Tale Behind The Tale

PART 6: ASHWATTAMA

This one is for DrauniPriya :) Hope you like it!

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"Rama! Come here!!"

One of the boys I was playing with, turned. His mother was calling him.

He ran to her. She had a glass in her hand. Rama got it and gulped it in one go. He rushed back towards us.

"What was it that you just had?", I asked curiously, pointing towards something white atop his lips. "It looks like a moustache!"

Everyone laughed. "Oh, that", said Rama smiling, wiping off the traces of whatever he drank. "That's milk."

"Milk?", I asked quizzically. "What is milk?"

All the boys stared at me incredulously. "Don't tell me you don't know what milk is!"

I didn't reply, embarrassed. Was I supposed to know?

Probably. It just seemed to be a drink.

All the boys started laughing. "Oh look", they jeered. "Ashwattama doesn't even know what milk is!"

I stood there, shame rolling through me. Tears burned my eyes. "Ashwattama!!!", a voice called out.

It was my mother.

I bolted to our hut, eager to get away from the taunting laughs and remarks. She was smiling at me.

Or atleast, she was, until she saw my face. "What happened, son?", she asked, concern written all over her face.

I went to her and hugged her legs. "What is milk, Ma?", I asked through the folds of her saree. She stiffened.

"Why do you ask?"

"One of my friends there was drinking some of that and when I asked him what it was, they all started laughing because I didn't know what it is!"

"Oh, Ashwattama", she cried out, falling to her knees. She hugged me hard. I pulled away from her, crestfallen. "So, you don't know what it is too? Is that why you are upset?" I smiled at her. "Don't worry, Ma. We'll ask father. He'll surely know as he knows a lot!"

My mother hugged me tightly again, her expression one of despair. "I do know what milk is, Ashwattama", she whispered.

I brightened. "You do?", I asked excitedly. "Then give me some so I can taste it and show them that I too know what it is!"

Mother looked at me for a long moment, biting her lip. She then stood up and went in to bring something. It was a glass filled with something.

"Is this milk?", I asked excitedly. She nodded, not meeting my eyes. I took the glass and ran out. "I know what is milk!", I screamed excitedly. "See?" Having said that, I tipped back that glass and drank it's contents. It didn't look quite white or taste particularly delicious but I didn't care.

One of the people passing by the street shot me a sympathetic look. "Look at that poor child", he whispered to the person next to him. "He thinks that's milk!"

It was not milk?

"ASHWATTAMA!!", a loud voice boomed. I turned to see my father standing near our hut, a displeased expression on his face. "Come here!"

I ran back to our hut once more, more confused than ever. My father scowled at my mother. "Why did you lie to him, Kripi?", he demanded angrily.

She lied?

My mother looked guilty. "I didn't know what to do!", she cried out helplessly. "They were making fun of our son!"

I was hurt. "What was it then, Ma?", I whispered.