A Peaceful Afternoon

The kids had gone off to school. Hubby was in his office whereas I was safe at home. It was raining heavily.

“Hi Nishu. I have reached office safely.”, Arnav called on reaching office. Then he added playfully, “Safe from your enticing charms which are forever on the job to seduce me…”

“Arnav!”, I blushed. “What will your colleagues say. You are not a floppy-haired teenager anymore who flirted with every girl in skirts. In fact, your hair flopped badly. It has made an early withdrawal from the open aired box office of your pate.”, I laughed.

Me and Arnav…we usually had these cute showdowns.

I was in my comfort zone now, with the kids and hubby away. The rains made me lethargic and to drive away the laziness, I brewed a cup of instant coffee. Nothing like the sweet aroma of coffee to wake you up.

I made myself comfortable on the hanging single seater cane swing with an iPad in one hand and the cup of coffee in the other. Keeping the cup on the side table, I proceeded to initiate my diary entry for today.

As was my habit, I unconsciously held my tongue between the teeth, as I started typing out my first thoughts.

Suddenly, a shrieking scream pierced my peace.

I sprang out of the swing, I was jolted out of my cosy position, for I recognised that cry immediately. It was my child, Alisha and I bolted towards the door.

Upon opening the door I was greeted with the visual of my Alisha, her head cranked to one side, her mouth frozen in a scream, her ponytail being pulled by her brother Abhi, who was laughing hysterically.

“Leave her, Abhi. Why are you always troubling your sister.” I gave a hard rap to Abhi’s cheek to make him leave Alisha.

Abhi and Alisha, our twins, born just a minute apart. But what had brought them back home early from school?

Perhaps reading my face, Alisha squealed, “Mamma, today the school left us early. In fact, the school was swimming in the flooded waters. Our bus never reached the school. Holiday!!!”

“Mamma, is Alisha a witch?”, who else, Abhi.

“Whaat…? Why are you saying such things?”, I asked him exasperatedly.

“While going to school she was constantly saying, today will be holiday…holiday. And we got the holiday. Did she put a spell?”

“God answers your prayers, beta. You should not say such things about your own sister. Say sorry to her”, I tried to be the referee.

Abhi…showed his tongue to his sis.

“Mamma, see how this Abhi is constantly teasing me. I won’t go with him to school tomorrow. You drop me separately”, the princess pouted.

“Mamma, I also pray to God that the neighbor’s dog Rocky should bite Alisha. But he never does”

“Abhi, I am warning you…”

That day my diary entry was bound to remain incomplete.

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