Bond Bond. She is the Baby Bond.

Not so long ago (Yes I am still young) there lived a girl who was studying in UKG, who was fond of questions (mostly inappropriate). She would go around holding pallu of her mom’s saree, asking questions, like, “Mom, does dad love me”, Yes “Is that why he kisses me?” Yes, “Does he love you”, Yes, “Then why doesn’t he kiss you” or “Mom why do you wear saree & not nighty like pakadhmane aunty”.

Secret behind my talkative mom going silent lies with me. Summer holidays were on, me and cousin were playing outside our thotti mane in our native. Our native is a small village on the Bangalore-Mysore highway from Mandya to Mysore. It has got hens & buffaloes, cows & sheep & greenery & oh ok you get the point.

It also has a well; common water well just behind our home. We both were advised warned not to venture nearby. Warnings to me are like invitations; I made sure I roamed around the well, always. One unfortunate day (err not for me) I had the idea of throwing stones into the well. This water well was pretty old, had water but no one from the village used it, not sure what the reason was. We threw around 20-30 stones & each hit the bottom of the well with a splash. We both were so excited to hear splash all the way up. Suddenly, a doubt popped up to me, about the depth of the well.

We discussed, me & my cousin, that after we throw a stone, one should start counting 1 2 & that way we could decide the depth. Tried few times but every time the number varied, mostly because our throwing had different strengths or stupid cousin stopped counting as he forgot numbers. The idea crapped out.

My destructive mind had started working & bang - another idea. I decided to send a person down the well, who could check on the depth & tell us back. My first option was my cousin, but he played safe. He said we are partners in crime sorts of dialogue & denied. Nearby was this child who was 2yrs old, playing with mud, we both got our “catch”? Both spoke to the kid (yes it was unfortunate day for him), told him that we will send err throw down the well, he has to make note of depth, then shout, we would put a “suthli daara” (gunny bag tying thread) & then we would pull the baby back. The kid smiled. I am sure it did not understand a word we said; even otherwise I had made my mind, that the kid would go, happily or crying, any which way.

The well had huge walls around & it was pretty taller than us. Me & cousin lifted the kid with much difficulty, the plan was to make him sit on the edge & then push him off. Please note that the kid was hefty. In this process I think the kid was bruised & he started wailing. We started speeding up our job too. The kid’s mother came running I donno from where & you really don’t want to hear what happened later.

We were grounded for entire summer vacations that year. They never got us ice cream even. Cousin still fears to go near that well. Stupid boy he is. However there is still an urge in me, to know what the depth is, game anyone?