short, as people around her felt the need to point out all the time.

One such person was Shilpa aunty, their neighbour. She would often mention how short Sonu was, and this did nothing to help Sonu's mood. But this time, she said something that caught Sonu's attention. As a passing comment, she mentioned that Sonu should probably hang from a bar, as that was the only other way she would grow taller. In hindsight, she was probably joking, but for Sonu, the idea took root.

At first, Sonu rejected the idea. She hated monkey bars. She could barely hang on to the bars for a few seconds before falling down. She was really jealous of Bhai, who would easily cross over from one end to the other, while Sonu wouldn't even be able to hold on to one bar.

But the more she thought about it, the idea started sounding better and better. She was so tired of being the short one. She was tired of being told by everyone around her how short she was, and then having them look at her with pity. She really, really wanted to grow taller now. So if this idea actually worked, it might be worth a try.

So here she was, hanging from the monkey bars in the playground, huffing and puffing, hoping that those few seconds would at least let her grow a few centimetres.

After a few moments of silence, Bhai looked sideways at her and asked, "Why are you so obsessed with growing taller?"

"Don't you remember the picture?!" Sonu asked, confused that he even asked this question.

Bhai stared at her for sometime, as though trying to remember which picture she was talking about. And then, suddenly, he burst out laughing again.

"It's not funny!" Sonu shouted.

Last month, the whole extended family had gotten together. Before they left, everyone had posed for a full family photograph, with Sonu standing in front. But when the photo was finally developed and brought home, Sonu was nowhere to be seen in it! The photographer had somehow managed to click the picture a little higher than needed; and as a result, had ended up cutting Sonu out of the pic. Everyone else was in it, except her!

After a while, Bhai finally stopped laughing. Looking at his little sister, and the lack of laughter on her face, he asked again, "Seriously. Why does it bother you so much?"

Happy that he had finally stopped laughing, Sonu thought about his question. "Everyone is always saying that I'm really short," she said finally, not sure of what else to say.

"Well, you are," said Bhai. Looking at the angry flash in her eyes, he added hurriedly, "Arrey you are short! But why is that a problem?"

Sonu was about to open her mouth to reply, but she stopped short at the question. No one had ever asked her that before.

"I don't know. All the grown-ups keep saying I should be taller. Maybe taller people look nicer?" she said, trying to come up with an explanation that made sense.

Bhai shook his head slightly, rolling his eyes, and muttered something under his breath. "Listen, I'll tell you a secret," he said softly, leaning in.

Sonu shifted, moving closer, frustration slowly getting replaced by curiosity.

"Grown-ups don't know what they're talking about. Listen to what they say, and then ignore it. Otherwise they'll drive you crazy."

Sonu frowned. This made no sense. Everyone always said to listen to the grown-ups. They were supposed to be the smart ones!

"I'm serious!" Bhai added. "Look, they're always after me not to play out in the sun because then I'll become dark."

"What's wrong with being dark?" Sonu asked, confused.

"Exactly! But who's going to explain that to them?" Bhai said, again shaking his head.

"So what do you do?" Sonu asked.

"What I said. Listen to them, and then ignore them."

Sonu looked at him, still feeling a little uncertain.

"Listen," Bhai said, exhaling strongly. "You want to hang in the monkey bars? Then do it. I'll help you."

Sonu looked at him, thinking, and then finally whispered, "I kind of hated it."

"That's what I thought," said Bhai, standing up and dusting his pants. Sonu kicked his leg softly, annoyed at the sand flying all over her face.

"Come on," Bhai said, ruffling her hair.

"Where are we going?" Sonu asked, getting up to follow him. “To do something that’s actually fun,” he said over his shoulder.

The two walked up to the merry-go-round. Seeing it, a smile began to spread on Sonu’s face. "Do you think this might also make me taller?" she asked.

"Definitely not," Bhai said, as he started to push the bars to make them spin. He raised his eyebrows, as though challenging his little sister.

Sonu looked at the merry-go-round, now spinning really fast, and then at Bhai standing on the opposite end. Finally, making up her mind, she nodded and flashed a big smile at Bhai. "Let's go!"

With that, both of them caught on to a spinning bar on each end, like they had done many times before, and swung alongside, screaming with excitement.

The Chart on the Wall

Sonu sat tapping her foot in the bus, waiting anxiously to reach school. It seemed like on the only day that she wanted to get to school quickly, the school bus was getting stuck in all the red signals and traffic jams.

Normally, Sonu wouldn’t have cared. A longer bus ride meant more time to sleep or to talk to friends. But today wasn’t a regular day.

 

Today was the day their teacher would put up the class chart.

 

Thinking about that chart, Sonu squirmed in her seat. She had first seen that chart many months ago in this new school. It had a list of all the student names, but ordered based on how they had done in the term exams. This was the first time Sonu had seen something like this; her previous school had never put up a chart like this. Curious, Sonu had glanced at the chart, and was surprised to see her name in the third place from the top.

 

A swooping feeling had passed through her, the kind that used to pass when she got full marks in a test, or her parents smiled at her report cards.

 

The other students had looked at her curiously – the new girl – who had already managed to reach the top 3 in the class. Embarrassed by the attention, Sonu had tried to shrug it off, but couldn’t ignore that feeling of excitement in her stomach.

 

And though she had never said it out loud, she had made a silent promise to herself that day: she would get her name to the number one spot.

 

That was two terms ago. Now, the final exams for the last term were over, and Sonu felt a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, she had made it to the first place. She tried not to think too much about it, wanting to avoid that feeling of disappointment she had felt in the second term. But still, she couldn’t ignore the jittery excitement rushing through her.

 

Finally, the bus pulled into the school campus. Sonu, who had specifically chosen the seat closest to the door, rushed out. She half walked, half ran towards her second standard classroom, trying not to look too eager, which was no small feat.

 

As she reached the door of the classroom, she saw her class teacher, Mrs. Chandra, putting up a chart on the wall. There it was! The chart that she had been longing to see! Sonu could make out a list of names on the chart, but was too far to read them.

 

Stepping away from the chart, Mrs. Chandra turned around and saw Sonu. Smiling widely, she said, “Good work this semester, Sonal.” A rush of excitement surged through Sonu – did that mean she had managed to come first? But Mrs. Chandra had always been nice to her, so maybe she would say this even if she hadn’t come first.

 

Slowly, bit by bit, Sonu stepped towards the chart. A few other students were starting to trickle into the classroom, but Sonu was too focused on her target to notice them. Finally, when she was close enough to read the names, she looked up at the top of the chart.

