A mother's heart

4

'Fsssssssssssssssssssss' That is the pressure cooker blowing. It's the first whistle. I have put the flame low, so I can spend a little more time by this window. From here I can see the mango tree, the guava tree, and the park beyond. The clock has struck five. The ground is full of children. They are playing football, they are playing cricket, they are playing badminton, they are playing hide-and-seek, some are hanging on to their mothers, some are with their pets, some are cycling. The chair and table by the side of the window are my favourite possessions. I read sitting here, eat sitting here. I watch the world go by me from this safe hideout. I watch children making merry under the watchful eyes of their mothers from here. Today Chintoo is wearing her new hair band, the red one I brought....