Deep, rushed home, bursting with news of the day. “I won a prize today Ma, look!” He scrambled out of his bag and produced a small trophy.
“That’s really nice! What is it for?” Savita asked.
“I had to write a letter to my mother to thank her for all she does for me. Will you see it?” gushed Deep.
Savita smiled, “First you will wash yourself and then tell me all about it.” Deep washed and changed and ran into the kitchen to his jar of sweets. “I shall have two today,” he declared.
Just then the door bell announced the arrival of Deeps friends. “Aren’t you coming to play?” Deep looked at his mother, who nodded in answer and he was out in the blink of an eye.
Savita cleared the hall, and put Deeps trophy upon a shelf in full view of the room. She emptied his school bag and saw the letter that had a star mark on it.
It read,
‘My Dear Mother,
I am writing to thank you for all that you do for me. If you wouldn’t wake me I’d be late for school everyday like Ranjit is. You make the best pulao in our whole building. You always know when my stomach hurts. And you tell the best stories at night. I like it best when you are at home. So thank you for taking such good care of me.
Your loving son,
Deep.’
Savita ran her hand over Deep’s neat handwriting, absorbing very little of the meaning. She had to give up her education to raise her three siblings back in the day. Even though she registered little of the written words, the look of contentment on Deeps face as he finished that nights pulao was all the thanks she needed.
