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Chapter 4: Lol, I'm fat

"Mom" I shout from the stairs "Open the door."

"Mom!" I shout again when she doesn't responds.

I finally reach the door and find it open. I can hear the clang of utensils from the kitchen as mom prepares lunch.

I remove the shoes outside the door and step in, at the same moment Poonam, our house maid scolds "Go to your room directly. I'm mopping the living room floor"

"Okay" I say and tip toe my way across the living room to the kitchen.

"Mom" I whine "What are you making?"

"Rice." Mom replies placing the pressure cooker on the stove.

"I hate rice"

"You are already an embarrassment enough when we go outside" Mom taunts "People in the village ask me why isn't your daughter eating anything?"

"Your village people can go to hell for all I care." I snap.

"They are your relatives." she admonishes me "Is this how you talk about them?"

"Well they are a sorry bunch of people." I say acidly.

"Just because they are backward and didn't have the same privileges you have doesn't make them any less than you" Mom mutters, adding salt to unwanted boiled rice water.

Scooping a spoon out of the cooked rice tumbler, she adds it to the water and hands it to me after stirring "Here eat or drink this before it gets cold. It will make you thin."

I give her a strained smile and walk out with the bowl in my hand and school bag on my shoulders.

"Change your clothes, before you father comes home." she orders as I shut my bedroom door gently so that she doesn't think I am mad at her.

*****

"Please uncle" I plead to the bald man sitting on the chair "I promise this is the last time."

He frowns at me "That's what you said last time."

"Uncle I was busy. I had my preboards and didn't get time to come here and re-issue the book" I reason with him.

"I saw you eating Pani Puri just outside the library. Don't lie to me Akeela. I might be old but I see everything" he scoffs.

He opens the book with my record "Fifteen days late. You have to pay fine. I can't go around playing favourites."

"That would be 150 bucks. Ten bucks for each day." He says finally going through my record once again.

"You are a mean old man." I tell him.

"I have got better lungs than you girl. It is only three floors you climbed and here you stand after a minute still panting from the exertion" he roasted me.

The girl behind me laughs. I glare at the old man "I hope your progeny gets common cold."

I wanted to say STD's but that might be taking it too far. He already said I'm his favourite even though I forget returning books, I don't want to spoil that.

******

Kesha's mom calls me in the night "Beta" she says in a sweet voice "Did something happened today at school?"

"I don't know Aunty" I reply already not liking where this is going.

"Then why did she come home and cried all evening?" concern lacing her tone.

I wanted to say that might be because she failed all her subjects. But knowing Kesha that might not be the case.

"I don't know Aunty. I will talk to her." I won't.

"Thank you, Beta!"

"No problem. Good night" I cancel the call.