Quick-reads

The aroma of pooris and aloo subzi wafted through the air and filled their house. Gautami’s ancestral home was a single storey bungalow with a lawn in front, fruit bearing trees in the backyard and a little pond in the lawn.

Sakshi woke up smiling. A foodie at heart, pooris were her favourite. She ran to the kitchen and hugged her mother tugging at her saree. ‘Mummy Mummy, I want pooris. I am hungry.’ ‘Beta brush your teeth and wash your face first,’ said Gautami.

Gautami Das was widowed two years back and 7-year-old Sakshi saw her as her mom, dad and friend. Gautami was a school teacher and Sakshi studied in the same school. Life was sweetly predictable.

But when Sakshi turned 12, things changed between them. Sakshi grew morose and quiet and started spending more time with her school friends because whenever she came home, Karan uncle was there to meet her mom.

Sakshi ate alone on most days and her hunger was never quite satisfied but she let it be. Gautami and Karan had late dinner if they weren’t going out for dinner. They often returned well past midnight. They drank after returning and slept late.

Sakshi grew lonely. Even though her mom continued to cook delicious food for her, which was her favourite thing in the world, she felt ‘left out.’ She was now always hungry no matter what she ate.

The years passed. Karan Uncle became a part of their lives and Sakshi distanced herself from her mother. The question of being close to Karan never crossed her mind because he never made any effort to get to know Sakshi.

Sakshi was now 16. The school students used to taunt her about her mother and the Physics and Maths teacher, Karan. She grew silently angry inside and her anger was directed at her mother.

She found a confidante in Rohit, her classmate. They grew close and vowed to get married when they finish school. Rohit used to visit Sakshi often at home.

Gautami noticed that her daughter was going astray and protested when she saw that Rohit was getting a bit too close to Sakshi. Sakshi wouldn’t listen to a word and immediately retorted, ‘How do you know he is close to me? Is it because you’ve been close to Karan uncle for years now?’ A slap landed on Sakshi’s cheek leaving her in tears.

Their home had changed. The beautiful lawn with the pond, the fruit trees were all there but somehow love went away. The bond between mother and daughter broke. It had been breaking slowly and eventually gave way.

The only thing that remained between them was food but even that was now compromised because Karan was always there. Sakshi could not be herself in her own home.

One day, she called Rohit and made a plan to run away from home. Rohit agreed. He asked Sakshi to bring her mother’s jewelry and cash. Sakshi felt very bad stealing from her mother. She tiptoed into her room without any intention but what she saw made her see red. Her mother was in Karan’s arms, her head resting on his chest. Sakshi felt like screaming and she slowly opened the cupboard and stole the jewelry and cash.

She went out of her home and Rohit was waiting in a bike on the street corner.

***

When Gautami woke up and made pooris for Sakshi to coax her, she was surprised that she didn’t come to the kitchen. ‘I know she is still angry… I’ll make sooji ka halwa and she will surely smile at me, my little one…’ she said to herself.

‘Sakshi Sakshi, wake up beta. I made your favourite breakfast today…’ Gautami found her nowhere in the house. She asked the house help, Raju, to search for her in the colony. She called Sakshi’s friends. Gone. She was gone.

Karan and Gautami went to the police station and she told them all about Rohit and the fight they had. The police said she may come back but if not, they will find out where she is and bring her home. Rohit will be investigated because Sakshi is a minor.

***

Two years passed. Gautami never got any news of Sakshi. In guilt, she ended her relationship with Karan. She lived alone with the house help, Raju.

But every night, she made pooris, aloo ki subzi and halwa and left it in the porch with a glass of water. The first few days, the food was left as such. But, in a few days, she saw that it was all gone and she would bring the empty plate inside in the morning.

Her child left home hungry. She didn’t know who was eating the food, maybe the beggar in the street corner but that was ok. That was her penance.

One night, past midnight, Gautami heard a knock on the door. It was scary. Three slow knocks – hesistant but loud.

Gautami opened the door and let out a scream… It was Sakshi. ‘Beta, my Sakshi…’ she hugged her not noticing that she was disheveled, her clothes were soiled with mud and she looked gaunt.

Gautami was crying profusely and saying, ‘I am sorry. I am sorry. So sorry. Karan uncle is gone. He will never come. Its just going to be us – always.’

‘Maa, I am hungry,’ said Sakshi.

‘Yes, beta yes. I will make something nice for you. You go and change your clothes and clean up.’ She went to the kitchen and made some more pooris because the plate outside was empty.

Sakshi changed and came to the dining table. She didn’t look up from her plate and ate and ate and ate till there was no more food left. She looked up at Gautami and said, ‘Maa, I am hungry.’

Gautami cooked rice and dal and subzi. But Sakshi finished all of it and asked for food again.

‘Beta, how will you sleep if you eat so late. Its past 1 am. Rest now and I will cook all your favourites tomorrow. Let’s sleep in my room Beta.’

‘I don’t sleep. Maa, I am hungry.’

