3 Novels by Shashi Deshpande

Author:Shashi Deshpande [Deshpande, Shashi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9788184758870
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2012-12-20T16:00:00+00:00

A Chase and a Cinema

When Dinu woke up, he wondered whether it had been a dream—Satish promising to tell him something. Satish himself behaved as if nothing had happened. But no, it had been no dream. Dinu clearly remembered everything. And knowing that Satish would let out nothing, not for the time being anyway, Dinu decided to be patient. ‘What shall we do today?’ he asked the others.

They all had different plans, Minu’s being just to laze, and they could not decide what to do. It was Kaka who, unknowingly, made up their minds for them. ‘Mohan,’ he said, when they were having their early morning cup of tea, ‘did you see something strange last night?’

‘Last night?’ Mohan put down his cup and stared at his father. ‘No, Appa, I didn’t. What was it? And when and where?’

Kaka vigorously scratched his head until his hair stood up in a ruffled thatch. He always did that when he was puzzled. ‘Maybe I’m mistaken. But I’m almost sure I saw lights in our old house.’

‘Our old house?’ Mohan’s voice was wondering, and five pairs of equally wondering eyes turned silently on Kaka. ‘What kind of lights, Appa? Don’t tell me some people have moved in there? Or maybe it was the ghosts of our ancestors.’

Mohan laughed and Kaka gave a big smile. ‘Who knows? In that case, we won’t disturb them. It’s all theirs.’

Dinu winked at the others. They knew what it meant and all of them wandered outside. Satish luckily, had been sent off by Kaka to deliver a message somewhere, and the children could talk freely. They made a small bonfire of the dried peanut bushes and huddled round it. It was a rather chilly morning and they enjoyed the warmth of the fire. Besides, the peanuts on the bushes were being roasted at the same time, and the kids could hardly wait for the fire to die down so they could eat them.

‘So they’re at it still,’ Dinu said, holding his hands to the fire and then rubbing them together.

‘The beasts!’ Ravi exploded, pushing some twigs into the fire.

‘Yes, but look at it this way. If they’re still digging, it means they haven’t yet found the treasure.’

Minu brightened. ‘Let’s go there and have another look.’

‘Where? To the old house?’

She nodded. ‘I’m sure they’ve gone away. Let’s go and see where they’re digging.’

‘Of course!’ Dinu eagerly jumped up. ‘That’s the very thing to do. Okay, let’s put out the fire now. Then we can have some peanuts.’

Peanuts fresh and tender and just roasted! Could anything ever taste better? Nothing, they all declared.

‘Let’s not say we’re going to the old house,’ Dinu suggested when they were ready to leave. ‘Let’s say we’re going swimming.’

‘But then, we’ll have to take our clothes and towels.’

‘Let’s take them. We’ll have a swim too.’

Satish came upon them as they were leaving. ‘Where are you going?’ he pounced on them, looking at the clothes in their hands.

‘Where do you think?’

‘Swimming,’ Satish grinned. ‘And I’m coming too. Just a minute.

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