Home alone

While certain days in my childhood are fresh in my mind, certain days are not.  I still remember a specific Saturday during my 7^th standard. I had gone to stay with my grandmother in Nilgiris for half-yearly vacations. It was cool weather.

 My grandma is a blend of both strictness and lenience. She showers unconditional love on me and dotes on me, but still she scolds me when I don’t follow self-discipline, like eating a lot, listening to my favorite songs with loud music, going out without her permission, etc.

Well, that particular day, my grandma had to go out for shopping. She asked me whether I would like to join her. Immediately, happy thoughts started to race in my mind. Great! She won’t be there for at least 2 hours! I can be alone and enjoy! I can listen to my favorite music by maintaining the volume high! I can eat a lot, without restrictions! All these thoughts immediately made me bring out my innate acting skill and show a dull face, “No granny.. I am not feeling too good today.. I don’t know,..I think the samosa that I ate in that chat shop is showing its effects (actually I didn’t have any stomach upset, but still convinced her with my “acting skills”. )

My grandmother showed a wise look, which I was not able to discern. Did she really believe me or she knew that I was tricking her? But to my happiness, she asked me to stay at home safe.

Appada! I felt..Now I am home alone. I can do things according to my pleasure. There are no restrictions, no scoldings, etc. I can have my own way.

My grandma left the house and I locked the door. It was 7 pm when she left. She told that she was going to a nearby store only. So I knew she will come home soon. I enjoyed that time at home, and when I started feeling that it would be better for grandma to come now, she didn’t come. I waited for half an hour more and didn’t know how, I fell asleep..

Then suddenly I got up from my bed.  I realized that grandma still didn’t come. Then I went to the back of our house to wash my face. There I observed a strange thing. Someone was wearing mask in the face. and I couldn’t make out whether it is a man or woman. The person was completed disguised. That person was trying to get inside the house by jumping through the back wall.  It was very dark that time. As alert I am in such things, I immediately took a stick and started to beat that person. I could hear a woman’s voice and to my surprise, it was my grandma!

She opened her mask and looked at me in a weird manner. Then she told, “hey girl! I just wanted to test whether you are alert and hence this disguise. Not bad! You are indeed alert! Way to go!”

After gathering my thoughts, I told finally, “Granny! I know you were a good athlete and is very brave…but you shouldn’t have scared me like this by trying to test me.” Then we both laughed out loud and went inside the house, after closing the back door too.

After that incident, many times I used to think about it. It dawned upon me that my grandma was always my well-wisher and there is a reason behind her strictness. But still I believed then that she will give me such “home alones” so that I can have a great time. She also knows that I want such days and leaves me alone sometimes. It’s a silent understanding between us..