 

There it was. ‘Sonal Mehta’, the first name on the list. A mix of happiness and relief coursed through her. She read her name again and again. It really was there. On the number one spot.

 

The first rank.

 

Sonu had no idea how long she stood there, a big smile on her face, just staring at her name on the chart. It was only when a few other students came to check the list that she realized she wasn’t alone. She tried to suppress the smile on her face, at least to bring it down to the level of acceptable humility.

 

The classroom was almost full now, with students shuffling around between their seats and the new item on the wall. A few of them looked at her and murmured congratulations, to which Sonu whispered a quick ‘Thank you’, not trusting herself to say anything else. Inside, she was jumping up and down with an endless surge of energy, but outwardly, she tried to look calm and composed. She wanted to look like a first ranker.

 

As she moved to go towards her seat, she heard another ‘Congratulations’. Smiling, she turned to see her classmate, Rohan, standing behind her. Sonu began to say her customary ‘Thank you’, but stopped short as she looked at him. Rohan’s hands were stuffed in his pockets, and though he was trying to smile at her, his eyes didn’t quite show that happiness. In fact, they looked really sad and pained.

 

She looked at him up and down, trying to see if he had gotten hurt. But he looked fine. Rohan and Sonu had never really spoken much, but he usually seemed like a nice guy. Seeing that look in his eyes seemed to deflate some of the elation she had been feeling.

 

“Are you okay?” Sonu asked hesitantly, not sure what was the right thing to say. Rohan just shoved his hands deeper in his pockets and turned to look at the chart on the wall for a few seconds. Then, as though it took too much effort, he quickly turned back to Sonu. Still smiling sadly, he shrugged, and then slowly walked past her towards his seat at the back of the room.

 

Sonu stood there, unsure of how to make sense of what had just happened. The bell was about to ring, and she knew she needed to get back to her own seat. But she couldn’t move from there. There was something about the pained look in Rohan’s eyes that was taking away her excitement, and filling it with some strange emotion.

 

If she were to be completely honest, a part of her had an idea what might have caused this sadness, but that was a very tiny part. The bigger part of her remained confused, not wanting to admit that the source of her happiness and Rohan’s sadness could be one and the same.

 

Finally, after what felt like several minutes, she turned back to the chart on the wall. Starting from the top, she began to scan the list for Rohan’s name. This time, she rushed past her own name, not bothering to soak it in like before. As she went lower and lower down the list, a heaviness began to sink into her stomach, which she couldn’t quite understand. With every name she read, a little part of her hoped that Rohan’s would be the next. But it didn’t come, not until she reached the end.

 

There it was, the last name on the list. Sonu felt a lump rise in her throat, as a series of realizations began to course through her.

 

Rohan’s name was at the bottom of the list.

Rohan had the lowest rank in class.

This chart was showing his failure to every single student in class.

 

And just like that, the chart that Sonu had waited eagerly to see for the entire week seemed to take on a different form. It was the one object that had given her the most joy she had felt in the entire year; but now, it had become the object that had caused so much sadness in Rohan.

 

Bit by bit, Sonu now began to read the other names on the list, moving upwards from Rohan. With each name, she paused to quietly look at the student in the class. There was Shoaib, sitting listlessly on his seat. On one end sat Abha, her head buried in her arms. There was Kushal, trying to laugh with his friends, but the laugh never really reaching his eyes. And so many, many more.

 

As Sonu turned back to the chart, she felt a rush of mixed emotions towards it. Part of her, the part that had rushed to the classroom to look at the chart, wanted to frame it and make sure it stood here forever and ever. But another part, the part that had looked at Rohan’s eyes, wanted to tear it up and throw it in the dustbin. How was it possible, that this same object could give so much happiness to someone, and so much sadness to another?

 

Mixed with these feelings was a new, strange feeling emerging in her. Guilt. Sonu thought of every time she had felt a rush of excitement and pride at the idea of being the best in her class, and realized that she had never bothered to think about those that were being called the worst in class. She thought of all those moments that she had imagined rushing home and telling her parents that she had come first, never stopping to think what that conversation must have been like for Rohan and the others.

 

It’s not that they were terrible in their studies; sometimes they did okay in the tests. But compared to everyone else, they never managed to go higher up the rank chart. Staring at the chart, a realization struck her. No matter how everyone did, someone had to come first, and someone had to come last. That’s just the way this chart worked. In a way, the chart ensured that Sonu’s happiness depended on Rohan’s sadness. With each passing second, the feeling of discomfort continued to increase.

 

Lost in her thoughts, Sonu didn’t hear the bell ring. Mrs. Chandra was calling all the students to take their seats. Sonu walked in a daze, keeping her eyes down, not trusting herself to look at anyone (especially not Rohan). She took her seat at the first bench, barely listening to anything the teacher was saying.

 

Please don’t mention the chart, she silently willed. But Mrs. Chandra clearly didn’t hear her plea, and began announcing the top names, starting with Sonu. What should have been a moment of absolute pride and joy, now felt torturous. Sonu tried to smile, grating her teeth when she was asked to stand up and the class clapped for her. This was the moment she had been waiting for all year. This is what she had worked towards every evening. But five minutes was all it took to change this moment forever. Five minutes, and a pair of extremely sad eyes.

 

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Sonu considered multiple times talking to Rohan, saying something to make him feel better, but she couldn’t really think of anything to say. Throughout the day, students and teachers continued to congratulate her, and Sonu went through the motions of thanking them, while feeling completely hollow inside.

 

She was relieved when the bell rang to signal the end of the day. She walked quickly towards her bus, ironically with the same speed with which she had gotten off it that morning, but without any of that earlier energy. This time, she barely noticed the traffic as the bus took her home.

 

Getting off the bus, Sonu walked slowly towards her house. A part of her was hesitant about going in, because she knew the question that was awaiting her, the question she no longer felt comfortable answering.

 

Finally, taking a deep breath, she opened the door. Mamma and Papa looked at her, smiles on their faces. “So?” Mamma asked. “What rank did you get?” They knew that Sonu had secretly been hoping to get the first rank.

 

Clenching her fists around the straps of her bag, Sonu took a deep breath, trying to form the response. Finally, forcing a little smile on her face, she said:

 

“No idea. The school has decided to stop giving ranks.”

The Navigator

It was cold, not such that it had you shivering from head to toe, but enough for the three-year-old girl to be bundled into a knitted, pink sweater. Sonu picked at it uncomfortably, as she gazed out at the big lake around her. Boats dotted her vision, moving slowly across the water as the grown-ups who sat in them huffed as they pedalled.

