The city fair…
Rani ran towards the colourful stalls as the view zoomed out displaying the rainbow lights covering the skies all around. The adults walked behind as the kids bounced and dashed after all the alluring lights.
Nana: Oye! Don't frolic away too far now.
Bijju's father: (Laughs) It is worth coming here if the children are having fun, wouldn't you say.
Abha: It's all about the children.
Bijju's father: Ofcourse… Anyways, how was the field sowing?
Nana: Well..
Krishna is about to play the ring throw game.
Bijju: God damn! The table is pretty far.
Dealer: You think so. This game is not for kids like you. Move it.
Krishna: Easy Brother! Give me a chance.
Dealer: Got the money for it?
Krishna: (Points back to his father) Our owner is right there. You just give me the ring brother.
Nana: (Gestures the dealer to go on)
Dealer: Fine then, you get four chances for 20 Rs.
Krishna: Enough for me. Tell me Bijju, what do you want?
Bijju: Really! But there are so many things.
Krishna: Just pick one.
Rani: Arey! Ask me too.
Krishna: Wait a minute, first the smallest one should be allowed to choose. Go on, choose anything on the board.
Bijju:(Thinks holding his chin) Ummm…
Dealer: Hurry up, I got more customers to deal with.
Bijju: I see a fancy slingshot right there. But it is pretty far…
Krishna: Got it…(Throws the ring)..
Dealer: (Laughs, thinks) Idiot, that's a good pick, but that is why I have it on the far edge.
The ring falls on the slingshot.
Dealer: (Dumbstruck, mouth hangs) Uggh!
Bijju: (Jumps in joy) Holy! Yeah!
Bijju's father: Oh! Your son is good.
Nana: Lucky…
Bijju's father: You think so.
Rani: It's my turn.
Krishna: Of course, my Radhe. Tell me what do you want?
Dealer: (Annoyingly hands over the slingshot to Bijju).
Rani: (Sees a big beautiful butterfly designed hair clip).
Krishna: Got it.. (Throws the ring)
Rani: But wait, I didn't say anything.
The ring misses the hair clip and rolls away off the board.
Bijju's father: Oops! He almost had it.
Nana: Told you, it was lucky.
Krishna: That hairclip will look great on you.
Rani: At least allow me to say it first.
Krishna: (Another try and this time scores).
Dealer: Damn it!
Bijju's father: Yeah! He got it. You are still gonna say it is luck.
Nana: (Irritated) Tch!
Bijju's father: Why are you irked?
Dealer: Here (Hands over the clip to Krishna).
Bijju: Brother, it is really beautiful.
Krishna: Right. Here, turn around Rani (fixes the clip on her hair), you look mesmerizing(smiles).
Bijju: (Shakes his head) Hmm! Hmm! It looks great on you.
Abha: Wow! Let me see (begins examining Rani).
Meanwhile, Krishna throws his last shot and wins a pack of bangles.
Abha: It suits you perfectly.
Krishna: (Forwards the bangles towards his mother) And this will suit you perfectly.
Abha: For me, (takes the bangles) Lovely.
Nana: What's for me?
Krishna: You have me, what else do you want?
Everyone laughs…
Nana: You are not enough.
Krishna: Oh! I heard you when you tch! behind me when I got that clip.
Nana: I was hoping to get something for my daughter but you stole that opportunity from me. That's why tch!.
Krishna: Well, I'll give you the opportunity to buy me something.
Nana: (Sighs) Looks like I will have to do with that. What do you want?
Krishna: I will tell you. We still got this big of a fair to explore.
Nana: Right!!
The exploration continues.
Trampoline jumping, carousel riding, Ferris wheel, the kids enjoyed as they moved from one joy ride to another. The boys stumbled as they got off a ride, arms around each other's shoulders, laughing.
Bijju: That was fun brother.
Krishna: (Trying to breath after all the laughter) Did you see Rani's face? The way she hung herself by the support above her head on the swing. That was hilarious.
Bijju: (Notices Rani standing behind them, nervous) Ok brother, it wasn't that funny (looks at Rani laughing anxiously).
Rani: (Snatches Krishna away from Bijju and shakes him vigorously, grabbing his collar) You purposely shook the swing knowing I hate shaky surfaces.
Krishna: (disoriented) I am sorry, I am sorry Radhe.
Abha: Arey arey arey! What are you doing(pulls Rani away)? Easy, you want to break his neck.
Rani: Ma, you don't know how much he teases me.
Abha: Oh believe me, I know.
Krishna: (Fixes his collar, laughing).
Rani: He is still laughing, see.
Nana: Why do you trouble her so much? Huh? Idiot.
Krishna: (Stops smiling as he sees a vendor walking away carrying a set of toys hanging on a pole by his shoulder) Tell me Baba?
Nana: What?
Krishna: In the stories you tell me…
Nana: Stories!? About who?
Krishna: The stories about Lord Krishna, where he always had an instrument on himself.
Nana: Yes, you are talking about the flute.
Krishna: (Points towards the vendor) Isn't he carrying some?
Nana: (Looks at the vendor) Oh yes, he does.
The next morning…
Nana woke up to a broken flute music coming from outside of the hut. He, half awake, follows the tone outside and finds Krishna blowing on the flute sitting before the cows.
Nana: (approaches him) What are you doing this early in the morning?
Krishna: (looks back) Oh! Baba! I was just trying to play the flute. I have never played it before, so I was just trying to figure it out.
