kid , kiss and flowers

One morning, a neighbor kid of four years old came to me. Her name is Sagarika. I was typing some junk. I looked her. She smiled beautifully. She’s fair and white. Sunrays from window fallen on her face. I wonder when I saw thin green blood veins on her cheek. Her skin is still under growth so that it is somewhat transparent to sunrays. I smiled back and asked-‘kiddy, what make you come here in morning?’

                She said-“two flowers blossomed in my plant!” her eyes lit up. She said- “And they are so cute!!” she smiled again even more beautifully. Her eyes were curious and bright. I could feel her happiness. She seemed to me happiest human being in the world at that moment. I found peace and happiness of the universe are wholly deposited in her smile.  I downed my head up to her face and said-“you are the cutest than those flowers” I kissed her cheek.

                “No, come and see them” she grabbed my hand. I said “Not now kiddy, in the evening ok?”  She appeared to be disappointed. I stood up. She took my fingers in her small palm. We headed to her home. “Both flowers are pink, you know?” she said as we crossed the gate. I saw her dad sitting in a chair reading newspaper. I slowed down at the door as I needed his welcome. The kid pulled me and questioned me by her eyes- “why?”  I was about to say something, but luckily I heard her dad voice- “oh bharath, come in, I did not notice you”. “It’s alright, uncle” I smiled and walked in. uncle looked me in proud and said “she showed the plant to her gang, now to the gang leader hahaha!” I found no funny in the joke cut by uncle. I thanked god I could at least figure out it was a joke. So I laughed at uncle in response. Uncle smiled in a way that it made me forget his daughter’s smile.

                “See, there is the plant”. Her little forefinger pointed to the pot which rested at window in the hall. Two little pink flowers in the plant attracted me just like the kid’s smile. I followed her. “How soft these are” she said as she touched petals. “Yes” I replied. The flowers were really beautiful. She took the flower in hand and kissed it. “My soft flowers“she said herself as she touched flowers to her cheek. The tiny Suffern specks in the flowers affixed to her face, gave divine color to cheeks. I wiped her face. She observed the plant again and turned.  “But leaves are turned yellow” she said looking at me in straight face. “Kiddy, pot must be outside of home, they need sunlight” I said.

                “I afraid someone would pluck the flowers” she said in worried tone.

                “You should watch them like your mom watch you” I replied.

              “What if the plants get dry due to sunlight?” she made her eyes bigger in surprise.

                ‘’they don’t get dry unless you stop feeding water” I took her up and hold her in my hands.

               
       “Sagarika… don’t disturb bharath always, he may have works…don’t eat his head” with a smile in face, her mom came to hall holding a cup of tea. I said- “its fine aunty, I don’t have busy works”. My head is eatable? I thought for a while. I handed over sagarika to her mom, at the same time I received a cup of tea. Aunty told me that sagarika learning so fast and she could even read English magazine. I thought to ask about Kannada, but uncle joined us sipping tea and told that sagarika will study in English medium. Uncle seemed so proud.  I sighed. ‘How can kids learn other languages properly when they don’t know their mother tongue?’ I asked myself. I saw sagarika cleaning leaves of the plant. She was in her world. That’s her world that decorated with flowers, she play there in petal shower. She sleeps there in the petal bed. She plays with colors provided by specks. How beautiful childhood is- I thought. We talked few more minutes. I told uncle to put the pot under sunlight and I left the home. When I reached gate, sagarika came running behind me. “When you coming again to see flowers?” she asked with her copyright-protected smile. I said- “whenever I need your kisses” I kissed her cheeks twice. She smiled again and blushed away. I laughed. She said-“oh I forget to feed the plant!!” she blinked her eyes and ran inside home.