Summer Diaries

Chapter-7

“It’s not so much about the shoes, but the person wearing them”

On a one wonderful summer journey she lost her doll shoes. It didn’t occur to her till she reached her home. She frantically started searching her doll’s black shoes. The doll was the apple of her eye more so because the gift was given by her favorite person. Her mother’s friend, Mathur aunty. Mathur aunty hasn’t had a child and she loved her immensely. She was like a second mother to her. She often pampered her with different gifts and on her fourth birthday, she gifted her a beautiful Indian doll. Mathur aunty often said that the doll was her replica. Straight, silky black hair, a healthy body and big beautiful brown eyes.

At that time barbies were not part of the usual Indian market. They were beautiful dreams of a middle class Indian girl and reality of a rich Indian girl.

After sometime when she couldn’t find the footgear, she started weeping hysterically. Her mother came running to her and asked the reason behind such a behavior. She told her that she has lost her baby doll’s shoes. To pacify her, the mother agreed upon buying a new pair of the same design and pattern.

The days passed by but she didn’t forget that her doll was living barefooted. Every day she asked her mom when she will take her to market and every time her mother would say soon. She kept waiting patiently for the day to come. Alas! It never came. Soon the time came for her next summer vacations and she got buried under all the preparations, forgetting that her doll was without shoes.

Once again, they were all set to leave for their month-long vacations. So while picking up the luggage she remembered her doll. And pleaded her mother to allow her , to take the doll on their voyage. The Mother agreed but asked her to keep a watch on her doll and her belongings. She nodded her head in acknowledgement.

Again, they were on their beautiful journey to their heaven. But this time it was a bit different as her darling doll was sitting on her lap throughout her journey. She had taken her mother’s advice too, seriously. She didn’t leave her doll alone, not for single second not even when she went out to attend the call of nature. Finally, when they sat their foot on the marvel of the world , she ran towards home. This time her grandmother was standing at the door. She leaped and hugged her granny tightly. Grandmother held her in her arms and took her inside the house. Unlike always grandmother opened her locked Almira and pointed inwards.

She stood there bewildered by the sight. Their on top shelf laid, her doll’s black shining shoes.

She cried out of joy and kissed her granny because she has given her the lost joy. She ran towards her parents and expressed her happiness. She saw that her parents were smiling, amused at her as if this was not a great piece of news. She felt annoyed. Seeing her expressions mother revealed that she knew about this information beforehand as granny has already written about it in her letter to the mother.

She hugged her mother for giving her this beautiful surprise. This indeed became a wonderful lesson of her life.

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To be continued …..

Please read the other chapters if you have missed them from below :

Chapter-1

Chapter-2

Chapter-3

Chapter-4

Chapter-5

Chapter-6