Tender Love

A pleasant Sunday morning sleep was interrupted by intermittent thudding sounds. The sleeper groaned, turned, pulled the sheet over the head & tried to ignore the racket. The volume & frequency of noise intensified with time. The annoyed sleeper forcefully got out of bed and slowly dragged the feet downstairs. The mother exclaimed, "Isn't it too early for you on a Sunday morning?" The annoyed sleeper's brows creased at the query. The sleeper chose not to reply & slouched at the dining table on a chair. The sleeper's left elbow rested on the table & the hand cradled the head. A few moments later, the sleeper was on the verge of falling asleep & there was a loud thud. She snapped out of sleep & looked around to find the source.

The mother walked up to her daughter with a hot mug of filter coffee & answered the question on the daughter's mind. The mother mentioned, "A new family is moving in next door." The girl groaned, "Why? Why on a Sunday morning?" The mother scowled, "Today is an auspicious day & people shift over weekends based on their convenience, not your sleep." The girl smirked, spread the Sunday newspaper & sipped the hot coffee. The mother continued, "The new neighbours seem to be pleasant. They had come over & invited me over for the pooja of moving into the house. They are a small family of parents & a young boy." The filter coffee had awakened the senses of the girl. The girl frowned, "Pleasant? Because they invited you for pooja? A small family's belongings can cause so much chaos. Wonder what a large family would do?"

The mother whacked on the girl's head & instructed, "They have invited other neighbours along. You better get ready in the next one hour." The girl choked on the coffee & her attempt to say 'no' was nipped by the mother's command, "You are coming, no arguments." While she wiped her lips and threw an expression of displeasure, the mother ignored her & walked back to the kitchen. The daughter sighed & turned her attention to the newspaper. As she came across the weekly horoscope, she sighed. She chose not to read & knew what lay ahead. 'Sunday morning ruined. What to expect from the rest of the week?' She finished the last coffee & prepared to visit the new neighbours.

An hour later, the mother-daughter duo entered the new neighbour's house. The neighbourhood aunties were surprised at the presence of the 'Sleeping Beauty.' The mother declared, "She woke up to the sounds of the movers & packers unloading the belongings." The girl smiled awkwardly at the prying eyes of the neighbours. When the new neighbour apologised for the inconvenience caused, the daughter's sarcastic reply was squashed by her mother, "Oh, don't bother." The pooja was short & the new neighbour served kheer followed by beverages.

As people savoured the snacks, the new neighbour introduced her son. The girl's dark brown eyes met the boy's pitch-black eyes. At that moment, she knew this boy was trouble. He rolled his eyes & smirked at her. The silent meet-cute was unseen by any other eyes. While returning home, the mother stated, "Such a sweet family, the boy is so cute." The girl grunted, "Cute? He rolled his eyes at me!" The mother exclaimed, "Oh, grow up! You are working & he is studying. What do you expect?" The girl shook her & focussed on her priority of a siesta.

The busy life of her work & his tight academic schedule provided no overlap of time or even accidental spotting. As months passed, her mother spoke about the new neighbours frequently. The words bounced off her ears. On a Saturday afternoon, the girl answered the doorbell to encounter the snobbish boy. He handed over a bag full of goodies & walked home, not a word uttered. The girl shut the door & handed over the bag to her mother. The mother inquired, "Who was it?" The girl curtly replied, "The new neighbour's boy. He did not even speak, not even a 'Hello' or a smile." The mother remarked, "He is such a lovely boy; he talks to me every day." The girl rolled her eyes at the 'lovely boy' comment. A couple of years passed, and while the neighbours bonded like a family, the animosity between the two grew.

Unexpectedly when the pandemic hit, the restrictions imposed made life come to be standstill. The neighbours helped each other with groceries & other necessities. While she worked from home, he attended class online. The routine of being stuck to a chair & table was suffocating & boring. She chose to walk on the street to relieve boredom & get some exercise for the sedentary limbs. As the possibility of meeting her friends was low, she befriended the neighbouring aunt. The chatter of the neighbour girl with his mother tickled his curiosity. The instances of the boy peeping from his window gradually increased & eventually, she smiled.

The mothers helped break the ice & they finally spoke with each other. As weeks passed, he joined her for the morning & evening walks. The conversations were delightful for her & interesting for him. The interaction was fun-filled & they often lost track of time. She chased him to attend class & she rushed to work meetings. He found every excuse to visit her & spend time with her. Both relished the company & were inseparable in no time. The mothers were happy at the bonding as the friendship grew each day.

