Happy Raksha Bandhan

Naku and Kuni                    

In a distant village, in the scorching heat of summer at around 2 PM, Naku and Kuni were coming back from school on foot with heavy school bags on their shoulders and half-full water bottles hanging around their necks. There was no one on the road except this brother and sister. Both were busy pushing the same stone ahead alternatively with their feet, which they had picked from school.

Naku: They took my lunch today as well.

Kuni: Why don’t you talk to madam about this? Are you hungry?

Naku stopped after hearing about hunger and nodded his head. Kuni gave her lunch box to him. He opened it and saw she hadn’t eaten at all.

Naku: Why didn’t you have it?

Kuni put his hand on his head lovingly and they moved on.

In the evening on the same day.

 Kuni saw Naku was reading his school book and went to the washroom to freshen up. After she left, Naku in subdued enthusiasm, whispered KABOOM. Actually, he was reading a comic book, hiding it inside the school book.

Next day at around 2 PM

Naku( while pushing the stone ahead): Kuni, where is your water bottle?

Kuni touched her neck and told him to go ahead and she will get the bottle.

Kuni(while running towards school): Wait for me in the alley, otherwise mom will scold us if she sees you alone.

Naku picked up the stone and moved ahead.

Naku, as told by her sister, was waiting in the alley. He took out the comics from the bag and started reading them. Suddenly three boys named A, B & C, chewing the Betel nut and wearing the same uniform as Naku’s, stood in front of him.

 B: You are Kuni’s younger brother, Right?

Naku ignored them

B: What’s your name? Answer me.

C snatched the comics from his hand and Naku, out of fear, told them his name. B took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and gave it to Naku.

B: Give it to your sister and tell her I need an answer. she studies in my class.

After giving him the letter, they left there. Naku began to unfold the paper with trembling hands but was interrupted by Kuni’s voice.

Kuni: Let's Go. I found the water bottle.

 He hid the paper from her and they went home.

In the night after everybody went to sleep, Naku opened that paper and read it. He clenched his fists in anger and started practising martial arts from online videos but had to go to sleep after hearing his mother’s voice from another room.

The next day, while returning from school, Naku’s feet automatically stopped, looking at the entrance of the alley. Kuni shook him and asked if he was okay. He nodded his head and after walking for five minutes they were stopped by the same three boys.

B: What have you decided? I love You Kuni……

Naku, again out of fear, bowed down and began to tie his tied shoe laces.

Kuni held Naku's hand and ran away from there.

The next day in the evening, when Naku was playing with his friends, B came, picked Naku up in his arms and threatened him that he needs an answer for his love letter tomorrow, i.e. on valentine’s day.

After this incident, Naku understood very well that his physical strength is very less compared to B. So, he dropped the idea of learning martial arts in two days and tried to think of something else. There was no sleep in his eyes and suddenly his eyes brightened up, he smiled and went to sleep.

In the morning while going to school, he held Kuni’s hand very tightly.

Naku: Today is valentine’s day.

Kuni: so?

Naku: They will come again today afternoon.

Kuni: Are you afraid of them?

Naku: No. But you are.

Kuni: No, I' am not.

Naku: Yes you are. You are scared of them.

Kuni: No

Naku: Yes, you are.

Kuni: No, I don’t scared of them

Naku: Yes, you are. Don’t lie to me. you are a Coward

Kuni, out of anger, slapped him.

Naku: Do the same…… while we'll be coming back from school.

Kuni: what?

Naku: But you need to be more aggressive in this. We will get only one shot. If you will not slap him very hard. It will be useless.

Naku put three bricks one on top of each other and stood on them and told Kuni to slap him again with more strength.

Naku: We have to practice. Come on, hit me! Yesterday they tried to stop us, today he might hold your hand and tomorrow…………………………………….

Kuni slapped him harder.

Naku( with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face): Well Done…..Once more

Kuni slapped him harder this time and after 15 slaps Naku started to get dis-balanced from the bricks on the 19th slap he was on the ground with tears all over his cheeks and a smile and pride on his face.

In the afternoon Kuni and Naku hold each other’s hands and enter into the alley. All three of them were standing there and already blocked the way to go ahead.

Naku told Kuni that “I will snap my finger and that will be your cue to slap him”. B came forward and stood right before Kuni. Naku snapped his finger and she took his hand in the backward direction with full strength and brought it back with Double strength and……………

And the next moment B was lying on the floor upside down, and A and& C ran away from there.

Kuni held Naku's hand and proudly headed home.

Naku: That was the real KABOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

HAPPY RAKSHA BANDHAN