‘Recessions are trying times. They really blight the soul. Everything looks so bleak and unhappy right now” thought Veena.
Normal thoughts in depression-ridden times you would say, but Veena was only sixteen, and from a wee-to-do family (they had recently purchased an LCD TV)
The blight on her soul was her dear sister’s unhappiness. Graduating at this time, even from a prestigious engineering college, she had had no luck with placements.
‘She is so deserving.. smart, confident and of course, intelligent.’ thought Veena while tying her shoelaces. ‘I remember the time I distrustingly approached her with a chemistry problem and was surprised she really could solve it!’ She chuckled to herself, then called out to her mother, “ Mamma, I am going out to play.”. Once outside she called all her friends. As she stood waiting, she saw two little girls playing about in the mud. Her mind went back to the times when she and her sister had played about in a similar fashion. She smiled to herself as she remembered ‘My eccentric sister, she made me play a doll… I must have been two… she marketed me as the doll who walked, talked and spewed poems…and when people grew interested I would recite twinkle twinkle little star! Oh god how her friends laughed… That’s Kittu, a liitle deranged, but huge fun… things just happen to her. Like the time I went to her because my classes ended early and not knowing what to do she took me to her class and hid me underneath the bench. But when my legs cramped up I called out to her that I wanted to come out. Of course the whole class heard that. Her teacher laughed so hard she forgot punishments.’
“ Hey Veena… what are you doing standing and laughing by yourself!” asked Soumya “Just thinking about Kittu, and all the fun we used to have.” said Veena and set off with
her friends, their warm chatter engulfing her. Soon she slipped into reveries of her own again.
‘But she is not just about all things deranged and demented…’ she thought to herself.
‘She could never see the old maid working by herself, so she would always sneak up and wash a few utensils while the maid was busy with other work.
…..And she cooked up such brilliant meals when mamma was down with fever for a long time…a natural nurse too, the way she tended to mamma I could never have.’
They had all reached the basketball court by then. They started with warming up, dribbling. Veena threw some shots at the basket, all of which landed on spot. “Basketball is my strong point…not football… Oh God! the way my shoe flew off while the ball stayed stuck to ground…the way Kittu howled with laughter! I never thought I could live it down.
‘ That Kittu….she is mad… but I don’t know what I would have done without her. I would never have learnt my physics she hadn’t played Tutoring Squirrel and taught me all about Newton’s laws. The way mamma and papa laughed when they found out how she taught me’ she thought as she dribbled the ball.
‘The way she held me close before boarding the plane for college….all the times she counseled me, stood up for me….she’s just irreplaceable…she’s my superstar!’. Inadvertently a tear had splashed……’And she was so sad last time I spoke to her….God help her….if anyone she deserves to be happy. Cant you just give her one?”
Just then the cell rang. ‘Kittu calling!’ exclaimed Veena and picked up the call “ Veena !! Bon-Petite, Mon-Ami” called out Kittu showing off her newly acquired French vocabulary.
“ Forever the same.. stop showing off girl!” said Veena affectionately.



“But guess what! I got the job.. a good one, matches my work-profile too.. I am finally at peace” said Kittu heaving a sigh of relief.
“Me too… actually more than you” said Veena.
“ I know my pet, now just wait till I come back and bedevil your life with endless recountings of the shoe that flew!”
“Don’t you dare!” growled Veena
And while Kittu chatted away describing splendid ways in which she intended to spread mischief a warm glow spread in Veena’s heart. Everything was right with the world once more. She picked the ball and aimed it. It soared and landed perfectly in the basket. Her first three pointer.