12 Terrifying Little Chooha
"But how did you know that we were seriously injured because of what Khajoor had said?" Kaal asked.
He was a little puzzled now. According to what Chooha had told him, nor did his mother neither his father had told him what happened last night. So, how did he know that they were injured because of Khajoor's mistake? Did he lie to us? I don't think he would lie. Even if he lied, what would he get from it? Nothing, I guess? But, how did he know then?
As if sensing the confusion in Kaal's eyes, he turned his head and said, "Although no one said a thing and even tried to hide the truth, but how long could it be kept hidden? Yesterday when I told father that all that was taught by Big brother Khajoor, my father was so incensed that fumes were coming out of his ears," he continued, "I knew something was going to happen and knowing my father's temper I knew big brother Khajoor was in a big trouble."
"At that time I did expect father to punish big brother Khajoor a bit, but poking his horns like that and torturing him was not what I had expected. Almost killing big brother Kaal was what I had expected the least, or I should say that I thought that my father would do nothing as big brother Kaal didn't do anything. But I didn't knew that the passion for a scholar would make my father so unreasonable."
"When mother came home she appeared very calm but i could see in her eyes that she was feeling very flustered and anxious, and I understood that something bad happened. When I asked about father, she told me that he had gone somewhere and would only come the next morning. And when she told me about you both being seriously injured, I knew that this was my father's doing. I thought it was weird. Why didn't he come back home? This thought was revolving around my head all night."
"This morning when i woke up, i was immediately summoned by my father to see him. Then, my father gave me those two Healing pills and told me to go and give these two to you both. When I heard this, I was very surprised. First he almost killed you two and then he gave the medicine, this was not my father's style. If he said he would kill someone, then that person will definitely be killed. If he said he would save someone, then he would definitely save him. Because of this I suddenly realized that whatever happened last night was not so simple."
"When I was came here and saw a very large pit in the ground, protruding out of which were many bamboos with steel covered and sharpened tips. A trace of blood was also there in that pit. All the pieces of puzzle fit in automatically at that time. But one last thing was left. Why did my father spare you guys? When Big brother Kaal asked me if my father's injuries were alright, the whole situation became clear to me. You guys fought, my father was tricked to fall in that trap, and then you made him swear not to trouble you guys anymore and for the medicinal help too. Am I right?" Chooha's eyes shone very brightly as he was carefully analyzed the situation.
As Kaal and Khajoor heard until there, they were utterly, completely, totally…..I can't even describe with words how much dumbfounded they were. They looked at Chooha as if a monster was sitting beside them, not the little Chooha. Just think about it. When his mother came home yesterday night she told him that his father would return next morning. She purposefully hid her anxiousness deep inside so that Chooha wouldn't be able to see them. She definitely tried to hide them very deep, not showing anything on her face. But the thing is, Chooha was still able read something from her face. Face reading was not a child's play. One should have years and years of experience to properly see the hidden emotions on somebody's face. Then Little Chooha analyzed the situation from what he heard and what he felt.
Most children would drop their concerns after getting their answers and even their minds are diverted to other things around them, but Chooha didn't drop the issue and still kept thinking about it. All the situations were like pieces of puzzles in his mind. Slowly, when the pieces were put together by him, he correctly told the situation that happened last night without even being present there.
The analysis of the little Chooha was so on point that it was quite hair-raising. Both Kaal and Khajoor felt all the hairs on their body standing up. Specially, Khajoor's hair that grew out of the two 'butt-cheeks'. Their eyes were filled with fear. Their chest felt like a large boulder was weighing on them. They couldn't even breathe for some time. Their back was wet with cold sweat. Even their foreheads were filled with beads of sweat. Kaal wanted to say something but it felt like something was choking his neck and no voice came out of his mouth. The atmosphere inside the thatched hut became depressing and cold.
When Chooha completed his analysis, he closed his eyes for a moment and then sighed a little like an adult. When he opened his eyes, he looked at Kaal and Khajoor's eyes which were filled with fear. He didn't speak but the light in his eyes dimmed as if he was feeling sad, disappointed, lost and other various emotions. When Kaal looked at Chooha's eyes, he felt all those emotions. He calmed down a bit and then lifted his arms…..and slowly rubbed Chooha's head.
"Our Little Chooha has grown up, huh? He can easily analyze all these; he is definitely the genius that this world has not seen for hundreds of years. I bet no one can even compare to him. Look at us useless big brothers. Because of us your chance to become a great scholar's disciple was lost. Ahh!! It's such a pity. I bet, the day you become a scholar, the world is going to get shocked by your genius."Kaal sighed. He patted Khajoor's shoulder and eyed him to calm down.
'What is there to be afraid off? Isn't he just a child? Is it his fault to be more mature and intelligent than his pears and even some adults? No! He is just a normal child who is just a little intelligent than other. From his eyes it looks like we were not the only ones who were afraid of him. So, this is one of the reasons why no one plays with him in the village.
He is just too mature than those little kids. Why was he disappointed? Is it because we were also afraid of him just like all the others? Did he think that we won't have the same eyes as other? Why was he sad? Is it because his only friends couldn't understand him? Why did he feel lost? Is it because he wants to be treated just like any other child, but not like a monster?' Kaal thought in his heart.
Khajoor seemed to also understand all this. He also calmed down and rubbed Chooha's little head. He teasingly said, "The new generation always surpasses the older one, seems like this saying is not wrong. Little Chooha is really very intelligent. But don't forget, these two big brothers of yours will always be more intelligent than you. Wherever you go, you must remember these words, understood?"
Chooha's eyes opened wide. He wanted to say something but only sound of choking came from his mouth. His eyes became moist as he lowered his head. His little body trembled ever so slightly. When he lifted his head back up, his whole face was covered with tears and snot. When Kaal barely opened his mouth again to console him, Chooha suddenly jumped and hugged Kaal and Khajoor's neck. He started crying like a little kid; well he was a little kid to begin with. His crying was very sorrowful. Large tear drops poured out of his eyes.
Kaal and Khajoor nodded to each other and patted his back lightly to console him without even speaking a bit. They just waited for him to calm down. The 5 suns went down and so did Chooha's crying. After some time his crying stopped but seeing him not moving a bit, Kaal nudged him a bit and found that our little Chooha was already sound asleep. The sleeping Chooha had a very big smile plastered on his face as if he was having a very sweet dream. Kaal and Khajoor just looked and each other and smiled. They placed him on their lap and waited for him to wake up. Time passed by but the smile on the cute little Chooha did not fade away.
