Chapter 3: - The First Lie

Back to Chapter 2: - The Long Red Bindi     


       The fort game was the one thing Piya looked forward too. That was Geeta's quality time with Piya. Piya that day had carefully arranged her toys, tied up dupattas and kept her tiny utensils in place. She was waiting for Geeta. The only difference was that Piya had a guilty conscience that day. Piya knew she did something wrong. Piya knew she might get punished that day. Piya was grew anxious. It was something she did. She did repeatedly. She had lied. For the very first time. It all started a few days ago.

        It was an accepted fact that Piya hated school. The reason however was not known. She was good in studies and was promoted to the first grade by skipping the senior year kindergarten. She was the only student in her class who could read newspaper headings and sub-headings. Teachers pampered her. Her classmates loved her. Still, Piya would every day cry for the first couple of hours when Geeta left her in the school. Geeta would stand outside her classroom to make sure Piya was okay. Geeta would get late for work every day by at least 3 hours. The teachers explained to Geeta that her waiting outside the classroom would spoil Piya even more. Geeta was asked not to leave Piya to school everyday to ensure the separation was easier. So, Geeta arranged an auto for Piya that would pick and drop her to school along with a couple of more kids from the same locality. Piya was terribly upset for a week or so but due to the lack of familiarity with the auto driver, she threw no tantrums for school. Everyone in the family was relieved that Piya was disciplined to some extent.

      Like everyday, Piya was waiting for her auto to come and pick her up. Teary eyed, she looked back at the window where Amma stood to wave goodbye to her. Amma very well understood that Piya had no intentions of going to school and there was no way she is going to fall for her puppy face. The auto arrived at 12.15 pm to pick up little sad Piya. Piya waved goodbye to Amma and sat inside the auto on her favorite corner seat. There was something cooking in Piya's mind that day. There is no way I will attend school today. Piya had a plan. A plan that was going to get her into trouble.

          As the auto arrived at the school gate, all the kids in the auto gathered their school bags, water bottles and got out of the auto except, well Piya. Piya refused to budge. The auto driver asked her to get down and go inside the school premises. Piya refused. The auto driver was startled as he had no clue that a child over 5 years could be so adamant. He decided to ask the Sports Instructor of the school to help him out. Every child in the school was petrified of Jadhav Sir except for little Piya. Not that she was a brave heart, it was a sheer example of how ignorance could be a bliss. Jadhav Sir intervened and asked Piya to step out of the auto. He even blew his whistle to scare her. Piya looked away and said No. Jadhav sir gently held Piya's hand and tried to yank her out of the auto. Little Piya caught hold of the seat in the auto and refused to budge. Jadhav Sir was left with no choice but to scoop Piya in his arms and carry her inside the school premises. He did exactly the same and asked the auto driver to leave. He let Piya down and told her to straight go and sit in the classroom. Piya was fuming. Tears trickled down her chubby cheeks. Tears of shame and disappointment they were. That was a one of a kind incident in that school. At least one of a kind for a child as old as Piya. Jadhav Sir was surprisingly amused and decided not to report the incident to Piya's mom. Piya still had a chance.

        Next day, Piya silently got ready for school. She didn't threw any tantrums to skip school. Amma was a little surprised with Piya's improvement. Something is wrong for sure, she thought. Piya got dressed, had her favorite lunch and left home smiling at Amma. She went downstairs and stood waiting for her auto. She  hopped playfully and had a mischievous grin. The auto arrived and Piya sat inside. She started mentally rehearsing her new plan of action. This will definitely work. Piya smiled. The auto arrived at the gate and Piya started coughing. She told the auto driver she was extremely unwell and asked him to take her back. The auto driver had no choice but to take Piya back home. On the way back home, Piya felt an air of freedom. The same journey that used to make her sad seemed so blissful then. She was continuously wheezing and coughing to ensure that the auto driver didn't suspect her.

      Once Piya reached her door step, she had a complete monologue prepared. The moment Amma opened the door, Piya began her performance. Evading eye contact, Piya chirped "Amma, see no, the school has holiday today. They didn't write in the calender also. I had to go and come back. I will tell teacher tomorrow, this is not correct." "Very bad, alle Amma?"  Amma was puzzled. She didn't know whether to believe Piya or not. In spite of being suspicious, Amma bought the huge cooked up story served by Piya. Not that Amma was gullible, she trusted Piya a lot. Everyone in the family did. They knew very well that Piya can never lie even if she wanted too. She was a terrible lair. So, Amma told Piya to change into her PJs and go to sleep. Those words sounded like honey to Piya. Yayyyyyyyyyyy!!!!! She gave herself a mental high five and went inside her room to change. Piya was careful and didn't let her gleeful squeak out. She didn't want Amma to suspect her. After all this was one plan that worked. Piya decided she is going to do this every time she didn't feel like going to school. The only issue was that she did this for the consecutive two days.

        On the third day of Piya's "No School Day", Amma grew suspicious. She called up Geeta and asked her to give Piya's class teacher a call. Geeta did. Geeta didn't like what she heard. Piya has started lying. This was the first time Geeta was furious over Piya. Geeta had a terrible temper. Everyone in the family had been a victim to it. Her brothers were scared for Piya. They stood guarded for little Piya that evening as they knew Geeta has no control over her temper. Geeta at her work place was growing impatient. She decided to go home early that day. Piya has had it now. But how am I going to punish her? Geeta decided to be strong. I have to discipline her. She was fuming with rage. She could be waiting for me to play the fort game. No. I have to be strong. 

What was going to happen next? It will be revealed in the next chapter. :)