The Birthday Dress

It was 12:55 pm. Reema stared blankly at the blackboard, completely lost in her thoughts, eyes unfocused, mouth slightly ajar. In her right hand she held at pencil but it was at a wrong angle for writing. Beneath her hand lay a notebook, the current page entirely blank. Presently their teacher stopped writing on the blackboard. He threw the tiny stub of chalk on to the table and noisily dusted the front of his shirt as he drew the chair to sit down. He then picked up the day's newspaper, which he always brought with him to the class, and began reading it.

Reema dropped the pencil onto the notebook and looked through the open door, beyond the corridor and past the parapet, into the unbound sky. She wondered if her mother had left with her sister yet. Her sister Pragya was in kindergarten. Her classes had gotten over fifteen minutes ago. From up on the first floor Reema had heard the commotion floating up to meet her, as little hearts and mouths were freed from the shackles of discipline for the day.

Her gaze retracted to the door itself, the thin frame newly painted green. There were days when, around this time, her sister's head would appear through that frame, tilted at an angle so that the rest of the body remained hidden beyond the wall, eyes darting this way and that, trying to pick her elder sister out from the mass of uniformed strangers. Reema's friend Payal, who she regularly shared a bench with, somehow, always noticed her before she did. She would then nudge her in the ribs and would point to the door, smiling. As embarrassed as Reema felt every time that happened, there was something about the smile that lit up her little sister's face, just as her restless eyes found Reema, that forced her to smile back in return. 

Reema sighed, the train of thoughts culminating in a sudden longing to see her sister. She hoped her mother had decided to stay back to meet her, as she did on some days, when she brought fruits or pastries for her two daughters. And if her mother had indeed stayed back, she hoped it was cake she'd brought and not fruits. She licked her lips as a sudden longing for chocolate muffins also filled her head. 

Mr Mahanta, their teacher, had put the newspaper down and was absent mindedly staring at the back of the room, fingers drumming on the table mechanically. He didn't seem to mind the babble and the chit chat of his students as much as the other teachers did. With a nonchalant shake of his head, the man got up off his chair only moments before the bell finally rang, making it seem as if he were clairvoyant.

"No hurry kids," said Mr. Mahanta as the kids rushed towards the door clutching their tiffins, raising his voice so it could be heard above the lunchtime hubbub, "everyone get into a single file now."

Despite Reema's best efforts she found herself at the back of the line. She regretted not having taken a seat closer to the door. She craned her head searching for Sister Mary. She was nowhere in sight. Reema fidgeted in her place as the entire class waited restively till, a few minutes later, sister Mary finally appeared, hurriedly striding up the stairs.

The 3rd standard students were no longer allowed to go down the stairs unsupervised. This was due to an incident that had occurred the previous year where an eight year old had broken a leg falling down the stairs. Since then the staircase at the east end of the building had been reserved for the younger kids. The older students used the west staircase. 

"Okay. Down you all go. Slow and steady," Sister Mary said, waving at the students. Slowly, one behind the other, they made their way to the ground floor. It seemed like an eternity before Reema eventually emerged into the courtyard. As usual it was already crowded. She looked towards where her mother usually waited, hoping to find her standing there, with little Pragya nibbling on a cake close by. Her heart broke as her yearning gaze found only a slightly grimy wall. Her mother had left today. 

Reema was disappointed. Somehow, she had been absolutely sure that she would get to meet her sister. But it was not to be. Dejectedly, she began making her way through the yard towards the less crowded grass fields. Her friends were all gathering together in one corner of the field. They always ate their lunch together that way. See could see Payal waving her over.

She shook her head and made for the other side of the grounds. She wanted to be alone as she ate her lunch, as she always did when she was upset about something. Having found a reasonably secluded spot she sat down and opened the tiffin box. Bread and jam… and two slices of chocolate cake. This led to a moment when the she thought she was going to cry. But as suddenly as it had arrived, the feeling passed. She picked up one of the slices of cakes and bit into it. It was delicious. She took another bite, looking around as she chewed noisily. 

