Catch Me If You Can!

It was the season of Jamuns. And, much as I tried, I couldn't but not like it immensely!

But, it is not every day that the same fruit or vegetable is brought home. Isn't it?!

So, the days it came home due to some family member's generous heart, I was all eyes and very grateful!

The days the fruit did not appear at home, my 7-year-old mind refused to accept the fact and found ways and means to procure it. After all, everything is fair in love and war! And, I loved Jamuns!!

So, one day when I was returning back from school, I saw my best friend buying jamuns from the cart seller. I had no money on me. So, poor me! I could only look at her jealously while she bought her share of jamuns.

Maybe, she happened to see that greed in my eyes and felt she had to be kind.

Whatever be the case, I was interested in eating the jamuns, not judging the reasons behind someone's kind act!

Pinky gave me two jamuns to eat! How I loved her for it!

I even forgave her for complaining about me to Pushpa Miss when I had taken her pencil without asking her.

The purple jamuns in my little palm looked as if they belonged there. Of course! they did. What did you think?!

I dropped one jamun in my mouth and drowned in the juices of extreme desire and satisfaction of food.

By the time I had reached home, both the jamuns had found their place in my stomach with my mind still remembering the taste of the jamuns just eaten!

I reached home. I silently changed my clothes and washed my face. I could not give it away to my mother that I had eaten jamuns outside the home. I was patting myself silently when my mother approached me and asked me, "Have you eaten anything outside Shaily?"

"No, Mummy!" I replied with all the honest act that I could, bringing to shame any professional actor.

"Oh!" she said.

I looked up mysteriously. Did she find out? Nah! How could she? I was cleverer than her.

"What a beautiful lipstick you have on your lips!" Mummy asked me again.

Lipstick?! What was she talking about?

"No Mummy, I have no lipstick."

"Really! Then, why is your tongue purple in colour?"

"Ha! Ha! Mummy. How can you be so stupid? Lipstick is put on the lips, not on the tongue. That is only the jamun that I ate."

And that was the end of the conversation!

My mother got what she wanted. Honesty.

And, I got a tight slap.

Caught red-handed trying to hide the delicious purple jamuns!