Bujji and Chekku

Yesterday, I was on my way to park square, my place for rendezvous with nature and its mysteries. The place I live would hardly look like part of this nature where one concrete structure accompanies another giving a grim picture of ironies of life. After a hard day’s slog this is the best place to rejuvenate ones senses. The place I live is surrounded by little chaps who prompt me of my childhood. Bujji was the sweetest of them all.

Bujji was hop-skipping on her way back from school. Today is a very special day for her. Yes...you guessed it right, today is her birthday. World of thoughts are dancing in her mind like tender rain water that arrives during the early monsoon. All her friends ramu, lakshmi, shashi, nandini are expected to join the celebrations that she planned for the evening. Did I say “she”, no it is her grand mother. The grand old lady has completed silver jubilee and waiting for the call from her friends. Right up there. For now, Bujji is everything for her in this world. Elaborate schedule is prepared for the evening as she intends to make it a tremendous one. After all, it’s been a while that she celebrated her birthday with her friends. The change was a coincidence.

That was a long time ago; she is twelve now. Chekku, a cute and most agile of dogs, a little puppy presented by her uncle on her seventh birthday. It is black and beautiful with its entire body drowned with mammoth hair. Chekku was the dearest thing on earth for Bujji. It has become a practice for Chekku to accompany Bujji where ever she goes, to market, to her friend's house, sometimes even to loo! When they play hide and seek Chekku is the one who always helps her friend in finding her friends. There is hardly anytime that she spends without Chekku.

Her mother, venkat lakshmi always used to curse Chekku and tried her best to keep the little pet away from Bujji. Venkulu (as was called by her mother-in-law) is worried that her little daughter's studies would get spoiled as she is spending more time with Chekku than with her subjects. Satyanarayan never thought so. If chekku had a brother or a sister she would not have felt the loneliness she felt before Chekku came in. He is happy with the felicitousness on his daughters face in the company of that little dog. Sataya (as was called by his mother) is most like his mother. He thinks his little beauty is a blessing of his mother. So this father – daughter relation ship has just persisted.

That was a remote village in valley of visakapatnam. Sataya was posted to this place the following year of Bujji's birth. Basic medical needs also are miles away from their location. Venkulu was pregnant for the second time. Narayan's mother was in Vijayawada attending her grand son's marriage. It was all over by the time he returned from his work. Acquaintance tried their best to save both baby and the mother. But fate thought otherwise, baby had her last breath in the hands of venkulu.earth below her shook for a arcsecond, she went numb and dumb. This unfortunate instance had another victim, Bujji. It was her grand mother who had to take care of Bujji from then. It took venkulu another nine months to come back to her senses. They never planned for a second baby again, not even a thought ever surfaced in their mind again. Old lady never left the house after that. The family has shifted to the present place where they are close to near and dear and feel more embedded into the community.

The evening is pitched up with lights and is buzzing with the gags and giggles of the invited. The turntable is having one of its busy day in its life, playing the flavor of the season. Striplings amused by the spark of the atmosphere are all frolic under the spying eyes of their parents. Bujji was shy and unsure about what is happening around her. It was intimidating and drops of water were dangling like early morning dew that slips from the tips of the leaves during winter. The old lady took the slender hands of Bujji, kissed her fore hands and picked her up on to her shoulders. Sataya was quick to sense what Bujji was missing, chekku the pet. Shashi, nandini, ramu, lakshmi joined her in the fun. She was brought back into the humor and smile returned on her.