On her own boat, her parents sat across her, pedalling the boat with an unhurried ease, while her dad kept one hand on the long stick behind. On Sonu’s right, her older brother chatted away excitedly. The four of them were on their way to Mussourie, a few hours away from home, and had stopped for boating on the lake that had become customary to these trips.

As Sonu listened to her brother going on and on about his own skill with pedalling the boat (he had done it for a minute at the most!), she tried unsuccessfully to enjoy the wind and the water. Finally, feeling that enough was enough, Sonu decided that it was time to speak up for herself. Plastering a frown on her puffed-up cheeks, she folded her arms for extra effect, and heaved in annoyance.

“Even I want to pedal,” she said.

Her parents looked at her in surprise. “But you’re too small for this,” said her mother, while her brother sniggered on the side.

“You let bhaiya do it!” she persevered. “Even I want to try.”

“But – “

“Sure,” her father said, cutting off her mother’s objection. Her mother looked surprised, and was about to say something again when her dad gave one of those grown-up looks that she seemed to understand. 

“Really?!” the little girl asked, trying to mask her nervousness in excitement.

“Yes. But you’ll have to switch seats with me,” her father said, and proceeded to show her where to place her footing as the two of them carefully switched seats with each other.

As Sonu plopped down on to the seat of power, she suddenly wasn’t too sure about what to do. Her mother, who was now sitting next to her, spoke up.

“Okay, now put your feet on the pedals. And start moving them forward, like this,” she said, as she continued pedalling calmly.

Following instructions, she put each of her buckled shoes on the pedals, and then pushed.

And pushed some more.

And a little more.

But the pedals wouldn’t move. Not even when she scrunched up her face from the effort, and put out her tongue in the unconscious way she always did when trying to concentrate on something.

The pedals just wouldn’t move.

Trying to ignore her brother’s snigger, Sonu glumly looked up at her dad. Thankfully, he wasn’t laughing. “It’s okay,” he said gently. “It takes a lot of strength. You’ll be able to do it when you’re a little older.”

And with that, he took over the pedals from his own seat, and motioned for her brother to take over from her mother, and the two started pedalling the boat in reverse.

Turning to her side, she pretended to look at the lake as she fought off the urge to cry, as the feeling of uselessness spread all over her, ringing deafeningly in her ears. In fact, it took her a couple of seconds to realize her father was talking to her.

“What?” she asked, turning in front.

“Can you turn us a little to the left?” her father said. “We’re getting a little close to the edge.”

Confused, she asked him how.

“That stick,” he said, motioning to the stick behind her that she had noticed earlier. “It’s for navigation. Turn it towards you.”

Turning sideways, she put her hand on the navigation stick and pulled it towards her, half expecting it to stay where it was. To her surprise, it moved easily, and slowly, the boat also started to turn.

“You mean I can control where we’re going with this?” she asked, as the smile slowly started to find its way back on her face.

Her father nodded, explaining how the direction of the turn would depend on which side they were pedalling from.

The three-year-old nodded as she listened. “So, you mean that if mamma and I were pedalling, I would have to move it in the opposite direction? Hmm…that makes sense.”

Then, as though suddenly remembering her own age, she turned to her mother and asked her if she wanted to navigate. Smiling, her mother shook her head slowly. “Why don’t you be the navigator today?” 

The words seemed to drop a load of responsibility on her, but for once, instead of feeling like shirking away, she sat up straight. Now this, I can do.

With a big smile on her face, she turned to the other three passengers. “Alright, I’m going to get us to there,” she said, pointing to the far end of the lake with one hand, while the other firmly moved the navigation bar in the proper direction.

“And after that, papa you tell me where you want to go, and I’ll take you there. And bhaiya, you tell me where you want to go, and I’ll take you there. And mamma you too,” she rambled along.

“I’m the navigator,” she said proudly, oblivious to the tired looks exchanged by the others. This was going to be a long day of pedalling.

The Great War

Link to story with illustrations on Storyweaver

Sonu stared at her plate. There they were. Those round, green, yucky, things. 

Sonu hated them. She had always hated them. They tasted so bad! 

She tried telling papa that, but he would not listen. “They’re good for you,” he would say, and that was that. 

So, every other day, Sonu would find herself staring at the green things - those terrible peas! 

Sometimes, she would put one in her mouth, and chew it from side to side, but would not swallow it. Other times, she would gulp many of them down quickly with water. But most of the times, she would just sit there and move them around on the plate with her finger, hoping they would disappear. She would look at them carefully, squinting her eyes. 

Sometimes, she could imagine little eyes on them, staring back at her. And mouths too, with an evil smile. It was as though they knew how much they bothered her. 

She could almost hear the leader shouting to the rest of the group – “Hold your ground! Do not give in!” And just like that, all of them would stand at attention, their weapons ready. It was a battlefield! All those green, round monsters were on one side, daring her to fight back.

Now, if Sonu had to choose her own army, it would have been potatoes. Big, strong and tasty!

All in different shapes! Some long and thin, good for hitting the peas. Some large and chunky, good for sitting on the enemy and squashing them. And some would be mashed. They would surround the peas, stopping them from escaping. 

A great war would take place! Oh, what a fight! What a courageous fight! Both sides would put up a strong offense. But in the end, only the potatoes would survive! The green monsters, defeated, would disappear forever. Forever and ever. And never show up again! 

And th- Sonu jerked. She blinked. The battlefield was gone. She was back at the table. Her father was staring at her plate in disgust. 

The peas and potatoes were all over, crushed and smashed and mixed and forming a gooey paste. Sonu couldn’t help giggling at the sight. 

But just then, to her horror, her father took out more peas from the large bowl and put them on her plate. His look clearly said, “Eat”. And just like that, Sonu went back to staring at the little, round, green monsters.

Chintu

As the train came to a halt, Sonu's father jumped off with one suitcase. Her mother then passed him another one, before stepping down herself. Sonu took a step closer to the doorway, putting a hand on the bar on one side. 

The platform looked like a blur. People were moving everywhere. Suitcases were being carried and dragged in every direction. Some people were already busy haggling with taxi drivers. 

"Sonu!" 

Sonu jerked, realizing that it was her mother talking to her. She had been holding out her hand to help Sonu down, while Sonu had been lost in looking at the platform. Taking her mother's hand, and gripping the side bar even tighter with her other hand, she put one foot down on the first step. Not knowing how to put her other foot in the next step, Sonu took a deep breath and jumped onto the platform. Landing in front of her mother, Sonu stood up straight, a grin spread across her face. She always enjoyed doing that! But in the next moment, as she saw her parents begin to drag the luggage across the platform, the smile left her face. She slowly began to drag her feet behind them. 

