Dad- Daughter Talks
"Haven't I told you that you blabber a lot in your sleep?"
"Me..? No, never Gopi. I sleep like a log and don't make the slightest noise," said Sundari to her brother.
"Hmm! Then how do you think I found out where you had hidden my Rubik's cube? You spill all kinds of secrets during your sleep," said Gopi and made a silly face.
"Shut up and mind your business Gopi," said Sundari. She seemed lost in thoughts.
"You seem as though you are hiding a lot from us." Sundari's father barged into their conversation.
"No, Appa! Come on. You know very well that you and I are best buddies," exclaimed Sundari, smiling sheepishly.
"Very well! By the way, princess! It's been some time since we both had those dad-daughter talks. Can we go somewhere?"
"Sure, Appa! Have I done something to upset you?"
"Absolutely not! Let's go to the Sundae shop nearby. We can have butterscotch ice cream as we talk."
"Sounds cool. Let's go."
***
Sundari's dad ordered two scoops of butterscotch ice cream. Though Sundari was gulping it down, her mind was preoccupied with several thoughts.
I got a tardy slip twice last week and didn't bother to tell Appa. Did I spill it out yesterday in my sleep?!
I skipped music class on Sunday and went to the beach with a friend. Maybe I blabbered about that!
Why is Appa being extra nice to me?
"Sundari! Would you like more ice cream?" asked her dad.
"No, Appa. You wished to talk," said Sundari.
"Actually, I have a secret to share with you."
"You? A secret? Tell me everything."
"When I was your age, I had a friend named Krishnaveni–actually she was my crush. I loved her round eyes, small jimikis, and the orange kanakambaram that adorned her neatly braided hair. My heart skipped a beat every time she walked past me."
"Appa! You? Crush? And then what happened?" Sundari stared at her father in disbelief.
"Well! Got a couple of D's for shifting my focus on her instead of Algebra and Newton's laws. Eventually, she moved to a different school. My interest in crush was crushed. I realized the consequences of my temporary digression. And once again focused my attention on studies. The end."
"Aww! So cute but sad."
"Well, the point is, such attractions are quite common in this age. It's just a phase. However, one should not get carried away too much."
"Absolutely Appa! Glad you shared your secret with me. Hee hee!"
"My talk is over now. Let's go home now. And give my regards to your friends– Arti, Charu, and Raaaa…hul."
Sundari's expression changed immediately. She had never mentioned anything about the newcomer Rahul.
"But how do you know Rahul?"
"Well! You do blabber a lot in your sleep, dumbo," said her dad.
The cat was out of the bag.
"Point taken, Appa," said Sundari and burst out with laughter.
Glossary
Jimiki – Jhumka earrings
Kanakambaram – Firecracker flower-an orange colored flower
The first line for this story has been borrowed from The Ominous Star by Sudha Vishwanath.
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