Nana: Figure it out! On your own! Hold up (goes to wash his face).
Krishna: (Goes back to playing his broken tune).
Nana: (Comes back jerking the water off his hands, sits beside him) Give me, let me show you how it is done.
Nana takes over and starts playing the flute but fumbles.
Krishna: What! (Laughs) What was that? You are worse than me. I thought you were gonna teach me.
Nana: (Embarrassed) Take it easy, it has been sometime since I last played one. And how am I even worse than you. You were just blowing wind in the pipe. At least I produced some sound out of it.
Krishna: Sorry, sorry. Go on, I am listening.
Nana: (Begins playing again, fumbles again).
Krishna: (Laughs)
Nana: Damn! Don't laugh, I can't focus, idiot, move away.
Krishna: I am doing nothing (laughs).
Bijju: (Comes running) What's going on? I wanna know too (sits beside Krishna).
Krishna: (smiling) Baba is teaching me how to play the flute.
Bijju: Wow! Play a good one uncle.
Nana: (Pants, gestures him to wait)
Krishna: (Laughs) Having trouble breathing now, are we? Give me, I will teach you.
Nana: Is that so? Here, play.
Abha and Rani were watching them laughing and playing while they worked on their daily chores. They smile at each other seeing the men doing stupid things early in the morning.
Time passed, as the seasons changed and crops grew. A healthy harvest as the springs touched the door.
Nana: (Drops a grain bag on a pile of other bags).
Bijju and Bijju's father were dropping off their share of the harvest on another pile of bags.
Krishna and Rani were tying up the remains of the crops into hay while Abha and Bijju's mother picked up the hay on their heads and gathered them in a single place.
Krishna: All in a day's work.
Rani: I am beat.
Nana: Did you get everything?
Bijju's father: I think so. But we still have to carry it to the town.
Nana: You went to the dealer. What did he say?
Bijju's father: He said he would give us more than the market price if we delivered the harvest to Delhi.
Nana: Delhi!? That's… pretty far. How do you think we could deliver all this to Delhi?
Bijju's father: I have asked a truck driver. He will help us.
Nana: Truck! What's the cost?
Bijju's father: Five thousand.
Nana: Five thousand!?
Bijju's father: First hear about the return that we will get for the delivery.
Nana: Huh!?
Bijju's father: (Whispers in his ear)
Nana: Really! You gotta be kidding.
Bijju's father: The dealer said he will cover half of the delivery cost too.
Nana: We need to get this to the town then. (Calls) Krishna!
Krishna: Baba is calling, gotta go.
Rani: Don't leave me with all the work.
Krishna: ( Runs away) You can handle it, my Radhe.
Rani: Oww! (Sighs).
Krishna: (Reaches) Yes Baba?
Nana: Help me load this all on the bullcart.
They begin loading every bag on the cart. The loading is almost finished. Nana goes to Abha.
Nana: Abha, we are going to the town. I don't know exactly, but I think we will be back by the evening. So, take care of yourself and Rani.
Abha: You taking Krishna too?
Nana: Yeah, I was thinking it is time I showed him the world outside the village too.
Abha: (Nervous) Ok, just make sure to eat something on the way.
Nana: We will (walks away).
Abha: Make sure Krishna is not hungry.
Nana: Don't worry, your love will fill his stomach.
Krishna and Bijju load the last bag up.
Nana: Ok boys, let's go.
Bijju: We are going too?
Nana: Yes, you are. Now hop on. But before that get a clean pair of clothes you two. I don't want you two wandering around in shabby clothes in the capital. But don't change into it, just keep them in a bag. You will change once we unload all the bags off of the truck.
The boys run towards their huts. Krishna passed by his mother, all excited.
Krishna: (Looks at his mother in joy) I am going out with Baba (slips inside the hut).
Abha: Just don't cause trouble for your Baba over there. I know how you are.
Rani: No fair, I want to go with Baba too.
Abha: Maybe next time dear.
Krishna: (rushes out) I am not a kid anymore, Ma. Don't worry about it (smiles and blinks at her, rushes towards the cart).
Abha: (Whisper) You will always be a kid in my eyes.
Rani: He is a kid actually, he is 14.
The cart leaves for the journey and reaches the town. Nana and Bijju's father go to talk with the truck driver.
Bijju: Don't tell me we were just coming to the town. We come here almost daily. Our school is on the other side (points).
Krishna: Cool it! Baba said something about the capital. This is not the capital.
Bijju's father: (Comes back) Come on kids, carry the bags and put it in the truck over there.
Bijju: Woah! Don't tell me we will be going in that.
Krishna: Pick it up first, stupid. We don't have all day.
The bags go and rest themselves inside the truck.
Truck driver: Let the kids hang back here. You two come sit with me in the front.
Nana: Is it safe in the back?
Truck driver: Safer than the front if you are worried.
Krishna: Don't worry about it Baba. We wanted to enjoy the view and it will be more easily visible here than in the front.
Bijju's father: You heard that. Now come on, we have a long way to go.
Nana: Just sit tight back here. Don't jump around in the moving truck.
Bijju's father: Listen to him. We don't want any of you bouncing off the truck.
Krishna: Loud and clear.
Everyone climbs aboard. Krishna pulls out his flute.
Bijju: You brought the flute with you!
Krishna: Of course, we needed something to keep ourselves entertained (starts playing).
Bijju: Umm! You have gotten better, brother.
The truck continued forward leaving the flute music behind.