Ever since 12-year-old Ishani had returned home from her hostel a few days back, she had turned the neat Sadhwani household into a mess. Her stuff was lying all over the house. She binged on junk food and soft drinks.
Seeing the mess his sister was making, nine-year-old Rohan too had started doing the same, breaking rules, eating and playing all day. The siblings constantly fought and drove their parents crazy.
One day, the parents had gone out for a function. Rohan was playing with his football in the living room.
Ishani, watching a movie on her mother’s iPad, glowered at him. “You know you aren’t allowed to play in the living room?” she asked.
“Mind your own business,” Rohan replied and kicked the ball. It landed on Ishani’s lap. She threw it back. Trying to catch the ball, Rohan knocked the vase on the side table, to the ground.
Ishani looked in dismay at the shattered pieces of the vase. “Mom will be furious. It’s her favourite vase gifted by her best friend.”
“It’s your fault,” Rohan said. “If you hadn’t thrown the ball, I wouldn’t have tried to catch it.”
“You shouldn’t have been playing in the living room in the first place,” Ishani scowled.
“Please, Didi help me,” Rohan cried.
“You asked me to mind my own business,” Ishani made a face.
“I don’t want mom and dad to ground me during the holidays,” Rohan said. “I promise you that I’ll be a good brother.”
“Let me think,” Ishani said.
Rohan was silent as Ishani picked up her phone and skimmed through it. “Found it,” she smiled. She showed her brother a website with the same vase displayed prominently.
“What will we do now?” Rohan asked.
“We will buy the vase and keep it in the old vase’s place. After a few days we will tell mom and dad what happened.”
“Good idea, Didi,” Rohan agreed. “But this vase is Rs 2,000.”
“For the time being I’ll pay for it with my birthday money, but you will have to repay me,” she said.
“I’ll pay half the money and you pay the other half as it’s half your fault,” Rohan said.
“You are an oversmart cookie,” Ishani rolled her eyes. “Luckily, the shop is nearby, so we can go and come back before mom and dad return.”
They cleaned up the glass pieces and wrapped them in a newspaper. Rohan dropped it in the neighbourhood dustbin. Then they went to the store and bought the vase.
Returning home, they quickly kept it in its place.
For the next few days, the siblings behaved well as they didn’t want to get into trouble.
“We are glad that you have patched up your differences,” their mom said at the dinner table one night.
“Ishani Didi is here for a short time. I want to make the most of her visit,” Rohan smiled.
“I want to enjoy my time with you all,” Ishani replied.
“I’m enjoying the peace in the house,” Mom sighed.
“I’ll give you both extra pocket money today,” Dad announced.
Two days later, when Ishani woke up, she saw three T-shirts on her bed. She knew that they were from Rohan.
“This silly boy,” she smiled.
When Rohan woke up, he saw his favourite chocolates arranged in an R shape on his bed.
“It must be Didi’s doing,” he smiled and rushed out of his room, bumping into Ishani in the living room.
“Happy New Year,” Rohan said. “Here is the money.”
“Happy New Year,” Ishani said accepting the money. “Let’s serve mom and dad breakfast. I’ll make the tea, you make the toast.”
“Done,” Rohan replied.
“Happy New Year mom and dad,” they said surprising their parents. “Happy New Year kids,” their parents smiled.
“Mom, dad, we have a confession to make,” the children said. “We already know that you both replaced the vase,” their parents smiled.
“How?” Ishani looked puzzled.
“The previous vase had a very deep crack,” Mom said. “The moment I saw this one, I knew what must have happened.”
“Sorry,” Rohan said. “We didn’t want to deceive you.” “We are happy that you told us the truth,” the parents replied.
“To new beginnings!,” Ishani and Rohan said.
“To new beginnings!,” their parents smiled.
(The author is a children’s author and columnist.)
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