Nimmi and her grandfather’s pranks

--------------------Image 03--------------------------

As she woke up, in the morning, Nimmi found two birds and
flowers all around her. She felt immensely pleased. She rose
from her bed, making up her mind to touch the flowers and
caress the birds. But as soon as touched the flowers, her face
expressed sadness and annoyance. The flowers were artificial.
The birds even were controlled by electricity. Immediately
thought of her grandfather came to her mind. He always did one
or the other prank on her every weekend. They had not met for
five months at a stretch. Grandfather thought of new tricks. This
was one of them. It had only been a month when she came here
and from then on, these tricks were troubling her.

‘Now it is the time to play a trick on him which he would never

forget’, thought Nimmi. She convinced her parents and friends
to support her in the trick. Her grandparents lived in the same
city, a little far away from her house. To reach there, she would
have to cross a mini forest and a piece of barren land. She had
planned something. She asked her parents to leave her at
grandfather’s place so she might accomplish her aim.. First of
all, after a lot of coaxing, she made her father to get her a
wheelchair.
--------------------Image 17--------------------------

The very next day, she started for her grandfather’s house with
all her friends. On the way, she saw numerous flowers in the
mini forest. The deodars and pinecones looked so pretty.
--------------Image 05---------------------------------

Then they saw that between the barren land and the mini forest,
were grazing mountain goats. Slowly her grandparent’s house
came in view. As they neared grandfather’s house, her friends
put down the wheelchair, they brought with them, seated Nimmi
in it and knocked at the door. After a few moments,
grandmother came out. First she couldn’t see Nimmi who was
hidden behind her friends. But suddenly she gasped! She saw
her granddaughter in a wheelchair!
------------------Image 01------------------
The worried old lady asked about what happened. They told her
a made-up story that menu happened to fall off the tree she was
swinging from. They told her grandparents that menu would
stay there for a day as her parents had gone out for some work.
The grandmother gladly welcomed in her house. All her friends
also came in stating that they would take Nimmi School. So
granny got Nimmi ready for school, gave her breakfast and said
goodbye. On their way to school, they heard birds chirruping,
butterflies fluttering and felt happiness all around.
------------------------Image 07--------------

While in the class, looking outside the window and thought, ‘

‘is it not wrong that I trouble my grandparents just because of
grandpa’s tricks? Shouldn’t I have tried something less serious?
I feel distressed. But perhaps it will make him feel happy after
seeing me well.’’ so she concentrated on her studies.
On her way back home, she saw a black, fluffy, cat with a glossy
coat trying to jump on a high branch of a tree at one go.
------------------------Image 09--------------
She smiled and went on her way and reached her house.
------------------------Image 19--------------
She lay quietly on her sofa. Just then she had to go to grandma
for she was called for lunch .Her grandpa came in shoving the
wheel chair.
------------------------Image 08--------------
She felt sorry for grandpa. After eating lunch, she was asked by
grandma what all did she see on the way today. She recalled
having seen clear sky and a few clouds attempting to hide the
sun, roses blooming and trees swaying. Then having got
exhausted by sitting on the wheel chair for such a long time, she
retired to her room. When she woke up she had to move around
but couldn’t. Just then she spied the chair, and seeing that no
one was around, she climbed off her bed and sat on the chair.
Taking permission, she went to the park in front of their house.
She also found there all her friends. She enjoyed herself playing
all kinds of games except for which she would have to run. A
child in her neighborhood asked her, “From when have you
begun to sit on a wheel chair?’’ She instantly responded, ‘it is
not mine. I’m just experiencing it’, the question and a few glares
from some people made her want to escape from there.

-----------------------Image 13--------------

So she expressed her will to her friends who immediately

fulfilled it. Reaching the house she felt much relieved.

The clock struck 8:p.m. She sighed her grandparents were not at
home. She had nothing much to do. She roamed around the
house on her own feet. Suddenly, she heard the door latch click
open. She hurried towards her wheelchair and sighed again.
Her granny came in with a few girl kids younger to her from
neighborhood. And wow! Her granny gave her a gift. It was a
toy, which played songs, and the flat surface used to shine with
different colors on which a beautiful doll danced. She was
excited to see it. But being on a wheel chair, she couldn’t dance
along with it. She felt really upset.

Grandma came up to her and said,’’ dear, I know you are sad
that you can’t dance along with it but why don’t you smile and
be happy on seeing these tiny ones dance in their own way?’’
Nimmi smiled. But still she was just so tempted that she felt that
the moment they left, she’d jump out of the chair and shake her
body well. It seemed they would never go. But after one and half
hour they finally left. Grandma forcefully tucked her to sleep
confirming that else she would be very tired and uncomfortable.
So reluctantly menu closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. She
heard grandma leave. She set an alarm for 11:00p.m. As soon
as her alarm went off, she got up, took out her toy and at just an
audible volume, played it and danced.

She was alert and careful not to wake up anyone. When after
sometime no one came, she lost in her own self. That was the
very moment when grandpa came in silently and switched on the
lights. Nimmi froze. She tried to speak something but her lips
didn’t move apart. She knew she was caught. She finally decided
to give up.

‘Fine! I played a prank on you both and I’m sorry but you
shouldn’t scold me as grandpa was the one who started all this.’
I know I must’ve hurt you and again I’m sorry. But then the
tricks you have applied on me even matter.’ said Nimmi.
------------------------Image 14--------------

Grandpa replied, “my child, I used to play tricks because you’d

challenged me beforehand while you were not in the city. You
might have said it casually but a challenge is a challenge.’’
“Secondly you don’t need to feel guilty for hurting us as we
already knew about it and were playing along with you. We
asked your parents as to how you got hurt and the moment, they
told us a different story that we derived the truth out of them. So
now promise that you’ll never play such a joke so as to hurt
someone’s feelings and I also promise not to play pranks.
------------------------Image 06--------------

Grandpa lifted Nimmi and tucked her in her bed.