Third person limited narrative mode

Chapter 1

"Who all are there in your family?"

I answer absent-mindedly, channeling back my thoughts to the present uphill task at hand i.e. filling her slam book, which she has imposed on me.

"Who do you love the most?", comes the next question.

Dividing a split second into four parts, I weigh each one of them, and then come to rest at ma.I just stop short of delivering my verdict and then with a false conviction I answer, "I love everybody." I don't remember whether I stressed on 'love' or 'everybody'.

She wasn't satisfied; I knew and I didn't allow her to pursue that.So I asked her, who all were there in hers.She counted each one of them for me and then said, "soon, mama'll be there too.This time when I'll go to see her, I'll request her to come back with me." After that she again burst into a tirade of accounting each of her family member's traits, quirks, pitching in-her nine yr old's- opinion here and then.All these time I hadn't lifted my head or eyes, though concentration had long since parted my company.

I attended to the 'Favorites' column, with a shrugged indifference, to all those questions regarding favorite actor, food, movies, music etc.It was getting late and I was tired so I told her that I'll do the rest the next day.And with constant reminders and dire threats of what lay in store for her if she wouldn't complete her lesson by the next day, I took my leave of her.I know she won't learn and she's well aware that I know.

She uses words like 'request' and she didn't say it sadly or in reflection.nah.She told it as a matter of fact, so sure of herself."All that remains now is for her to make her request and bring her back." sigh.She has played this conversation many times in her head...

Chapter 2

And now for the upteenth time she was discussing it with her friend.She was bosom friends with Hope, right from kindergarten.They started by sharing that table for two on their first day, then tiffins, crayons and then it blossomed from exchanging gossips to sharing minutest details.Two minds and two hearts, at four corners of square, diagonals drawn, each vertex connected to every other.Between them they had hatched this plot, some two weeks ago.Hope helped her, encouraged her friend.Together they had changed many a word, polishing them, finding loopholes and correcting them, manipulating their gestures, adding a facial hue here, changing an intonation there, perfecting every move of their 'request'.And now as she was hearing her out today, Hope wondered if she'd let her friend into the latest news delivered to her this morning.But she stopped.She knew there would be a scene if she came to know.And anyways her friend had too many things on her mind now.Hope stayed mum.

Lying in bed that night, Hope was sad.She knew she won't be there next term.She was changing schools.She just couldn't get herself to say it that morning.She had all her appeasements prepared like they'll still be in the same city,their long hours of talking over phone won't change, their vows of remaining 'best friends for life' won't change.They were and will always be that.No, nothing will change.She'll always be there for her....But she couldn't muster up the courage and say all these.

There was this new girl Verity.Hope wondered if she'll take over her place.She felt jealous.But they'd both liked Verity at the first instant, even though she was a helluva lot different from them.Maybe she can introduce Verity to their group.Now that she was leaving school.She was worried 'bout her friend.She made a point of talking to Verity tomorrow and then she'll ask her to take care of her friend.

to be contd...