The playground was bustling with activity, the student making full use of their daily quota of freedom from the regime of the class room, the cheerful randomness of individuality curbed somewhat by the drab uniformity of the attires. And yet there was one girl, standing not far from Reema, in a pretty red frock. A Birthday girl. You were only exempted from wearing the uniform if it was your Birthday. Reema had never had the opportunity to wear a pretty dress to school. Her birthday fell during the winter holidays. She stared at the girl, with a look on her face that was a mixture of appreciation and envy. The dress was beautiful. Red, with little white hearts of various shapes scattered around the hem. The belt was yellow and there was a tiny butterfly stitched onto its side.

"You like it? It is new." The girl spoke.

Reema was startled. "Uh... It's... It's really pretty."

The girl looked delighted to hear that. A smile emanated from deep inside the girl and lit up her face like a summer morning sun. Reema smiled back. "Happy Birthday," Reema added after a while.

The girl must not have been paying attention. She looked at Reema questioningly. "What?"

"Happy birthday."

The girl said nothing. After a long while she nodded. "Can I sit with you?"

"Yes please." Reema shifted a little to one side even though there was ample space around her. As the birthday girl came up to her, she studied the face properly for the first time. She was older than her, the face gaunt, cheekbones jutting out ever so slightly. Her hair was a mess, curly and unkempt, falling down to the middle of her back. As she sat down beside Reema, her eyes fell on the tiffin box. Reema noticed that. 

"Here. Please have a sandwich," she offered politely. The girl hesitated for just a second before taking one from the box. She took a large bite. "Mmm.. This is nice," she said with her mouth full. 

"Thank you," said Reema as she took a bite of the cake. She didn't want to have to share it too. The girl could eat the other sandwich too if she wanted to. But not the cake. Even if it was her birthday. The chocolate cake was off limits. The girl's eyes did fall on the cake, a little while later, once she had finished eating the sandwich.

"Do you want another sandwich?" Reema offered hurriedly. The girl accepted the offer, much to her relief. They ate in silence for a while, neither of them speaking. Once they were done eating, Reema put away the tiffin box. 

"What's your name?"

"Reema. What's your's?"

"Purnima. Thank you for sharing your lunch with me." The girl smiled. There was something about that smile. Even though it did reach the eyes, it couldn't hold on to them. There was a sense of loneliness in those eyes pushing it back. Once again Reema found herself staring. Suddenly she regretted not having shared the cake. 

"Will you be my friend?" The girl asked, looking into Reema's eyes. She promptly nodded. The girl smiled again. A much more radiant smile this time. This made Reema feel better. Suddenly the girl stood up.

"Come with me." She started walking towards the far end of the field, away from the school building. Reema followed, tentatively, curious as to where she was being led.

"You should meet my sister too," she called out, suddenly not comfortable with the silence, "she's in kg. I'll introduce you tomorrow."

The girl didn't reply but kept walking. She walked briskly, with an unrefined gait. Reema picked up her pace to keep up. They were soon skirting the walls that ran around the school. A part of this wall had collapsed the previous year when a tree uprooted by a storm had fallen onto it. It had been hastily repaired, but the patched stretch now stood lower than the rest of the wall. It is here that Purnima stopped. She turned to Reema. 

"Come with me to my house. We can play together. And I'll make you tea."

"Shocked at the strange request, Reema stepped back, moving away from the wall. "But we have classes after the break."

"It's ok. Classes are boring. We'll have fun. Come on."

"No. Let's go back. We'll get into trouble."

"Come come. Don't worry. I'll take care of everything."

"No. I'm sorry." Reema turned and began to walk back towards the school as fast as she could. This girl was crazy. She was going to get into trouble for running away from school. Reema didn't want to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. She looked back over her shoulder to find that the girl was still standing there, coolly observing her. This unsettled her a little but she kept walking.

"What about your sister?" Purnima called out from behind her. Reema stopped in her tracks.

"What about my sister? What do you mean?"

"She's already there at my house. She told me to look for you."

"You're lying. She went back with mother."

"Your mother didn't come today. Come, your sister's waiting for us back at the house."

Reema stared at Purnima for a long time. She was certain that her sister had gone home with their mother. These were obviously lies. Reema decided it would be best not to react in anyway. The girl was certainly mad and a liar. She hadn't even sounded convincing. 

Or had she? 

What if the girl wasn't lying. What if, in a bizarre way, this was all true? What if something was wrong? What if her mother was ill? She dismissed the notion. It was all so very unlikely.

"You're lying!" 

She began walking back. But, with each step she took, the trepidation grew in her heart. There was really no way she could be absolutely sure that the girl was lying. Paranoia gripped her. The principal. She could go to the principal. 'Yes, that would be the best thing to do,' she thought.

But, just then, another thought hit her. A distressing thought. What if the girl hurt her sister? She stopped, her heart hammering in her chest. She turned around towards the wall. The girl was gone. In that moment, in utter panic, a decision was made. Reema began running towards the wall as fast as her legs could carry her. When she reached the wall she halted, unsure of what to do next.

"Hello? Purnima? Are you there?"

She heard shuffling sounds from the other side of the wall. And then Purnima spoke from somewhere close beyond it. "Move back!" 

She did as she was told. There was a pause of a few seconds. Then the sound of running feet. Then she heard limbs scurrying up the other side as hands appeared over the wall, followed by a head. And then, with a grunt, the birthday girl pulled herself on to the top of the wall. Smiling delightedly, the girl effortlessly dropped down to Reema's side of the wall. 

"I'll push you up. Once you are at the top, jump. The wall is not very tall," she said excitedly. Her eyes were twinkling. Reema nodded, some of her fear strangely allayed.

It took a few minutes and a few trials but Reema was finally perched on top of the wall. By then, she was certain, dozens had seen them trying to escape. She hadn't dared to look back to confirm that. Then, without giving herself too much time to reconsider, she jumped. The landing was far softer than she'd imagined it'd be. A moment later Purnima dropped down beside her. 

"Follow me. My house is not far from here," she said cheerfully.

They began walking through the mostly deserted road behind the school. Soon they turned into one of the by-lanes. Neither spoke. The few people they encountered gave them questioning looks but no one actually confronted them. Another by-lane. Soon Reema realised that she had no idea how to get back to school. Without the girl leading her onwards she would be very much lost. She looked at Purnima, strutting ahead, a little distance away.

"You don't really have my sister do you?" Reema asked although she already knew the answer.

The girl turned to face her, a look of earnest remorse on her face. "Look I just wanted to show you where I live. So you can visit me later. And I'll make you tea. And we can sit and talk."

Reema felt like an idiot. "Take me back," she protested.

The girl stopped, looking thoroughly broken hearten. Her shoulders drooped, every shred of energy seemingly escaping her body. For a moment, Reema regretted having said that. Then she shook off the feeling. She was the one being kidnapped.

"Lot's of students must have seen us climbing over the wall. They will soon start looking for both of us, if they haven't already. Let us go back."

"No one saw us. I promise," the girl pleaded, "please. My house is not far. We've come this far, just sit and have tea with me. Please!"

As she said this the girl joined her hands. Reema didn't know what to do.

"After we've had tea, we'll go back to school?"

"Yes. We will. Promise." 

Reema slowly nodded. The girls face lit up. "Thank you," she said. Reema didn't say anything. They resumed their journey. After a short distance Purnima stopped in front of a gate. 

"Come in," she said as she opened the gate but Reema simply stood there staring at the building inside the gates with slack jawed awe. It was humongous. Three stories tall and painted white, the building stood like a bully among much less stately neighbours. 

"This is where you live?" 

Purnima nodded once, then went in, beckoning to her to follow. She did. They crossed a small lawn to reach a staircase at the side of the building. They climbed it to a small deck on the first floor. There were three chairs there facing a gorgeous front door. There was a coir mat at the foot of this door saying 'Welcome' in large red letters. 

"Sit." Purnima pointed to the chairs. Reema went ahead and sat down. "I'll go make tea. Then we can talk. After that we will go back." Purnima opened the door and went in, leaving it ajar. Through the open door Reema could see the drawing room. It was magnificently furnished and decorated from what she could see. There was a large blue sofa with golden flowers and intricate wooden armrests. On the wall were paintings. Reema felt tiny waves on envy rising. This girl lived in such a pretty house. She was almost glad she had decided to come, if only to be able to see such a beautiful house. 