It was their yearly trip. Ever since Sonu could remember, her family had taken one holiday every year when they traveled somewhere away from home. Most of the times, that meant going to a hill station. At first (or the first that she could remember), Sonu had been excited by the idea of going to see the big mountains. She had only seen them in pictures, or in those scenery drawings that she and everyone loved to make. 

But very soon, she realized that her love with mountains was not meant to be. Firstly, she hated cold weather. And mountains, it seemed, had only cold weather. She spent all her time in the mountains under four or five layers of clothing, in addition to a blanket, while her father kept telling her to come outside for a walk. It was only on those few rare days, when the sun was out, that she would step out, making sure that she was warm enough before removing one of the layers of clothing. 

But all that happened after she got to the mountains. But just process of getting there...! Sonu shuddered every time she thought about it. Ten minutes after sitting in the car as they went up her first mountain, Sonu realized something was wrong. Very wrong. Her stomach started feeling queasy. Every time the car turned a corner, it felt even worse. She tried closing her eyes, but that did nothing to stop the feeling. She must have sat like that for almost half an hour before her parents realized they needed to stop the car. Jumping off, she walked to the side and doubled over. Vomit. So much vomit. Her father rubbed her back gently as she threw up. When she was done, her mother washed her face with cold water. Standing like that for five minutes, tears running down her eyes, she looked at her parents questioningly. "It happens," her father said. "Especially on hilly roads."  Sonu realized how true his words were, when they had to stop two more times on the side in that 90 minute journey. 

And so, Sonu decided at a fairly young age that she hated mountains. But the world didn't seem to care much for the opinions of a three-year-old, so every year, she found herself trudging along with her family on yet another hill station holiday. 

Four years later, not much had changed. As Sonu walked on behind her parents, she tried not to think of the upcoming journey. As she watched her father haggle with different taxi drivers, she silently wished they wouldn't be able to find a taxi - at least for sometime. But luck was clearly not on her side, as just then, her father gestured to the family to follow him and another man towards a taxi. 

After stuffing the bags into the car, Sonu and her mother got into the backseat. Her father got into the passenger seat in front. Instinctively, he reached out for the seat belt, only to find it wasn't there. The driver, noticing this, said that there's no need for seat belts here. "Upar hi toh jana hai. Apne aap body peeche hi rahegi. [We have to go uphill only. Your body will stay backwards on its own.]" Sonu giggled at this. Her mother, rolling her eyes, asked, "What about when we have to go downhill?" But the driver seemed to ignore the comment, starting the engine instead. Sonu's parents exchanged annoyed, amused looks, then decided to let the matter be. 

As the car began to trudge up the hill, Sonu looked out of the window. She wished this holiday were getting over, not beginning. She knew it was going to be a miserable trip. The only bright side was that it was going to be a short holiday. 

********

Three hours and five vomiting stops later, they reached their destination. Sonu fumbled out of that dreadful vehicle, taking deep breaths to calm her stomach. While the others took the luggage off the car, she scanned the sky. Thick clouds. No sun. Great. She closed her eyes tightly in frustration. Feeling her mother's hand on her shoulder, she looked up sideways. "You okay?" mamma asked. Sonu just shrugged in response. Smiling gently, her mother said, "It's over. You'll be okay now. No more throwing up." Sonu nodded, trying to hold on to that thought and cheer herself up. She followed her parents to the house in front and waited. The caretaker, Govind da, opened the door. 

The three of them trudged in, their eyes taking in the house. It was fairly spacious. Sonu dropped her bag on a chair, and wandered around. While her parents made their way down a flight of stairs towards the bedrooms, she walked towards a door leading outside to the back. Stepping out, she stopped short. Massive mountains rose up in front of her. The view was breathtaking. Despite her sullen mood, Sonu couldn't help the smile spreading on her face. As if it had been waiting for that particular moment, the sun suddenly came out from behind the clouds, flooding the area with warmth. As the heat warmed her up, Sonu felt herself relaxing for the first time since this trip began. 

A rustle in the bushes startled her. Turning to the side, she saw one of the bushes in the garden shaking. A thin brown tail was sticking out of it. Squinting her eyes in curiosity, she stepped towards it. Just then, the tail moved out of the bush, and attached to it was a large dog (well, large for Sonu, who was still waiting for her height to shoot up). Spotting Sonu, the dog barked at her a few times, and then stopped. The two stared at each other from their positions, as though sizing the other up. 

He looked like many of the stray dogs that lived in Sonu's neighbourhood. He was brown in colour, but the area around his nose and mouth were black. His ears flopped on the side, and his tail curled up over his body. His tongue, like that of most dogs she'd seen, hung out of his mouth. 

After a few seconds of staring, he took a few steps towards her. Sonu did the same, and then reached out slowly with one hand. When he didn't react, she took a few more steps, and then gently placed her hand on his head. His tail, which had been standing still until now, started moving from side to side. Smiling, Sonu relaxed and rubbed her hand over his head and ears and neck, enjoying the antics of his tail. 

Just then, the door opened, and the dog jumped back, barking loudly. Her parents stepped out, looking surprised. "Oh! You found a friend!" her mother exclaimed, smiling at the dog. However, his barking continued. It was only when the caretaker stepped out and went over to him that the dog stopped barking. "Shh," Govind da said, petting the dog. "Don't worry," he added, looking at the father's wary expression. "He was just startled. He's okay." 

"Is he yours?" Sonu asked, excitedly. This holiday was starting to look better and better each moment. 

"No, he belongs to one of the neighbors," he said, pointing to a distance house on the same hill. "But he likes coming here," he added with a smile, ruffling the ears of the dog. "He spends the day here and goes back there at night."

Sonu got down on her knees and gestured to the dog. Wagging his tail, he came to her, his tongue hanging off his face. Sonu petted his neck, which he really seemed to enjoy. "He's so cute!" she exclaimed, to anyone who was listening. 

"Just be careful with him," her father said. "You don't know where all he's been."

"He's so cute!" she said again, as a response to her father's words. 

Shaking his head softly, her father moved to go back inside. As the others began to follow him, Sonu called out to Govind da. 

"What's his name?"

"Chintu."

******* 

"Chintu! Come!"

Chintu ran up the slope, going past Sonu and her parents. 

