The "well-deserved" break!

She woke up that morning feeling very lethargic. The last week had been very hectic and she simply decided to take a break that day. The maid had not been coming for the last couple of days nursing her sick child at home. The cook had also disappeared since her daughter was getting married that week – all in all, Meera had had a very erratic schedule the whole of last week.

Packing off the daughter to school, Meera was ready for her relaxed day to begin. Her husband was on one of his long tours and was not expected till the next week. She called in sick at the office – she sat in front of the mirror and noticed some dark circles under the eyes. Let them be there today – it’s my day to just do nothing, she reminded herself.

Meera cancelled the idea of taking a bath and the question of cooking never really crossed her mind. A call to the nearby hotel would ensure her a good lunch whenever she got really hungry. She remembered to put her phone on a silent mode. She went into her room; took the incomplete mystery thriller of many days into her hand and settled down. The popcorn next to her bed was all that she needed to take her through the next couple of hours.

Suddenly the door bell rang….Meera ignored it first hoping whoever was at the bell would think there is no one at home and go away. But it rang…persistently! With heavy feet and a heavy heart, she kept aside the book and went towards the door.

The bell rang again……and she reluctantly opened the door. At the door was her husband....On seeing her, he simply asked “Surprised?”

It was a dark cloudy morning....

It was September - the rains had poured all through the earlier day. Water poodles everywhere and a humid air prevailed. Walking down the street were two little kids, aged 7 and 9, on their way to their school. The girl, the elder of the two, had a serene expression on her face..some incident of last evening at home had left her twiddling her little fingers. The little boy was trying his best to match his steps with her. It was an arduous task for him and he barely managed. Their threadbare footwear were making things even more difficult for them.

The morning drizzle started and it was a matter of reaching the small school a kilometre away even faster. Suddenly from nowhere, a car whizzed past them. The car splashed water all over and within seconds, both the kids were drenched to the skin! A moment they looked at each other - a fear of missing school registering on their faces....but it vanished within a second. They looked at each other and their wet uniforms - another expression took over - it was sheer joy! Yipeee they screamed and began jumping in the muddy water! It was holiday for them and they sprang homewards!