On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, he had risen early & got home a large Ganesha. No sooner did he finish the pooja than he rushed to her. He ran to the kitchen & invited, "We have got a huge Ganesha. Come over. Now!" She was busy helping her mother in the kitchen. Her mother replied, "She has to help me with the cooking. I cannot send her now." He addressed his friend furiously, "Why are you doing kitchen chores? It's mother's job to do." She giggled, "Baby, I have to help Amma. I will come later in the evening." He exclaimed, "Don't call me baby!" She laughed, "I call you baby because I like you." He frowned at being addressed as a baby but enjoyed the special treatment. He relentlessly argued for her to come over. She convinced him with the promise of visiting the Ganesha in the evening. Before leaving, he declared, "I will be waiting for you. Do not come in this dress change into something else." She bit her lower lip & looked at her mother.

The mother declared, "Go now. I'll send her in the evening." Once the boy left, the mother stated, "Isn't that boy getting attached to you more day by day?" The girl agreed, "Yeah, he is getting possessive & demanding too. A few weeks ago, he strictly instructed me not to talk to other neighbour boys, though I knew them before him. He didn't reason, but it was a good tease for me. Last week, he said, 'Why are you wearing a ponytail? Let your hair down.' I did not know how to react or what to say?" The mother remarked, "We have to distance you two." The daughter giggled, "Give it a shot." The mother frowned & her urge to respond was diverted by the whistle of a pressure cooker.

Later in the evening, she dressed in traditional attire for the pooja to visit the massive Ganesha at his place. When she reached, he met her at the doorstep & blocked her, "What took you so long? I invited you in the morning & you arrive so late in the evening?" She articulated, "I had a lot of chores & we also had pooja. So it took a while." His mother's intervention forced him to give way, yet his outrage was apparent. While his mother & she exchanged wishes & pleasantries, his fury subsided. He insisted they do aarthi together & she looked at his mother for approval. When they performed the aarthi, the mother expressed with admiration, "Radha Krishna." She grinned at his mother & he stood confused.

As the days passed, the mothers tried to reduce the time their kids spent together but failed miserably. He invented adorable excuses to meet her. He was so charming that the mothers could hardly say 'no'. Not that he waited for their approval, answer or followed their instructions. The neighbourhood witnessed the love & warmth they shared. One Saturday morning, he rang the doorbell & enquired, "Where is she? Why is she not out for the morning walk?" Her mother complained, "Won't you say 'Good morning?' All you want to know is about her?" Instantly he said, "Good Morning. Where is she?" The mother shook her head & replied, "She worked late last night & hasn't woken up yet. Once she wakes up, I will inform her that you came looking for her." He coolly voiced, "Oh, I'll wake her up." While he walked past the mother, her jaw dropped.

Later that evening, the mother-daughter enjoyed masala chai & chatted. The mother enunciated, "That neighbour boy has no fear or restraint. He barged in & walked right up to your room." The daughter nodded & took a bite of hot onion pakoda. The daughter reasoned, "He is comfortable & accustomed to coming here." The mother snapped, "He comes in as he wishes. It is not the first time today." The daughter shrugged, "So?" The mother continued with her worry, "He makes quiet entries, like a cat. Sometimes, I hear you both laugh & realise he is in your room." The daughter sipped some more chai & laughed at the analogy.

The mother continued, "Forever, you both are talking & laughing aloud. The whole neighbourhood watches you both day & night." The daughter tilted her head with the look, 'Really?' The mother expressed, "What are people going to say?" The daughter groaned, "Amma, come on." The mother remarked, "What else do you expect me to say?" The girl fought back, "If it is such a problem, why don't you go tell his parents? Keep your boy in control & let my daughter be." The mother reacted, "What if they say you should teach your daughter better?" The girl replied, "Amma, you were the one who said good things about the neighbours. They all also seem to like me. What is the problem?" The mother remarked, "Thank god for decades of the age difference." The girl teased, "His mother called us Radhe Krishna." The mother laughed & the girl slightly blushed.

A few days later, she narrated the whole story to her friend. The friend enquired, "The parents have no problems. You both spend so much time together & understand each other well. What are you waiting for?" She giggled, "For him to reach the legal marriage age." The friend casually stated, "Oh yeah, he is a student." She coolly commented, "Yeah, he passed first-grade last month."

Take Away: While love has several forms, a child's love is unconditional & pure.