Rupa's Vacation...!!

Rini, Neha and Rupa are three friends. Rini and Neha are twins and Rupa's mother is the elder sister of Rini and Neha, so Rini and Neha are actually Rupa's 'mausis'. But Rini and Neha are only one year older than Rupa and they are close friends. Rini and Neha live in Murshidabad a town in West Bengal. They go to a village school, Rupa lives in a big city Kolkata and goes to a school there. The friends would very much love to be together but cannot because of school.

So they eagerly wait for their summer vacation. When the schools close on summer vacation, Rupa and her family of father, mother, brother and sister will take the train to travel to their ancestral home in the town of Murshidabad, where the twins live. Murshidabad is a small town famous in West Bengal for the palace of Siraj Ud Daulla known all over as Hazar Duari. (thousand doors) The river Ganges flows by the river. The streets are wide and tree lined and the summer sun plays a glittering game of light and shade on the beautiful streets by the river and the town as a whole.

Rupa feels excited about meeting her friends. There are lots of things to talk about, which is pent up in the last six months and of course she thought of all the games they play. She was so quiet sitting in a corner in the train, her mom was worried and asked her if she was feeling well. Rupa gave a broad smile and said she is quite alright and only thinking about Rini and Neha. They reached in the evening, she met Rini and Neha, they had so much to talk about, so many rooms to roam around and so many people to hug. There was her grandmother, and grandfather who greeted her with big kisses and a plate full of rasgullas. Then she met all her aunts and told them about her days in school. Finally the three friends took their dinner and went to a room, huddled together and went to sleep. They had already agreed that they would get up early in the morning and visit the fishes in the pond. This is how Rupa's vacation with her close friends started. Her vacation means playing all through the morning after breakfast of parathas and alu bhaji. They will stop playing only when they feel hungry. After their lunch they would try to continue playing while their parents would insist that they get some rest. They would agree to rest only if their grandmother will tell them a story. They will fall asleep listening to grand-mother's fairy tale. In the afternoon grandfather would call them aloud to take them to their farm. they would play in the farm with other children. grandfather would take them through the lush green fields of rice, pulses and mustard. They would play there along with the children of the farmers.

by evening grandfather would bundle them up in his jeep and bring them back home. At home grandma would soak a brass bucket full of mangoes cut at the tips. when the children are back grandma would slice the mangoes and hand them over to the children. they will eat to their hearts content. Ma will then call Rupa and the rest of the children for studies. they would study under her mother's guidance. after studies they would sit in the verandah for their dinner. they would sit on the ground on top of mats and food would be served by the aunties.

Rupa would be so happy that she would not notice how the days passed by and it would be time to return to school in Calcutta. It so happened that the day to go back arrived. The family got ready and it was time to leave for the station. Everybody got into the jeep, when Rupa's ma noticed that Rupa was missing . Everybody started looking for Rupa calling out her name. Rini and Neha started running into all rooms looking for her, but she could not be found anywhere.

Rupa's mother started crying and nobody knew what could be done. It is already 1 O" clock in the afternoon. It is getting late as they were supposed to catch the 2 O'clock train to Calcutta and they cannot possibly leave Rupa behind. Rupa's father said "we will wait for Rupa and we will not go today". the family trouped back into the house and everybody started looking for Rupa in earnest. Suddenly Rini found Rupa peeping out from behind the cowshed. She asked Rini 'Is it 2 O clock yet?' Then as the clock struck 2 she came out of her hiding place. Rini asked Rupa 'why are you hiding?' Rupa said "I dont want to go. I want to stay another day. I hid to miss the train.

Rini held Rupa's hand and took her to the kitchen where everybody was. Seeing Rupa everybody jumped up asking questions and there was quite a lot of commotion. Rupa's mom started scolding her and crying at the same time. Rupa's father sat in a corner and didn't say a word. Rupa was feeling sorry and stood in a corner with her head bowed down.

Rini could not help herself she blurted out 'why are you all scolding her she just wanted to stay another day.' Hearing that Rupa's mother pulled Rupa in and hugged her. Rupa's father said 'go and enjoy another day, we will go tomorrow, but next time don't hide, tell us if you want another day to stay.'