Fifteen year old Roshni tapped her younger brother, ten year old Rohit lightly on the head. Rohit let out a cry. The middle sister, Reshma peeped out. As did granny Kamala. "What's happening?"
"Roshni di hit me on the head!"
"Roshni?" granny asked severely.
"I didn't dadi! He is lying as usual!"
"No, it hurts..." the boy said dissolving in tears.
"Don't lie Rohit!" Roshni warned.
He ran to his grandmother and tried to land her a punch. She ran around her grandmother and managed to cuff him. The grandmother futilely tried to stop her but on catching her, slapped Roshni's wrist. "Why do you do this everytime? Why can't you leave the boy in peace!"
"Oh he is a cry baby!" Roshni taunted her brother, making him cry more and making Reshma laughed. Grandmother glared at the two girls. "You should be ashamed of yourself."
"Why! I didn't even do anything! He is just playacting and you fall for it everytime! See how he is grinning from behind you?"
Rohit indeed was, but expecting his grandmother to turn to look at him, he changed it to a droopy expression. Kamala hugged the boy and said, "Leave these bad girls. I will give you a chocolate, my poor darling..."
Roshni shook her head. "He can never do any wrong, the brat!"
A while later, Rohit snatched the book she was reading and she pounced on him, pinning the boy under him. "Dadi!" the boy cried out and got Roshni into trouble.
"Why are you always scolding me? You never say anything to him! He snatched my book!"
"He is just playing!"
"But he made such a fuss when I tapped him on his head playfully!"
"He is a small boy!"
"Granny, I think you are giving him too much room!"
"He is a boy, you have to accommodate for his playfulness."
Roshni stared at her granny stunned.
***
Reshma remembered this incident as she saw a similar scene unfold in front of her eyes fifty years later. Roshni and her granddaughter locking horns about her grandson. "He is a boy, he will be mischievous! It is you who must adjust, you are a girl!"
"Why!"
"Because adjusting comes more easily to girls," Roshni gave her infallible logic drilled into her over the years.
"Roshni di hit me on the head!"
"Roshni?" granny asked severely.
"I didn't dadi! He is lying as usual!"
"No, it hurts..." the boy said dissolving in tears.
"Don't lie Rohit!" Roshni warned.
He ran to his grandmother and tried to land her a punch. She ran around her grandmother and managed to cuff him. The grandmother futilely tried to stop her but on catching her, slapped Roshni's wrist. "Why do you do this everytime? Why can't you leave the boy in peace!"
"Oh he is a cry baby!" Roshni taunted her brother, making him cry more and making Reshma laughed. Grandmother glared at the two girls. "You should be ashamed of yourself."
"Why! I didn't even do anything! He is just playacting and you fall for it everytime! See how he is grinning from behind you?"
Rohit indeed was, but expecting his grandmother to turn to look at him, he changed it to a droopy expression. Kamala hugged the boy and said, "Leave these bad girls. I will give you a chocolate, my poor darling..."
Roshni shook her head. "He can never do any wrong, the brat!"
A while later, Rohit snatched the book she was reading and she pounced on him, pinning the boy under him. "Dadi!" the boy cried out and got Roshni into trouble.
"Why are you always scolding me? You never say anything to him! He snatched my book!"
"He is just playing!"
"But he made such a fuss when I tapped him on his head playfully!"
"He is a small boy!"
"Granny, I think you are giving him too much room!"
"He is a boy, you have to accommodate for his playfulness."
Roshni stared at her granny stunned.
***
Reshma remembered this incident as she saw a similar scene unfold in front of her eyes fifty years later. Roshni and her granddaughter locking horns about her grandson. "He is a boy, he will be mischievous! It is you who must adjust, you are a girl!"
"Why!"
"Because adjusting comes more easily to girls," Roshni gave her infallible logic drilled into her over the years.
