The Monster

“Suni!!!Come beta,lets get ready!”
A 7 years old suni who was filling colors in her drawing book,turned towards her mom.

“For what Muma?”she asked surprised to see her mom,holding her favorite tunic.

“We are going to visit Sharma uncle and his family.” Anita told suni and started changing her clothes.

Suni’s face fell suddenly. A cold shiver ran through her body. she tried to stop her mom,”I don’t want to go there,you and papa go!”

“C’mon suni,be a good girl” Anita changed her clothes and and progressed to her shoes. She was prepared for this reaction of suni.

Before every visit to sharmas,this happens. Last time also Suni was very upset and quiet while coming back.
Suni never wants to go there,beside the fact that she and Aarush, Sharma’s son are the best friends.
In fact,Sharmas are the only to whom her family is close to.

“But muma,I don’t like to go there”Suni stumped her foot in anger and frustration.
“Why beta?you dont like to play with aarush?he is your best friend, isn’t he?” Anita pampered her little angel and went inside her room to get ready.

Little suni was upset,not because she had a fight with aarush 2 days back in school and they were not talking with each other since then,but because of some other reason.It was true that she and Aarush are best friends,they use to share lunch,notes,pencil,eraser and what not,but somehow she never wants to go to his home.

———

The three of them came back in a very distracted mood.Suni was terrified and scared and was sobbing whole way.Mr. and Mrs. Agnihotri,the bad parents of Suni,according to Mrs.Sharma were upset,angry,frustrated and shocked with their daughter’s behavior with Mr.Sharma few hours back at his home.

It was all going fine. Both Sharmas and Agnihotris just had very delicious dinner together and suni and Arush went inside arush’s room to play.
Both the parents were happy that their kids have resolved their fight and had just done a ‘Mucchi'(Promise to be friends again).
Suddenly Arush came outside holding an album in his hand,Suni was still inside.

“Muma, aunty look at this album,it nice, isn’t it?”he asked.

Both of the ladies took the task very seriously and got busy in checking the album while Arush told,”I showed it to Suni but she said it is a crap!”

“Then what did you say?” asked Mr.Sharma laughing.

“I said,it is good and then…she said its not..and…we had a fight..and now she is not talking to me and is sitting angry in the room.”said Arush in a low tone.

“These kids are impossible!”Said Suni’s father.

“Its ok,they are kids..I’ll go and get my sweetheart out here”Said Mr.Sharma and went inside the room.

And then that happened!After few moments,Suni came running out of the room screaming loud.After her Mr.Sharma came out agitated,holding his left hand with right.

“This girl is little monster”He said trying to hold his anger to burst out and cover his pain with a fake smile.

“Suni,what did you do?”Asked her father,shocked.

“Its ok,she just bite my hand,its ok.”said Mr.Sharma revealing his hand. It was very badly bitten,leaving a deep mark of bite. It had swelled and red.

Suni hide behind her mother seeing her father in anger.

“Its ok Mr.Agnihotri,she is a kid.”Said Mr.Sharma trying to make the situation normal.

Mrs Sharma grabbed her husband’s hand…”I think you need to better take care of your daughter”

“I am very sorry Sharma jee…Please take care…Lets go Suni!”said an embarrassed Father and they strolled off.
——-

“Suni!This is really not done!this is what you learn in your school,to behave like an animal,a monster?” Mr. agnihotri, Suni’s father growled.

Anita tried to interfere but her husband was very angry,he did not listen.

“See,Anie!What had she done!!”He continued “She just bite Sharma’s hand and that too so badly!”

He shrugged Suni’s shoulder,”Are you a monster!!!”

Suni did not utter a single word,she kept looking at the ground.Tears were rolling down on her cheeks.Anita looked at her daughter, worried. She did not get much scoldings yet,then why she started crying. It was very unusual,she never does that.

“Its ok ajay”She gestured her husband to stop.

She,then kneeled down to look at little suni’s face,”What happened princess?You never behave like this before?” she asked politely.

Suni was quiet,she did not say anything.

Anita caressed her fingers on her cheeks,”No one will scold you beta,tell me why did you gnaw Sharma uncle’s hand?”

Suni did not say anything and ran into her room.

Anita looked at her husband who was very frustated and disappointed.She nodded her head positively. She knew that Suni will tell her everything when she will be normal and she also knew that her daughter will never do such thing without any reason. Her conscience was not letting her to believe the things as they happened. She had a feeling that something wrong had happened, a very bad feeling!

After sometime,she went inside Suni’s room.The little girl was sitting in her bed with her favorite drawing book in her lap. She was drawing something very seriously.

Anita sat beside her and stroke her fingers in her hairs,

“What are you drawing?”she asked calmly.

Suni did not say anything,instead she showed her drawing to her mother.

Anita was shocked on what she saw.It was a black monster heading over a small girl with his fingers having long penetrating nails.The little girl was scared and terrified and the monster was ugly and very scary.She had given them name as well.The girl was Suni and the monster was Mr.Sharma!

Anita was shocked and fearful,she was speechless,could’nt utter a single word.She just clutched her daughter and hugged her tightly,very tightly.She could feel that Suni was cold,very cold.She hold her like this
for a moment and then she said,”We will kill this monster baby,don’t worry!Muma will take care of it,you don’t worry,muma is here with you!”

Suni sobbed ,”Thank you muma for believing me this time”

Anita knew what to do now. She was quite determined while Suni was normal now.The warmth was coming back.She knew that her mother will take care of the monster.

__END__