章 4: It’s a Cry for Help of a Motherless Child
There was a soft knock on the door. Suhasini had just finished arranging her clothes in the cupboard. ‘Come in please’, she said as the door slowly opened and walked in a young woman. She smiled at Suhasini as she walked in carrying a pair of pillow covers and bedsheet with painted yellow primroses. ‘Namaste madam, I am Sudha’, she said. Suhasini nodded looking at her, the yellow color vermillion that filled the center parting of her hair told Suhasini that she was recently married though she looked too young to be married. ‘I am sorry madam; I was supposed to make your bed ready before you arrived but…’
‘Oh! It’s alright. Don’t worry’, Suhasini said and walked ahead to help Sudha with the bedsheet. ‘So you work here alone or does your husband also work here?’ Suhasini inquired.
‘He does’, she said shyly.
‘Oh, that’s nice. What’s his name?’
‘Ahhh…mmm…madam, how do I call my husband’s name? It’s a sin! He is my Lord’, she said coyly.
Suhasini shook her head exasperatedly, it was a norm for wives to not ever say their husband’s name aloud but Suhasini being the independent and educated woman detested such rules. ‘Fine, don’t tell me, it’s alright’, she said.
Sudha’s face fell, ‘are you upset with me madam?’
‘No…no…not at all, don’t be silly’, Suhasini smiled in order to cajole the poor girl.
‘You have met him, madam, my husband…’, Sudha coyly fidgeted with her shawl.
‘Met him?’, Suhasini wondered for a moment, ‘oh! You mean, Mohan? He is your husband?’
Sudha nodded feeling shy and walked to the door but before exiting she turned and said, ‘madam, I am glad that you have come and I really wish that you stay with us longer than the rest did.’
Suhasini frowned, ‘what do you mean, Sudha? Is Madhavi a very naughty child?’
Sudha bit her lip. Suhasini realized her worry and said, ‘don’t worry, whatever you tell me will stay with me.’
Sudha relieved said, ‘madam, being naughty is not bad, every child should be naughty but Madhavi, she is an obstinate child. And sometimes very badly behaved. No wonder Nihaal Saheb has so much difficulty finding a governess locally.’
Suhasini was quiet when the sudden honking of the ambassador car startled her. Sudha instantly said, ‘oh! It seems Madhavi is back from school.’
Before Suhasini could say anything they both were shocked by wailings of a child.
Suhasini said, ‘Oh my god! I hope Madhavi is fine! Why is she crying like that?’
‘It is nothing madam, I am sure it is another tantrum of hers’, said an irked Sudha.
Suhasini didn’t look happy and curtly said, ‘it’s not a tantrum, it is a cry for help of a motherless child, Sudha. Now hurry up, we need to see what is wrong’, and she walked out of the room.
*****
The wailing got louder as Suhasini followed by Sudha came rushing to the drawing room. Suhasini saw Mohan holding Madhavi in his arms and she was nothing more than small bundle of screams and tears. She threw her arms and legs so hard and so wild that it was difficult for Mohan to hold her still. This surprised Suhasini and also scared her a little.
‘Sudhaaa!’, screamed Mohan.
Sudha rushed to her husband’s help. Suhasni watching agape as the couple somehow managed to put the little girl on the sofa who refused to stop crying. That’s when Suhasini’s eyes fell on Madhavi’s scraped knee…it was bleeding badly. The blood had trickled down her knee and messed up her white uniform socks. Suhasini panicked seeing the girl hurt stepped ahead, saying, ‘Sudha what are you waiting for? Get the first aid! Hurry up!!’
Sudha nodded apprehensively but didn’t move, Suhasini exasperated at Sudha stepped ahead. But a sharp wail mixed with a piercing scream from Madhavi halted Suhasini shocked.
‘Madam, she will not let any of us touch her wound. She will scream until she faints if we even try, it is only Nihaal Saheb whom she’ll let tend her wound’, said Sudha feeling sorry for Suhasini.
‘What are you waiting for Sudha, go and phone Nihaal Saheb. He must be at the tea garden office’, shouted Mohan to make himself heard over Madhavi’s howling.
Sudha hurried towards the golden rotary on a carved side table. Suhasini stood frozen when her eyes fell on Madhavi’s school bag, it was covered with printed pictures of princesses in beautiful gowns and tiaras. Her panic vanished and she rushed towards her room.
Mohan and Sudha were trying to cajole Madhavi when a few moments later Suhasini walked back in the room. Sudha and Mohan’s jaws dropped as they saw her. And to their shock Madhavi’s wailing had stopped as she looked at Suhasini who stood in a pink tulle frilly gown and a choker necklace which she had managed to pin on her head to look like a tiara.
‘I know you don’t like anyone else to touch your wound but won’t you allow Princess Suha to take a look?’, Suhasini said hoping to convince Madhavi. She stared at Suhasini quietly, Suhasini asked again, ‘won’t you? I thought you loved Princesses. Don’t you love them anymore? They will feel sad and cry if you don’t love them anymore.’ Suhasini pretended to be upset when Madhavi said, ‘I do love princesses! Princess Suha you can check my wound.’
Suhasini smiled and sat to tend to Madhavi’s wound while Mohan and Sudha watched in awe.
-- 贈り物
が届きました 
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット