Forgotten!


It was a hot summer Sunday. Mother just came out of the shower ..a crisp starched saree in pastel yellow..and wet hair…freshness oozing!
Ravi and his cousins were chatting and playing in the garden while the elders sipped on cool lemonade and discussed worldly affairs.
The children decided to play one of their favourite games-Hide and Seek. “Today I will hide in a place that no one is able to guess” Ravi thought. He went around the large house looking for a place to hide. A store room filled with old and broken furniture was ideal, he thought.
At the count of 10, the children ran to hide themselves. Ravi mustered every bit of courage and went into the dark room..What if there were spiders and lizards? He decided to brave it. He wanted to win today. He hid behind a broken table …sweat was tickling down his back..He took the name of all the Gods introduced to him by his mother! “I will emerge victorious this time”..he coaxed himself!
He imagined the moment when he would come out and all his cousins would roll their eyes in amazement as to where he had been and how he had managed to hide so skillfully. He tingled in excitement.
He lost track of time imagining all the words of praise  he would listen to..how his father would ruffle his hair and show his pride for a smart boy that he was.
After a while, he decided that it was time to come out…Everybody would be looking for him..some even anxious. Maybe mother would hug him tight and say how worried she was about his safety. Oh what a great feeling that would be!
Slowly and carefully he maneuvered the broken bits of wood and large jute bags filled with god knows what garbage!
He opened the rickety door and sunrays streamed into the dark dungeon.
He tiptoed his way to the garden. “They would all shriek now” he imagined and closed his ears as he stepped out.
Children were playing another game this time…elders were basking in the sun with the hats on their faces..Mother was busy cooking for the family.
He then realized that he has been completely forgotten. The game was over long time back. Nobody looked for him…Nobody even knew he wasn’t around.
Ravi took a glass of lemonade and sipped it... He swallowed the cool drink…and all those emotions that no one would ever know existed.



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