She got off the chair to peer inside. She could see the whole room. There was a small table in the centre with a beautiful flower vase on top. It held large plastic flowers. There were two more chairs on the side opposite the sofa. Beyond the chairs, right up against the wall, was a glass fronted cupboard filled with teddy bears and numerous trophies and medals. See could see Purnima enter a room just beyond the drawing room with utensils in hand. She assumed it was the kitchen. The wall the kitchen shared with the drawing room was a beautiful shade of blue. 

Having satisfied her curiosity she went back to her chair. She leaned back on it and relaxed, all traces of uneasiness now gone. After a while she turned her chair around and began studying the view from up there. Just across the street there was an expanse of empty land, covered in irregular grasses and a quite a bit of bramble. There were small houses to either side of that tract. There were stray dogs and goats wandering aimlessly on the street. Reema was leisurely looking out over it all when she heard the shout.

"What are you doing?" said a voice filled to the brim with bitter indignation. There was an uncomfortable pause of a second. Then the voice exploded out of the open door again.

"How dare you wear Sumu's dress?" 

Another terrifying pause. Reema got off the chair. Breathing heavily, she ran up to the door and peered inside. She could see who the voice belonged to. A tall stout woman in a beige nightie stood outside the kitchen door. She looked furious. Reema couldn't see Purnima but assumed she was just on the other side of the door, inside the kitchen.

"You were supposed to be washing the utensils. What were you doing in Sumu's room? Come here! Come out you thief!" the woman screamed. Very slowly Purnima emerged from the kitchen. Reema could see the stark terror in her eyes. She stood in front of the woman, shaking in fear.

"Do I have to lock you in a room every time I take a nap?" Purnima made to say something but was cut short by a vicious slap. Reema gasped. Loudly enough to be noticed. The woman looked in her direction, startled. 

"Who are you?" The woman asked a little rudely.

Reema started crying. This caused the woman to calm down. "No no don't cry. How did you get here?" The woman made for the door. Reema stepped back almost involuntarily.

"Pu... Purnima..." Reema managed between sobs. 

"Did she bring you here?"

Unsure of what to do, Reema simply nodded. The woman stormed inside again.

"Do you want me to go to jail you insolent rascal? I'm sending word to your father. He can come and take you back. Why are you just standing there you idiot? Get out of that dress and put it in a bucket. I'll have to wash it when I come back. You... You wait till I come back!"

Reema considered running from the house. But her legs had gone weak. She had begun to tremble. 

"Now now... calm down," the woman said warmly, "Come I'll take you back to your school." 

Reema simply nodded once again. It was as if she had lost use of the throat. 

"Just sit here for a while, okay? I'll get ready." With that the woman went back inside. For a long while the house was eerily silent, Reema's sobs and sniffs sounding agonisingly loud to herself. After what seemed like an eternity, the woman emerged dressed in a gaudy yellow saree and lots of jewellery. 

"Come let's go. Forgive me. The maid is new. We'll get rid of her, don't worry. Don't feel bad."

Before they left, the woman closed the door and bolted it. She then took Reema's hand and they made their way back to the school. The whole way there, the woman never let go of the hand as if afraid that Reema would try to run away for some reason. When they reached the school her parents were already waiting there. It appeared her friends had indeed seen her climb over the wall with a stranger. They had informed the principal who had, in turn, informed her parents. They seemed utterly relieved to see her. Her mother hugged her for a very long time. The woman explained what had happened in an apologetic tone. 

"You should not hire girls without enquiring about the family first. What if something serious had happened?" Her father said. Reema stared at her father. She had not expected to hear that from her father. She wanted to say something. But she hadn't found her voice back. She remained silent as she climbed onto the back of the car with her mother. She clutched her mothers arm once inside. The car was halfway to their house when she finally spoke again.

"It wasn't her birthday dress," she whispered, "But it wasn't her birthday dress." 

Then the tears came again.