The three of them had taken a nap in the afternoon, and woken up to find (to Sonu's delight) Chintu also lying in the garden. They had decided to sit outdoors to have their evening tea. As the adults sipped on their tea, Sonu quickly gulped down her milk. Then, picking up some of the biscuits, she called Chintu over. Holding out one biscuit in her right hand, she watched in fascination as he picked it up with his mouth and nibbled away. She repeated this with two more biscuits before her parents said to stop and not give him too much. Sulkily, she looked down, and put back the remaining biscuits. But her hand remained on Chintu, ruffling his ears and neck. 

Afterwards, they had all set off for a walk. Chintu, to her mother's amusement and her father's annoyance, went along. He bounded up the hill, sniffing away at every twig and rock. Behind him came the parents, and far behind, huffing and puffing, came Sonu. Every once in a while, her parents would stop and wait for her to catch up, but soon she would fall behind again. Chintu, on her the other hand, amused himself by running back and forth, as though suddenly realizing that Sonu hadn't caught up with him, before getting carried away in his twigs again. Every once in a while, he'd lift a back leg and pee on a spot, and then turn to pee from the other side as well, as though the first one hadn't been good enough. This always amused Sonu, who kept giggling between trying to catch her breath. 

Finally, after what seemed like hours of walking to Sonu, they came to a halt. As she caught up with her parents, she looked towards the direction they were staring at. It was an amazing sight! The valley, the mountains, and the sun going down behind them. They all sat down on the side of the road, watching the sunset. At least, Sonu and her parents were watching the sunset. She wasn't too sure if Chintu quite understood why they were all sitting in a line, or what he was supposed to be looking at. Still, he sat down next to her, and she put one hand around him. The sky was a mixture of orange and red. "It's beautiful, hai na?" Sonu said softly. Chintu looked at her,  panting, then back at the sky, then at her, then at the sky again. Sonu decided to take that as a yes. 

"We should get going," her father said aloud, once the sun was no longer visible. 

Sonu tried to protest, wanting to stay there for a little longer. But her father was insistent. "Govind said it's not safe to stay out too late. He said to get back before it gets dark."

Grudgingly getting up on her feet, Sonu asked, "But why?"

Her father shrugged. "He said something about leopards coming out at night." Seeing Sonu's eyes widen, he added quickly, "I'm sure he didn't mean that! There won't be leopards around here. Maybe the villagers here just say that. But in any case, it's better if we get back before dark."

And so, they began the trek back. Again, Chintu led the line, running ahead to sniff at anything and everything that interested him. But this time, Sonu followed him, half running down the slope. "Be careful!" her parents called out, as they watched the two figures run around and chase each other. 

*******

As they reached back, Sonu and her parents entered the house. Chintu went straightaway to the garden from the side path. Sonu tried calling him in, but Govind da stopped her. "But why?" Sonu asked. 

"He's not ours. It's better if he stays outside. Anyway, he now knows not to come in."

"But won't he feel cold outside?" she asked, looking at him sitting outside the netted backdoor. 

"He'll go back to his house in some time," Govind da said. "Don't worry," he added, seeing her concerned face. "He sleeps inside in their house."

"Can I go and say bye to him?" Sonu asked, not taking her eyes off Chintu. 

"Of course," Govind da said, smiling. 

Sonu scampered to the door, where Chintu had been sitting staring back at her. Seeing her, he started wagging his tail frantically. Sonu stepped outside and knelt in front of him. "Chintuuuu!" she crooned, and then went on to speak in a language that neither Chintu nor the adults understood, all the while ruffling his neck and head and ears. When she finally stopped, they stared at each other. Without warning, Chintu reached out with his tongue and licked her face. "Chintu!!" she screamed, falling backwards from the shock. Chintu let out a soft "Woof," as though proud of himself. Giggling, Sonu got up again, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Eww... Chintu! It's all wet!" she complained, smiling the entire time. 

"Acha now I have to go. Govind da said I can't bring you in. I'm sorry. I really wish I could. Now you go home safely. Be careful, okay? It's quite dark. You know your way home na? Chalo, now I really have to go. I love you Chintu. Bye!" 

As she finished her speech, she petted his head one last time, and then moved to go inside the door. Just then, Chintu let out a soft whimper. Oh no. Not that sound, Sonu thought to herself. Whenever she heard dogs whimper, it did something to her. She looked at Govind da, who was standing inside, with a pleading look. Smiling, he shook his head. Clenching her fists, Sonu took a deep breath, and then turned to close the wooden door, trying hard not to look at Chintu and his big eyes. She heard Govind da speak from behind her, "Don't worry. He'll be back in the morning. He always is."

******* 

Sonu opened her eyes slowly, looking around at the unfamiliar room. Light streamed in through the windows. Feeling a fresh wave of sleep wash over her, Sonu snuggled further into her blanket, closing her eyes again. 

Remembering Govind da's words from last night, Sonu's eyes shot open. A smile spread across her face. She jumped out of bed, and ran straight up the stairs. Govind da was in the kitchen. Shouting out a quick good morning to him, she darted past him to the back door. "Is he here?" she called out, to anyone in anyone in general. Stepping outside, she couldn't help but smile at the scene. 

Her parents were sitting outside on the chairs, sipping their tea. And there, lying next to Mamma's feet, was Chintu. Hearing Sonu's voice, he raised his head and wagged his tail. Done with his greeting, he put his head back down and went back to resting. 

"Good morning!" she called out, walking lazily over to them. 

Her parents smiled, greeting her in return. "You're up early," her father remarked. It was true. Usually Sonu wouldn't have been up for another hour or two.

Stretching, Sonu responded, "Just. Felt like getting up and sitting outside." She walked up to Chintu and sat down next to him. Apart from his tail, he gave no indication of caring. Ruffling his ears, she pulled up her knees and sat back to enjoy the sun and the view. 

They all sat (or, in Chintu's case, lay) quietly for some time, until Govind da stepped out with a glass of milk. Reaching up, Sonu thanked him for it and sipped on it. Watching Chintu looking at it, she moved it towards him and asked, "Want?"

"No Sonu!" her father called out. "Finish your milk."

Glumly, she looked at Govind da. Smiling, he said, "It's hot milk. That's not good for him. You can give him some cold milk later."

Satisfied, she went back to looking at the mountains, keeping one hand on Chintu's head.

After a few minutes, she asked out loud in a forced cheerful voice, "So. What's the plan for today?" Normally, every holiday would be spent traveling to all the local sightseeing points. Which, for Sonu, meant more throwing up. 

"Well," her father started slowly, glancing at her mother. "We were thinking, why don't we just spend the day here?"

Suspiciously, Sonu asked, "You mean, here here? In the house?" 

