Grandma's Study Room
It was a cold January afternoon. After letting Ranju finish his drawing, Mother glanced out the window. The rain had started again, and a chill crept into the room. Shivering slightly, she closed the window and gently wrapped a blanket around Ranju's shoulders.
“You sit and study now,” she said softly. “I’ll go check if Somu has revised his history lessons.”
In their house, there was a special rule: the siblings couldn't study in the same room. Otherwise, it would lead to endless fights. So Ranju stayed on his bed in the bedroom, while Somu spread out his books on the dining table.
Just as Somu was about to respond to Mother’s question, the doorbell rang.
“Maybe Papa’s home?” Somu wondered.
Mother opened the door, and Father stepped in. He looked serious.
“There’s some bad news,” he said, brushing water from his shoulders. “Father called from Balasore today. Brother has cancer. We need to take him to Mumbai for treatment.”
Mother paused, confused. “You mean both of us should go? What about the children? Their exams are coming up.”
Father sat at the dining table, glancing at his wristwatch. “I’ve already thought it through. We’ll leave the kids here with your father and brother. And your mother too—she was a teacher, remember? The children’s studies won’t suffer.”
Ranju and Somu jumped with excitement when they heard their grandparents were coming.
“Oh wow, Grandfather is coming!” Ranju shouted.
How much fun they had at Grandfather’s house in Berhampur! Trips to the market, eating ice cream, chaat, and gup chup. And Grandfather—he always cooked their favorite dishes. Every night, they’d snuggle into bed listening to his stories—tales of kings, faraway lands, and the history of India. After all, he used to be a schoolteacher. He knew so much about the world.
And Seema Aapa, their aunt, lived in Mumbai. She was Father’s sister. So when Grandfather and Aai arrived from Berhampur, the house would be full again—with warmth, stories, and learning in Grandma’s study room.
After staying with the child, the parents went to Mumbai for the treatment of the grandmother. After all the arrangements were made at the Tata Cancer Hospital there, the father returned to Bhubaneswar. The mother stayed at Piusinani's house to meet the grandmother. The father is a manager in a big hotel. He leaves at eight in the morning and returns home at three. He leaves at six in the evening and returns at eleven at night. Seeing this work of his, Ai is sad. He says, "Will he suck blood just because he gives money?" The examination lasted for another month. Therefore, Ai imposed strict rules on him as a mistress. “Ranju, stop going to that street and playing cricket. And listen, Somu, I am telling you that you will not watch cartoons on TV for a few days. As per Mother’s instructions, Ranju was sitting on the bed in her bedroom and studying. And Somu was sitting at the dining table. Even if Ai were a teacher, she could teach him other subjects. How little knowledge she has.
While I was sitting next to Ranju and explaining to him, Grandfather called out, “Savita, give me some warm water; I will gargle. Ai brought warm water and sat next to Ranju, and then she called out again, “Savita, put some medicine in my eyes.” After putting medicine in Grandfather’s eyes, he sat down to read literature to Somu, and Grandfather’s call was heard: “Savita, where are my glasses? I searched and couldn’t find them. Give me some.”
Atta’s call continued like that throughout the day. They need a towel before bathing and an oil massage on their back after bathing. Then make a drink of Lavras. Coffee four or five times a day, give them medicine leaves, etc. What a lot of work. Ranju laughed when he saw Ai repeatedly getting up from the place where the children were studying. Somu was so shy. They would tell each other to go, "You will serve Ai. We are studying on our own."
After the exams, Somu Ranju went to Mumbai, and Grandmother returned to Berhampur.
After three months, Grandma's health improved. They all returned to Bhubaneswar together. The father said, "This time, Sister will stay here with us.
A week after they arrived, the exam results came out. Ranju was first, and Somu was second in his class.
Seeing the report card, the mother became happy. She called her father and said, “Didn’t I tell you? My sister is being left here, and the children won’t have to worry about their studies. After all, she was a famous teacher!”
The mother then sat down to call Ai to Berhampur. “Your staying here, sister, has benefited us a lot. Both of the children did very well in the exam. They came first and second in their respective classes.”
Ai laughed and laughed. “I have nothing to take Bahaduri with me. Bahaduri is his own. Have I ever been able to teach him? While your father was working, my time was gone. Call him every five minutes. Sometimes to put medicine on his eyes, sometimes to massage his back with oil.
Then he has coffee five or seven times a day. Your children are very clever and smart. They have studied everything they have done.”
“Oh my!” The mother hugged the boy and said, “Really! I am so proud of you now.” Then she smiled and said, “Come on, I will not stay at home during every exam.”
“But Grandma is living here now. Where can you go after leaving her?” The children suddenly said,
The Wild Riser: Story of Narangi and the First Leopard
Life in the Jungle
Long ago, in a jungle surrounded by high hills and flowing rivers, lived a man named Kaina and his little daughter, Narangi. Narangi grew up playing in the jungle. She knew every animal like family—riding elephants, playing hide-and-seek with jackals, singing songs on the backs of tigers, and dancing with peacocks. The jungle was her world.
Why Do Dogs Bark at Night Around Some Houses?
Friends, at night many dogs gather around the house.
Dogs start barking in a pack and start crying in the direction of one house. If they start barking on seeing someone, it tells that they are seeing something strange around that house or inside it. They start giving signals before something untoward happens.
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