Aai Says

Dear God,

Aai says its good to pray but when I asked her how to, she said in Marathi “Only you can decide how to.” So I’ll write letters to you. Please make my teeth come back faster, Rohan calls me ‘tunnel’ everyday and I don’t like it. While playing basketball in school today my glasses fell and broke. I’ve hidden them under my bed please don’t let mummy come to know. Mummy and Daddy scream at each other a lot nowadays. Aai says it’s because they forgot that they love each other. Please make them remember soon. They should eat badaam. Aai gives me four badaams everyday. Last night mummy came and slept next to me. When I asked her why, she said, “The bed is getting smaller for me and Daddy.” I know it isn’t, because even after all my toys are on their bed, there’s space still left. Maybe Daddy puts too many files on the bed. Daddy never lets anyone touch his colourful files. He says “My Principal in office will scold me if anything goes missing.” Today my purple crayon got lost in class. I had to colour a brinjal black because of that. In the evening a liar uncle came home. He had files in his hand but not colouful files like daddy’s. Mummy read from the files and became very sad. Daddy and mummy were very quiet at the dinner table. Mummy even scolded me for making too much noise while eating. After dinner I saw Mummy packing her suitcase. I think we’re going to Goa or to Nana’s place. Daddy isn’t packing his suitcase. He’s still got files all over the bed. Liar uncle says I can see Daddy only sometimes. But I want to see Aai everyday, even in Goa. Mummy said we’re not taking Aai with us. Please please make Aai come with us too. Aai says I’m going to be a smart and beautiful woman someday but for that I had to stop crying and start smiling more. I stopped crying and Aai hugged me. Aai says to keep praying to you. So I will. Please send me an address I can send this letter to. So I can pray everyday. Love you Bappa.

Anushka.