Mine, my beloved (On Hold)

9

Ganga

I was incredibly pleased!

I'm in my mama's heart! I'm the only person in my mama's heart—heeding such words from his mouth made me feel emotional.

However, the action that followed by his sweet phrases overwhelmed me. My waist stings a little and at present, I've been assisting Mom with kitchen work while sneakily rubbing my skin to relieve the pain.

We'd chicken today as it is Sunday and it's our custom to have our food together on this day. And not at home but on the soil mattress lying alongside our field. In there—stands a callous tree that shields us from the sun's rays and overlooks us as we happily have our food underneath its warmth.

Similar to all other Sundays', this one passed with the same practice. We'd our food while chattering about random things. It was soulful—given that I was already in a very good mood, I relished the breakfast and the family time.

Forthwith, I played various outdoor games with my siblings such as pallanguzhi, pamparam, kallukuthi kalli, etc...

[Pallanguzhi- a traditional South Indian board game, especially popular in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. It is played on a wooden board with two rows, each containing seven pits. The game is often played with cowrie shells, tamarind seeds, or small stones]

[In Tamil Nadu, "Pamparam" (also known as "Pambaram" or "Pambaram Potti") is a traditional game involving a small, spinning top. Players spin the top on the ground and attempt to keep it spinning for as long as possible. The game often includes various tricks and challenges, such as trying to spin the top in specific ways or competing to see whose top spins the longest]

[Vattu kalli or Kallukuthi Kalli-It's a traditional game from Kerala where players hop through rectangles drawn on the ground and use flat stones. The game shares similarities with hopscotch and is enjoyed for its simplicity and the physical activity it involves]

We were so immersed in playing various games and enjoying our time that we had no appetite when noon came by. Yet our parents were very pushy and compelled us to have our food. Done with the meals, our parents retired to seize a nap while we rushed to the area adjacent to our field to resume our games again.

Presently, my sibling Gayathri is blindfolded and is trying to catch us who were shifting around her giddily. Unfortunately, she captured me and the three devils were more than happy to have me blindfolded.

“Finally it's Akka's turn!” says my brother Kavin as he brings the blindfold to my eyes. I grumpily yet determinedly took the challenge.

As soon as the game began, I was keen on heeding their footsteps and every small movement of theirs. I need to focus on those to trap these three devils. To my bad luck, I failed to even touch one of them even when they offered me signals through clapping noise. I was fed up after a while and stood alike a statue.

But I wasn't going to back down. I was waiting for the right moment to attack and nab these people who were playing with me. Suddenly, I heard a footstep approaching me and I didn't think twice before moving in the direction and clutching the person...

What...

Why does this scent remind me of my mama? Wait—this is my mama!

I hurriedly take off the blindfold and step back with a surprised look on my countenance.

On the other hand, mama was slightly smiling. “Why have you come here?” words run out of my mouth before I can regulate them.

“Shouldn't I come here then?” he retorts, watching me carefully. Behind him stands my siblings who were delighted to meet my mama. “Right...what are you even asking Mama Akka?” Gayathri comes in support of my mama...

“No, I mean...why are you here suddenly?” I clarify to Mama and look at him expectantly.

“I bought some things for you guys but I had forgotten to bring them here the past day. Hence I decided to drop by here today. I entered your house—Athai and Mama were sleeping in the living room and I didn't have the heart to wake them up. So when I saw you people playing, I came to you,” he shrugs casually.

“Let's go inside mama, come,” Gayathri grips Mama's arms and guides him to our home. My brothers and I follow them behind...

My heartbeat has started to go off-beat. I can't seem to think straight either. Even so, I gathered myself and stood quietly inside my home once my parents rose and conversed with my mama. A while later, mama ushered my siblings to unzip the quite huge carrier and my curious sister and brothers eagerly unleashed the products that were stuffed inside.

We were all in awe...

There were so many different kinds of products, ranging from a variety of chocolates to cosmetics. Mama always gets us something when he comes back from the city but this is the first time he'd purchased a ton of materials.

“Why would you buy all of these...this would have cost too much,” my mother expresses worriedly. “That's fine aunt. Do not be distressed about the cost. I just wanted to get things for my aunt's children and I got it,” his nonchalance and generous demeanor had my parents regard him with respect and adoration in their eyes.

Henceforth, mama began to speak with my siblings and neglected my existence altogether. I was quite disheartened but I remained normal...

Even while he was exiting my home, he bid bye to everyone except me. It was painful—yet I subsisted behind my parents as Mama hopped inside the car. As he started the vehicle, my parents walked inside while my siblings never came out as they were busy checking the products Mama had acquired for them...

Now it was just me who prevails outside the house and I was mutely seeing my mama as he prepares to depart in the car. All of a sudden, the moving car pauses and Mama calls out to me. “A glass of water,” I quickly dash inside my home and exit with a cup of water in my hold.

The car was standing quite far from the entrance of our home and as I lent the water to Mama, he gulped the water in a go and forwarded the empty glass back to me.

“Your hand,” he asks and unfolds his palm when I was preparing to move.
Without second thoughts, I place my free hand in his open palm and Mama removes the ring from his finger and slides it into mine. It was a golden one with a pretty heart. Several white stones have outlined it and it was very appealing to the eyes.

“I bought it for you. Keep this hidden from your family...they might not accept this,” he asserts and unexpectedly prints a kiss on my ring finger.

I couldn't help but shut my legs tight as a weird sensation ran to my private spot...

“I'm going back to Bangalore tomorrow. I'll be starting at noon,” My heart hurt heeding his departure.

“Mama...I want to be with you,” I state my genuine wish while he just kisses my fingers again before speaking up, “Come out of your house at midnight. I'll be here—we can talk for a while,” he plants another kiss on my finger and it was so intense as his eyes were on me when his lips spotted themselves against my finger...

“Okay, mama...” I say lowly as bizarre feelings begin to flip my stomach.

“Will be back soon, bye,” he finally leaves my hand and I sigh a low breath of relief.

“Hm...” I nod my head at him and observe as he drives away in his car.

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