She was untouchable or that’s what my parents told me she was. Whatever she was she was nice. I think her name is Rami or Rani.When mummy and daddy went to Delhi for business work they expected me to stay at home alone. I was supposed to eat my lunch and dinner with my aunt who lived in Next Street. I hated going there. For me my world is only one block wide and I am happy there. Aunt would always say that I should stay with her whole day but I would say no as it was not comfortable for me, or rather it was impossible for me to tolerate those two little monsters who were my cousins. They would always irritate me. They knew I liked reading books so they would always come and eat my head! So I decided to stay at home only. Rani or Rami whoever she was would stay with me at home. She was three years younger to me maybe 10. ‘R’ would do gardening, cleaning and etc and I would stay at my little world and do stuff which I liked to do. But eventually at the end of the day I would be bored. There was no way to contact my parents and I started to miss them on the very first day and they were gone for a whole week! It was already 10 PM and the sleep was not even close to me. I was not so daring enough to go on evening walk. I had no one to talk. So basically I was bored. The winters had just started. But it was enough cold. I was shivering. I started to feel thirsty so I decided to go to kitchen. It was a huge house and after 9.30 there was no light so I had to walk down 24 steps and then take a right which would lead to the hall from there take a left and there would be kitchen. I counted the steps...1...2...3...4...11...no wait it was 10...yes it was 10...11...12...24 finally...As my counting was completely I expected a flat surface and walked quite freely.Unfortunatly I did a little wrong calculation there was a step left .I stumbled badly and directly crashed with the chair. It was a huge BAM!! Or at least a SPLAT!! R came running to check weather I was fine or not. I was not bleeding or something but it was paining... “Didi are you fine?” I had no idea what to say...after all I was not permitted to talk to untouchables. I just ignored her and went straight towards the kitchen and drank water. While returning I made sure to count the steps...or else...Dhoom! Dharaam!! 1...2...3...7...15...and finally 24...this time my calculation was right. I was damn bored so I shouted “Ramni!!” I was not sure what to call her so I made a new name itself...She came. This was small but an adventure. I was about to betray my parents trust. All these years whatever they said would in split second, go on waste. She kept waiting for the instructions. I was about to talk with her. It is nothing special to talk with someone but when living in 1940’s with very strict parents it is a HUGE adventure. “Sit here.” She sat on the corner of the bed. “Something wrong Didi?” Her voice had some concern and curiosity too. “No...Just I am bored.”
“It is late go to sleep.”
“I am not sleepy.”
“Then read a book.”
“Can you read?”
“No.”
“Write?”
“No.”
“Do you want to learn?”
“Yes but who will teach? I am untouchable.”
“Where are your parents?”
“In village.”
“Do you want to learn to study?
“Yes but who will teach?”
“I will.”
“You will?”
“Yes why not?”
“Sahib and Memsahib will be angry.”
“Then we won’t tell them.”
“When will we study?”
“At night.”
“They will know.”
“They won’t”
There was a sudden smile on her face. The night wasn’t that cold. My leg started to hurt a little but the pain stopped.Slowly...