Page 18 - Lavender-B-5

‘But suppose you don’t then?’ I persisted.

‘I will, stupid,’ Leeladidi was getting impatient.

‘But supposing you aren’t near me or you are talking to Do you think mother Just a Minute!

someone, then?’ did the right thing by
forcing Leela to take her
‘Then?... then you just remember that whenever brother along?
someone offers you something, you mustn’t grab a
handful. You should say ‘no thank you’ at least twice or

thrice, understand?’

I was still doubtful, but I promised.

‘Come on, let’s get you ready and dressed for the party,’ Didi said and dragged me away.
She pulled me and pushed me and deliberately held my arm so tight that it hurt. She
pushed and pinched even when she helped me put on my shirt and shoes. I suffered

all this in silence. But when she pressed both my cheeks with her left hand and ran the
comb hard through my hair, it became unbearable and I let out a loud whine.

‘Do you want to come with me or not?’ she threatened
and asked me to shut up. At last after dabbing a
little powder over my face, she finished.

When we left the house, she once again
made me promise I would behave and
would not take anything before
refusing it three times. She nagged

all the way and stopped only when
we entered the nicely decorated
hall where the party was being
held. There she met her friend

Shyama and immediately
started telling her a lengthy
secret. I knew it was about me
because every now and then, they

kept looking at me.

After a few minutes Shyamadidi persisted: continued doing something in a determined but often
came to me and whispered in unreasonable way
my ear, ‘Sudhir, remember deliberately: on purpose
dabbing: apply (a substance) with light quick strokes
your promise and behave nagged: annoyed someone by making continuous complaints
yourself, okay?’ lengthy: of unusual length

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