"Haan. There's so much open space here, and a great view as well. We can spend the day relaxing, doing whatever we want - reading, walking, playing with Chintu," he added, smiling. 

"Yay!" Sonu exclaimed, jumping up to hug her father. Alarmed at the sudden movement, Chintu also got up and started barking. Laughing at her enthusiasm, her father gave her a big hug. "Happy, you little monkey?" 

"Very happy!" said Sonu, beaming with excitement. The idea of having even one day without hilly travel was relieving. And having Chintu around was a great bonus. "Best plan ever! Chintu - stop!" she added, looking at Chintu, who was still barking away in confusion. Getting off her father's lap, she walked over to him and knelt down. "We're going to have a great day!" she exclaimed, ruffling his head extra hard. In response, he wagged his tail extra hard, though he probably still didn't know why everyone was so excited.

And so, they spent the day doing exactly what her father had said - relaxing. 

Sonu got her story book outside, and sat down on the ground against a pillar. Chintu, who was playing in the garden, came scampering back when he saw her. First, he tried poking his head in between Sonu and her book. "Chintu! Move back na! I can't read. Here, sit next to me."

Next, Chintu tried sitting down, this time with his bum in her lap. "Ugh! Chintu! Not on me! Next to me!" She tried pushing his bum to the side, but it felt quite heavy and difficult. The two (Chintu's bum and Sonu) wrestled with each other for some time, with little success. Her parents watched them in amusement. Finally, Govind da called Chintu over to him in the garden, and he raced off in that direction, leaving Sonu a little disoriented with the sudden new space that was created when his bum moved away. 

After reading for some time, Sonu felt her eyes drooping a little. Not wanting to go back into the cold bedroom, she put her book aside and lay down in the ground, soaking up the warmth of the sun. She had just been about to fall asleep when she felt something wet fall on her face. Opening her eyes, she saw Chintu leaning over her, his head right above her own. "Ugh! Chintu!" she screamed, getting up in a hurry and wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Stop drooling over me!" she said, wiping the icky stuff back on Chintu's fur with her hand. In response, he wagged his tail. Realizing that he was about to drool over again, she pushed his head to the side, and just in time. 

"Sit, Chintu," she said trying to push his body down on the ground. "I want to sleep." But he wouldn't budge. She moved the hand that was petting his head down to his neck and stomach. Instantly, he sat down. Surprised, she smiled widely, with all the enthusiasm of a scientist having made a ground breaking discovery. 

"Great! Now just sit like that. I'm going to lie down. Why don't you also lie down?" she said, stretching herself down next to him. And much to the amusement of the parents who were again watching the scene, that's where the two lay for quite some time. Sometimes, next to each other. Sometimes, with Sonu's hand around Chintu. Sometimes, with Chintu's head on her stomach, and her hand on his head. 

In the evening, they all sat down to play cards. Rummy was an old time family favorite. After a little hesitation, even Govind da agreed to join in. The four of them formed a circle on the ground, and began to play. Chintu, for his part, moved from player to player, as though to give each one tips, but really just staying longer with whoever would pet him more. Once, Sonu even saw her father (who wasn't a big fan of dogs) pet him gently. Eventually, getting bored of going around in circles, he sat down between Sonu and Govind da, observing the game from the new position. 

In the meantime, the game was gaining intensity. After several rounds, Sonu and her father were leading, with the others not far behind. This particular round was going really well for Sonu, who had lucked out with a great set off cards. Excitedly, she waited for the right card to be able to close the game. Just then, Chintu jumped up and raced towards the garden, going through their circle and scattering all the cards on the ground. "Ugh! Chintu!" Sonu screamed, having just picked up her card. But Chintu was off, sniffling away at the bushes. "It's probably a squirrel," Govind da said, as they all began packing up the cards. 

Sonu got up and stomped over to Chintu, wanting to give him a piece of her mind. She was surprised her parents hadn't said anything. "Chintu! Come here!" she called out in her best angry voice. After a few minutes of calling, he finally took his head out of the bush. Walking over to Sonu, he suddenly leaped up with his front legs, placing them on Sonu. Hanging out his tongue, he let out a single bark, as though asking her "Aren't you proud of me?" With his tail wagging away, Sonu felt her annoyance replaced by laughter. "Chintuuuu!" she exclaimed, holding his head in between her hands. "You're so cute! I wish I could take you home with me!" 

Turning to look at her parents, she asked softly, "We can't, can we?" Shaking their heads slowly, they gave her an understanding smile. "Enjoy the time you have with him here," her mother said. Heeding her words, Sonu turned back to Chintu, just in time to have his massive tongue spread all over her face. This time, there was no "Ugh! Chintu!". Instead, she giggled, which seemed to excite Chintu and have him lick her again. 

"Sonu! Go wash your face," her mother's voice called out. 

"Sorry Chintu," she whispered softly, and then ran indoors. When she came back, she found, she found her father petting Chintu, an amused smile on his face. Not wanting to disturb them, she stood quietly on the side and watched them. 

Her mother, who had also been observing the scene silently, looked at Sonu and remarked, "Looks like your father has also got a new friend." Her father, hearing this, stepped back, shrugged his shoulders, smiled sheepishly, and said, "Just wanted to see what all the fuss was about." 

Shaking her head, her mother signaled to Chintu, who bounded over. "Well, I think it's my turn now. Come on Chintu. Let's go for a walk," she said, and the two of them set off. Grinning at each other, Sonu and her dad also shook their heads in amusement, and then set off behind them. 

******* 

That night, Sonu said a slightly longer good night to Chintu, trying to explain to him why she wouldn't be able to spend much time with him the next day. "Mamma and Papa said we should go out at least for a bit. It seems fair, since they let us stay at home today. But hopefully we won't be gone too long, okay? I'll see you in the morning before we leave, and then again once we're back. You can stay with Govind da while I'm gone and chase your squirrels. Okay? Bye Chintu. I'll miss you. But I'll see you in the morning. Bye Chintu!"

And with a final pet, she stepped away from Chintu and into the house. Turning to look at him, she saw that he was sitting there, tongue hanging out, staring at her. She waved at him sadly, and then closed the door. "I'll see him tomorrow morning," she said to herself, as she walked down to the bedroom. 

The next morning, Sonu jumped out of bed, and raced upstairs. Pushing open the garden door, she shouted, "Chintuuuu!" Like the day before, her parents were sitting on chairs having their tea. But Chintu wasn't there. 

"Where's Chintu?" she asked, looking around the garden. 

"I don't know," her mother replied. "We haven't seen him this morning."

