TUSHI HAS A SECRET TO TELL

 Tushi is up. The rays of the morning sun have filled the room.
"Maaaaaaaaaaaa. Where is papa", She yells.

Pulling her payjama with one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other she romps down the stairwell.

"Maaaaaaaaaa." She shouts again. "Am hungry. Give me something to eat."
Ma comes out of the kitchen where she is busy helping others make breakfast. It is Sunday so the day of puri and sabzi.

She picks up the three year old and sits her on the kitchen shelf.

"What is it?"

"Where is papa"

"He will return from work t’mrw"

"I have to speak to him just now."

"Well why? He is traveling"

"No I have to na I have to tell him something important."

Tichi fui who has been listening to all this says," ok what do you have to tell him?"

"I will not tell you"

"Well why?"

"It is something only Kuldeep fua and I know." Kuldeep looks up from his plate and smiles at Tichi fui.

"What have you taught her?" asks Tichi fui.

He looks at Tushi and says,"that is a secret, isn’t it?"

Tushi nods her head.

And she jumps down from the shelf and comes running to Kuldeep fua. He takes her in her lap and says, "Have you brushed your teeth?"

"No."

"So let’s go to the bath and you polish your teeth and bathe and then we return to our puri sabzi."

Ma looks at the two and smiles.

"Yes the puris can wait."

Fua takes Tushi to the bath cleans her and now the little girl dressed in a red pajama and pink blouse is ready to join all at the breakfast table.

"I want to eat with Kuldeep Fua. With him from the same plate."

"Don’t bother him let him be at peace," retorts Ma.

"Let her be." says Kuldeep Fua smiling.

Tushi likes to eat her puris with sugar. The hot puffed puris are on the plate. Ma rolls one with sugar and gives it Tushi. She takes a bite. Kuldeep fua’s phone rings.

"This is papa," shouts Tushi with her mouth full. She drops the rolled puri on the table.

Kuldeep hands the phone to Tushi. With the phone in her oiled right hand she shouts, " Papaaaaaaaa."

Tushi shouts all in one breath "Papaaaaa I know my name. I am Tushita ...... And you know who taught me Kuldeep Fua."

Ma looks up from her plate her brows twitched. Tichi Fui too looks surprised. Ba smiles.

Papa laughs wondering oh the beautiful little girl has a beautiful tongue too.