Gautami had to cook again. Finally, she said she is tired and wants to rest and called Sakshi inside. Sakshi said she will watch TV and then come.

Gautami went to bed.

***

The previous night

Sakshi was standing outside her home at night. She went to the gate and the beggar was sitting there. He had been eating the food Gautami put out. When Sakshi came to know of this, she was raging.

She picked him up with her left hand and twisted his neck with her right hand till his head came apart. After about half an hour Sakshi spat out the beggar’s head in a drain and let out a loud burp.  

When she realized her mother had been leaving her favourite meal for her, she decided to come back home.

***

In the morning, Gautami asked Raju to make aloo parathas for breakfast. Sakshi was sitting there and she objected. ‘Maa, I am hungry – I won’t eat if you don’t make it.’

‘Sakshi Beta, I must go to work. I’ll come back and make Biryani for you,’ said Gautami.

Sakshi – ‘No. You cannot leave me alone. You cannot go to work.’

Gautami – ‘Ok, let me take the day off today and just be with you,’ she smiled.

Gautami made aloo parathas and chutney. Sakshi ate about 20 of them till there was no flour left at home.

There was nothing to eat for Gautami and Raju, so they had some dalia.

Gautami was beyond excited to spend the day with her daughter. She asked her if she wanted to do something special. But Sakshi just wanted to be at home with her mom and watch tv.

So, that’s what they did. Raju brought snacks and nimbu pani and Sakshi silently sat there eating.

Raju asked Gautami to come aside as he wanted to discuss what ration he has to buy. When they were alone in the kitchen, Raju said, ‘Madam something wrong. Beti eating too much no Madam?’

Gautami – ‘She’s come back after long Raju. Why are you saying this?’

Raju – ‘That’s what Madam. She also look same age. No growing Madam.’

Gautami fell silent. She too felt odd around Sakshi… something was amiss. She looked at Sakshi from the kitchen and noticed that she never blinked. Not just while watching TV, but ever!

Sakshi had heard everything. She needed to be careful of Raju.

***

3 days passed. Sakshi did not allow Gautami to go to work and she ate ravenously so that Gautami and Raju were confined to the kitchen.

Sakshi didn’t speak a word when Gautami asked her where she had been all this time and what happened with her. All she said was ‘Maa, I am hungry.’

One night, when everyone was asleep, Sakshi went to the lawn because she was hungry.

She squatted at the pond and tried catching a Koi. Raju, who happened to be passing by to his outhouse after cleaning up, saw that Sakshi caught a big Koi fish and ate it alive.

Sakshi saw him and turned her head to one side innocently. She said, ‘I am hungry.’ Raju was petrified and ran into his room and locked the door.

***

7 days had passed. Gautami couldn’t take more leave at school but Sakshi just gave her a stern gaze and it was as if Gautami couldn’t move.

Around noon, Gautami got a phone call from the police station.

Investigating officer – ‘Ma’am we have some bad news. We have found out details about your daughter. She is no more…’

Gautami froze and looked at Sakshi who stared back at her.

Investigating officer – ‘Hello, ma’am, are you ok? It was a case of murder. Her boyfriend is in our custody. He had killed her for the cash and jewelry to pay for drugs.’

‘Hello? Hello?’

Gautami hung up and took Raju aside to the kitchen. They murmured amongst each other and Raju said he knows a Baba who can drive away evil spirits. He said he will call him tomorrow.

Little did they know that Sakshi could hear things that even humans and animals cannot. She could even read minds.

That night Sakshi was wandering around the garden as usual and sitting on a tree waiting for Raju.

When Raju went to the outhouse, he heard her cackling and quickly locked the door.

***

The next morning, Gautami opened the front door to collect the milk packets. A blood curdling scream. Raju’s head was lying in the middle of the porch.

Gautami didn’t know how to get rid of Sakshi. There was no way out. But she saw that a crowd had gathered outside her house gate and even that made her feel safe.

She told Sakshi she is taking a stroll in the lawn and went outside to check what melee was about.

It was the beggar’s head in the drain. Someone had seen it and called the police.

In a few minutes, the police arrived and spoke to the people around. The people nearby said that Gautami used to give him food every day.

So, the police came to her house and immediately noticed the head lying on the porch. Gautami said she killed the beggar and the cook but couldn’t make up a good motive. She was arrested as the prime suspect and taken to the lockup for interrogation.

The lockup was the only place she felt safe and she was actually glad to be there. In the lockup next to hers was Rohit. Looking taller and grown up. Sakshi’s mother wailed when she saw him. She blamed him for everything and cursed him a gruesome death.

Gautami was sleeping on the cold floor of the lockup. She woke up feeling someone was beside her, ‘MAA, I AM HUNGRY,’ Sakshi screamed bending over Gautami. Within seconds she vanished and emerged in the adjacent lockup.

There was a guttural scream.

Seconds later, the staff woke up and found Sakshi with entrails in her hand and mouth and Rohit’s head on the floor of the lock up.

***