Frowning, Sonu walked down the side towards the main gate. "Chintu!" she called out, scanning the road on both sides. Apart from a few people walking here and there, it was empty. No Chintu. 

Walking back into the house, she went to the kitchen, where Govind da was working. "Do you know where Chintu is?" she asked him. Looking at her over his shoulder, he shook his head. "I didn't see him come in this morning," he said. "But don't worry," he added, smiling. "I'm sure he'll turn up later. He always does."

Sonu tried to smile back, but she felt that Govind da didn't sound too sure. There were creases on his forehead, as though he was also a little concerned. 

Picking up her glass of milk, she trudged slowly outside. "Chintu hasn't come in today," she said out loud in a sad voice, as she plopped down on the ground in front of her mother. Her mother ruffled her hair. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll show up eventually. He'll probably be here by the time we get back."

Nodding her head, Sonu tried to think about what her mother said and cheer up. But even a couple of hours later, when the three of them were getting themselves into a taxi, she couldn't help but linger on the road, looking up and down, hoping to see Chintu appear on it suddenly. But he didn't. Reminding herself that she would see him in the evening, she sighed and got inside the car.

The day was...not as bad as Sonu had thought it would be. Actually, it was quite good. Instead of doing the usual travel from one spot to another, they went to a place with a great view and garden, and spent several hours there. Then they made their way for a late lunch at a restaurant with another great view of the mountains, before finally heading back in the evening. To top it off, Sonu only threw up once, which wasn't bad considering her normal record. 

But despite all this, she couldn't stop thinking of Chintu. Don't worry, she tried telling herself. He's allowed to change his routine. He's allowed to not show up one day if he wants to. But she really did hope he'd show up today. They were leaving tomorrow, so she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could. Every once in a while, she found herself looking over her shoulder, half expecting Chintu to appear out of nowhere. 

On the way back, Sonu started feeling more hopeful and excited. Chintu would have come over by now. She could picture him running around in the garden, his face sticking into some bushes and his tail sticking out. He'd hear the car approaching and come running outside. In fact, he'd probably be waiting right outside and jump on Sonu the moment she got out of the car. With each moment that they got closer to home, her smile got bigger and bigger. 

As they entered their street, Sonu craned her neck to look towards the house. Nothing. As they pulled up in front of the house, she dashed out of the car, and ran straight to the garden from the side, shouting, "Chintuuuu!" But the garden was empty. There was no Chintu, nor any tail poking out from the bushes. 

Her shoulders sagging down, she slowly made her way to the back door. Inside, Govind da and her parents seemed to be having a rushed and whispered conversation. Hearing the door open, they turned to look towards her. "Govind da," Sonu asked, "Did Chintu come?"

Govind da looked at her for a long while, before slowly shaking his head. "No, sorry."

"But you said he always comes!" Sonu whined out, feeling all the frustration of the day piling up. 

Again, Govind da looked at her for some time without saying anything, as though weighing his words. Finally, he said softly, "I know. He always did."

"Maybe he'll show up tomorrow," her father said. 

Not satisfied with the response, Sonu turned to look at her mother, her expression pleading for help. But her mother's words were hardly the ones she was looking for. "Sonu," mamma said. "Why don't you go and get changed first?" Frustrated, Sonu stomped downstairs, angry at all the adults around her. Why didn't they understand how important this was? Did they not care about Chintu? Even Govind da? Why was nobody saying let's go look for him? She sat on her bed for some time, trying to calm down. Chintu was probably at the other house. After all, it's not like he knew they were leaving tomorrow. Taking a few deep breaths, she decided that the best option was to go to the house where he lived. Her parents wouldn't let her go alone, so she would need to convince them. Taking a final deep breath, she stomped back upstairs, her mind made up. 

Again, as she reached up, her parents and Govind da hushed up from the conversation they were having. They all turned to look at her. "I thought you went to change," her mother remarked. Looking down at her clothes, Sonu realized she was right. "Yea, I forgot," she said, shrugging. "Listen," she began, forcing herself to sound confident. "I was thinking... Can we please go and look for Chintu in the house where he lives? We won't get to see him after tomorrow."

No one responded immediately. They all looked at each other, and then at Sonu. Something strange was going on, but right now Sonu didn't care about it. "Well? Can we please go?"

Finally, her father spoke. "Sonu, it's late today. It's already dark. How about we wait till tomorrow morning, and if he hasn't come even then, we'll go?"

Sonu sat there quietly, thinking about what he said. She could insist they go now, but she knew that would only make him angry. Papa was very particular when it came to safety. And he was right... They could wait till tomorrow morning. She just hoped he would show up then. She nodded at her father, accepting the deal. Lost in her thoughts, she missed the look that the three adults exchanged. 

The rest of the evening passed by really slowly, or so it seemed to her. When finally they were done with dinner, she ran downstairs to her bed, wanting to fall asleep soon so that morning could get here sooner. 

********* 

When she opened her eyes, it took her a while to figure out why she didn't feel relaxed. Chintu, she remembered, and raced upstairs. This time, her parents were not outside sipping tea. Instead, they were sitting in the kitchen with Govind da. 

"Is he here?" Sonu asked, stopping to catch her breath. Slowly, they all shook their heads. 

Wanting to confirm this on her own, she went outside, looking at every inch of the garden, and calling out Chintu's name. Not having much luck, she walked back inside. "Can we go to his house now and ask about him?" she asked the three of them. 

"Sonu," her father began softly. "Listen. There's something we need to tell you."

Scrunching her eyebrows, Sonu sat down on the empty chair. Her father looked quite serious. A part of her wasn't sure she wanted him to continue. 

"There's a rumour going around." He paused, looking a little uncertain. Finally, taking a deep breath, he said quickly, "There's a rumour going around that Chintu might have been taken by a leopard."

A few seconds passed in silence, as Sonu tried to to process his words. "What?" she whispered.

"It's happened before a few times," Govind da said. "Leopards taking away dogs."

"By taking away...you mean...killing?" Sonu asked hesitatingly, her eyes starting to feel a little blurry. 

Govind da nodded slowly, and Sonu closed her eyes. She tried taking deep breaths, but this time it seemed difficult. Looking at her father, she asked, "But I thought you said there are no leopards here."

Sighing, he thought for a few moments before speaking. "I was wrong. Govind da said that leopards do live in the forests nearby, and sometimes they come near the village at night."

"But how do you know Chintu was...?" she asked, hoping to find some flaw in the story. 

"Someone in the neighborhood told me. They heard it from the owners," Govind da said. 

"So it may not be true?" Sonu asked quickly. 

