My Granny's Tales: A Little Book Of Warmth

Twenty Rupees

There are the things that we all do for the first time in our lives and one of those acts is stealing things. The first time I ever stole was when I was six years old. My grandmother used to put her money between the religious books she had. One day when she was chanting prayers and keeping the money in the book. I asked for money saying, "Grandma I really want to eat chau-chau, please buy me one". 

"You're always ranting about something else. You're not getting any money and if you bother me anymore, I'm going to call your father in India and tell him to take you", said she. 

"Tell him anyway, I'm not happy here either, there I'll be living in a big city", I murmured under my breath.

"What did you just say?", asked she.

"None of your business", said I and went back to playing.

"Now you're saying this but you'll regret it after going there", said she. And that's what happened when I came to India after a year I wanted to go back but couldn't tell. Not anymore though.

After she went to the fields to look after the workers, and how they were doing. I sneaked out to Temple Place, took out a book, and put it back. The one who gave me the idea of stealing was one of my neighbors when I told her that I saw my grandmother putting money in the book, and I really wanted to eat chau-chau, she said, "So steal it, she might have kept so much money on there and she'll not remember anyway so just steal and eat from it". I had the hesitation within me but the idea of eating chau-chau made my mouth watered.

When I ended up stealing the money, we went to Pandey's shop to buy Chau-chau. Chau-Chau was of ten rupees so, we bought five mishris from the remaining ten rupees. Somewhere guilt of stealing my grandmother's money was making me feel guilty deep down, so I decided of sharing mishris with her.

"From where did you get these?", the first thing she asked.

"Oh, that!", with a bit of hesitation, "Shuku didi has bought and shared some with me", said I.

"Since when did village people begin to be so kind towards you? Other times they close their doors in front of you and you keep fighting with everyone", said she and took mishri from my hand and ate it. 

I pretended like I didn't hear it though I already had told Shuku did to tell my grandmother that she bought them for me. However, the season of explaining never came until the day my grandmother discovered her twenty rupees were gone.

"Did you see my twenty rupees", she asked me right away.

"No I didn't", replied I.

She focused hard on her memory for a while then asked. "From where did Shuku get the money to buy her mishris?" 

"How'd I know? Maybe from her mother", I avoided eye contact while responding.

"Then, why are you avoiding eye contact?", asked she.

"Well...hm", I wasn't able to say anything.

"Now tell me the truth, you stole them right?" asked she, waited for a while, and then spoke again, "I won't say anything, just tell me the truth".

"Hm...", said I with a sad face dramatically, "And I'm sorry I won't do that again".

Grandmother stood quiet for a while, put the book back and when I was trying to sneak out of the gate, she deliberately began to shout from the upper floor, "Don't know why I'm even keeping her, first she was headache cause every other person in the village is complaining about her something to me, she tore her all dresses, through such tantrums, now she's even stealing money. Oh! Lord my broken fortune".

In the mean time, I dashed out of the door laughing realizing she had forgiven me and I never stole again from my grandmother!