One
morning, a neighbor kid of four years old came to me. Her name is
Sagarika. I was typing some junk. I looked her. She smiled beautifully.
She’s fair and white. Sunrays from window fallen on her face. I wonder
when I saw thin green blood veins on her cheek. Her skin is still under
growth so that it is somewhat transparent to sunrays. I smiled back and
asked-‘kiddy, what make you come here in morning?’
She
said-“two flowers blossomed in my plant!” her eyes lit up. She said-
“And they are so cute!!” she smiled again even more beautifully. Her
eyes were curious and bright. I could feel her happiness. She seemed to
me happiest human being in the world at that moment. I found peace and
happiness of the universe are wholly deposited in her smile. I downed my head up to her face and said-“you are the cutest than those flowers” I kissed her cheek.
“No, come and see them” she grabbed my hand. I said “Not now kiddy, in the evening ok?” She
appeared to be disappointed. I stood up. She took my fingers in her
small palm. We headed to her home. “Both flowers are pink, you know?”
she said as we crossed the gate. I saw her dad sitting in a chair
reading newspaper. I slowed down at the door as I needed his welcome.
The kid pulled me and questioned me by her eyes- “why?” I
was about to say something, but luckily I heard her dad voice- “oh
bharath, come in, I did not notice you”. “It’s alright, uncle” I smiled
and walked in. uncle looked me in proud and said “she showed the plant
to her gang, now to the gang leader hahaha!” I found no funny in the
joke cut by uncle. I thanked god I could at least figure out it was a
joke. So I laughed at uncle in response. Uncle smiled in a way that it
made me forget his daughter’s smile.
“See,
there is the plant”. Her little forefinger pointed to the pot which
rested at window in the hall. Two little pink flowers in the plant
attracted me just like the kid’s smile. I followed her. “How soft these
are” she said as she touched petals. “Yes” I replied. The flowers were
really beautiful. She took the flower in hand and kissed it. “My soft
flowers“she said herself as she touched flowers to her cheek. The tiny
Suffern specks in the flowers affixed to her face, gave divine color to
cheeks. I wiped her face. She observed the plant again and turned. “But
leaves are turned yellow” she said looking at me in straight face.
“Kiddy, pot must be outside of home, they need sunlight” I said.
“I afraid someone would pluck the flowers” she said in worried tone.
“You should watch them like your mom watch you” I replied.
“What if the plants get dry due to sunlight?” she made her eyes bigger in surprise.
‘’they don’t get dry unless you stop feeding water” I took her up and hold her in my hands.
“Sagarika…
don’t disturb bharath always, he may have works…don’t eat his head”
with a smile in face, her mom came to hall holding a cup of tea. I said-
“its fine aunty, I don’t have busy works”. My head is eatable? I
thought for a while. I handed over sagarika to her mom, at the same time
I received a cup of tea. Aunty told me that sagarika learning so fast
and she could even read English magazine. I thought to ask about
Kannada, but uncle joined us sipping tea and told that sagarika will
study in English medium. Uncle seemed so proud. I
sighed. ‘How can kids learn other languages properly when they don’t
know their mother tongue?’ I asked myself. I saw sagarika cleaning
leaves of the plant. She was in her world. That’s her world that
decorated with flowers, she play there in petal shower. She sleeps there
in the petal bed. She plays with colors provided by specks. How
beautiful childhood is- I thought. We talked few more minutes. I told
uncle to put the pot under sunlight and I left the home. When I reached
gate, sagarika came running behind me. “When you coming again to see
flowers?” she asked with her copyright-protected smile. I said-
“whenever I need your kisses” I kissed her cheeks twice. She smiled
again and blushed away. I laughed. She said-“oh I forget to feed the
plant!!” she blinked her eyes and ran inside home.