Govind da said nothing. Her mother spoke up. "Yes, it might just be a rumour. We don't know as yet. Maybe Chintu just ran away somewhere," she said, looking around at the other two men to add on. 

"He might just show up," her father said. 

"Govind da?" Sonu asked, wanting to hear it from him. 

He was quiet for some time. "Your parents are right," he said finally. "It might just be a rumour. In any case, Chintu knows how to take care of himself. If ever I knew a dog that could escape a leopard, it would be Chintu."

Sonu nodded, trying to hold on to his words. He's fine, she told herself. It's Chintu. He'll be fine. He knows how to take care of himself. Even Govind da said that. Maybe he's run off somewhere. Maybe he'll show up in a day or two. Sonu knew that meant she wouldn't be able to meet him, but right then, that didn't seem to be so important. She just wanted him to be okay. Tears sprang in her eyes, and she tried to blink them away. He's fine. He has to be fine. 

Just then, the door opened, and a man walked in. It was Hari bhai. He lived in the neighborhood, and came every morning to deliver milk from his household. 

Govind da got up to take the milk. Just as Hari bhai turned to go out, Sonu called out to him. "Have you heard anything about Chintu?" The others froze, staring at him. 

"Haan," he nodded, his face becoming serious. "Poor thing."

"So it's true?" her father asked. 

"Yes, I spoke to the family myself. They live very close to my house."

"What happened?"

"It seems they opened the door yesterday in the morning... Around 5:00am, as always. Chintu ran out the door, probably to come to your place," he said, looking at Sonu. "It was still dark outside. You know how he doesn't take the main path. Well... Right about then, I heard a sharp sound. Like an animal squealing. A dog. I came outside, but it was too dark to see anything, and I knew it wasn't safe to go far out. So I went back. Later, I went to their house. They had heard it too, but there was nothing they could do. It must have been Chintu. Poor dog." With that, Hari bhai turned and left.

Nobody spoke. Sonu sat there quietly, imagining everything he had just said. Her eyes filled with tears again. Chintu had been running to come over to their house. To meet them. To meet her. She pictured his excited face, changing in a second to fear and pain. She pictured the leopard catching hold of him. She kept hearing his pained squeal. 

As the tears fell down her face, her father pushed back his chair and walked over to her. Standing next to her, he pulled her in for a hug. Sonu buried her face in his stomach, as the tears came down faster and faster. Her breath came in short gasps. She felt his hand on her head, trying to comfort her. But even that reminded her of all the times she had petted Chintu, making her feel worse. 

Pulling herself away, she got off the chair and walked out the back door. Sitting down against the pillar, she stared out at the mountains. It's not fair, she thought, remembering Chintu's happy and excited face. He was so sweet. He didn't hurt anyone. Why did he gave to die? And in such a scary, painful way? Why didn't he get to live a long life, running around and playing and having fun? If only he had left a little bit later, he would have been fine. Or if only he had taken the main road. Or... Maybe if Sonu hadn't been there, he would not have rushed out so quickly. Maybe if she had never come here and met him, he would still be alive. Closing her eyes at the that thought, she leaned her head back against the pillar, feeling a fresh batch of tears begin to roll down her cheeks. 

Someone came and sat down next to her. It was mamma. She didn't say anything, but just sat there silently. They both stared ahead, lost in their own thoughts. Finally, her mother spoke up. "You know, if I were Chintu, I'd be trying to sit on your lap right now," she said, smiling at Sonu. 

Despite herself, Sonu burst out laughing, as her tears continued to flow. "Yea," she choked out. "And I would be trying to to push your bum away!" They both laughed at the thought, remembering Chintu and his bum that wouldn't move.  

But just then, the image of Chintu and the leopard flashed in her mind again, and of his eyes filled with pain. And just like that, her laughter died off, replaced by more tears. Her mother put her arm around Sonu's shoulders, and the two sat there quietly again. 

It was another hour before Sonu moved from that spot. She kept thinking that she had finally run out of tears, when another image of Chintu would pop up in her head, and send down a fresh wave. 

At some point, her mother had been replaced by Govind da. Like mamma, he didn't say much for a while. He just sat there. Finally, before getting up, he looked at Sonu and said, "At least he had a good, happy life." Sonu looked up at him, thinking of what he said. And then a thought occurred to her - she had only known Chintu for a few days. One and a half days, to be exact (though it felt like much, much longer). Govind da had known him for years. If she was feeling so upset about Chintu, how much more sad must he be feeling! And she hadn't even thought about the family that he lived with! They must have had him since he was born, and suddenly he was gone. A part of Sonu started wondering if she didn't have a right to be as upset as she was. After all, she would have left Chintu in a few hours anyway. Why did it matter?

But it did. She would have been okay if he came back even after she was gone. If, a few days later, her parents got a call from Govind da saying Chintu had shown up suddenly, she would be really happy. At least he would be back. At least he would be alive. This wasn't about her spending time with Chintu. This was about Chintu. That happy, excited dog. With his head poking in the bushes. With him sniffing around every inch of every twig. With him peeing on rocks from one side, and then turning to pee from the other. With him licking Sonu's face when she wasn't expecting it. With him destroying their game of cards. With him trying to sit on Sonu. With him lying down, his head on her stomach, her hand around him.

The next few hours passed by in a daze. Sonu had a bath, and then helped mamma pack the bags. Her parents tried to keep her busy, getting her to run around to pick up random things from the house. But every few minutes, she'd find herself coming to a halt, blinking away tears. Everyone was quiet, lost in their own thoughts. Sonu could see that even her father was upset, and that just showed how much of an effect Chintu had had on all of them. 

By noon, they were all packed up. The taxi had arrived. Sonu stood near the garden, staring at the bush where she had first seen Chintu. She kept hoping to see a tail poke out from it, wagging away in all directions.

Hearing her father call out, she gave the place one last look, and then made her way to the front. The bags were already in the car, and her father was talking to the driver, while her mother and Govind da said goodbye. Stepping towards them, Sonu softly said, "Bye, Govind da." Smiling at her gently, he said, "Take care. Do come again." They exchanged a long look, before moving away.

As Sonu got into the back seat, she thought of how miserable she had been when they had started this trip. She smiled at the thought. All that throwing up seemed so unimportant now. Those few days with Chintu had more than made up for it. At the thought of Chintu, she turned her head to look out of the window. As the car began to move, she pictured him running alongside, his tail moving from side to side, barking away at the car. His way of saying goodbye. 

Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she looked towards him, and whispered, "Bye Chintu."

********

For Chintu