"I AM" Collection

The Fourth Floor

Hello, I am Rani. This is my story. This is how it happened.

The rains were dripping down the clouds like it does on the fourth floor. I was bored. I did not have anyone to play on the rainy days. Oh, I have not mentioned. I never have anyone to play with me in this huge mansion. My dolls can only blink and walk, and I get very bored with them sometimes.

I don’t have any friends to play today. There is only silence and I can hear the water falling on the fourth floor. I wanted to see, whether all my friends went up there to see water. But I am afraid of the fourth floor. I feel cold, there. But my friends must be up there, seeing the soft, cold rains pattering. How unfair that they get to see rains and touch them, while I get cold? At least here, my mama is there, sitting by the fire. She is sewing new dresses for me. She loves to sew. I asked my mother, ‘Can you come with me to the fourth floor, mama?’ She only sniffled, and continued her work. I took that as a yes, and walked out of the room. The sound of my anklets echoes in the hallway. I love that sound.

The stairs were too big for me. Still, I try my best to climb up. My hands and legs get dusty. I sneeze, loudly. It took me so much time, I was hungry, until I got to the fourth floor. No one lived here, and no one came here. I sneezed again, and looked at the rains falling. I clapped. Those water drops were so nice! Like pearls my mama wears! I giggled, as it tried to touch me. It tickles me every time. I feel cold. But I move forward, to see my friends. They are sitting on the window, enjoying the cold rains.

My best of friends. Lala, can move her back and blink so fast. Kiva, has strong arms and a loud voice. I remember the first time I hold her hand, and she started screaming. I cried so loudly. But now I am grown up, I don’t cry hearing to her loud voice. Then, there is Dada, with his motorbike. I love him so much! He was with me, when I first came to the fourth floor. I was screaming, and he was holding me, never letting me go. But Ninki, where is she? She was right on the top of the display shelf. She is my favourite. She makes sudden noises, and she moves very fast, that I get dizzy when I play peak-a-boo with her. But she is pretty, and she never goes to see the rains without me. But where is she?
The rain was falling on the others, and my other friends were enjoying it. But I had to find Ninki. She never sees rain without me, for so many years now! I walked around, to find her, in the rooms, under the table. Did I tell you, Ninki likes to play peak-a-boo, a lot? She is good at it, and I never find her. I told her I am going to see rains. But she did not come. I waited and waited, even the rains had gone now. So, I turn to the stairs, to find her standing right there. I am angry at her, and ask her where she was? I tell her I was looking for her, but she hides away from me? I scold her like my mama does, when she worries that I left the room. But she says nothing. Ninki likes to talk so much. Why is she so quiet today? What happened? I went closer to her, and tell her to speak. But she only blinks and blinks. I shake her, but she speaks nothing. I throw her at my other friends, and climbed down the stairs.

She was right behind me, and she finally spoke to me, ‘Welcome home, Rani.’ I was dizzy. Did I tell you, that Ninki is so fast, she makes me dizzy? It is different, and this time, it hurts. I feel warm rains, this time. I feel hurt, but the warm rains are so nice. They don’t tickle. I hear my anklets echoing, and Dada is holding me again. I am back in the room with my mother as she sews me new dresses. But did I forget to mention, mama, that those dresses are so big for me? Did I not tell you, mama, I did not grow up a day, ever since I went to the fourth floor?