Never in my entire existence had I felt so uncomfortable before.
Not because I was wedged between the folds of a thick blanket, for I was used to it by now. But the fact that three individuals have gathered to discuss me and my apparent 'crime' of making the ink disappear made me too self-aware and anxious, both of which I never actually understood as to their meanings but knew well ever since I came into being.
Have any of you had the experience of having your peers or family discuss something you did while you had to sit in a corner and just listen, with no way to say anything about what they said regarding you? Then you very well know what I mean.
After failing to come up with any other assumption for the disappearance of her last entry, Deepshikha and Asha called upon the help of Chandrika, who had come within a moment's notice, excited to know about this strange mystery. After filling her in with the details, they all sat on the bed in a close circle, with me trapped in the blanket. Together, they laid down all that they knew about me.
"First, let's go over our very first assumption again", said Chandrika.
"You mean the assumption that Deepshikha's parents themselves had gone through her journal?", asked Asha.
"Yes, that's right", said Chandrika. "Deep, please note it down."
Deepshikha, who had fetched a sheet of paper from her writing supplies, began to write, reciting as she wrote, "First...assumption: Parents...saw...journal. Okay, that's done. But didn't Asha claim that it was impossible?"
"Let's just assume that they did decide to take a peek in your journal. After all, they are the only ones who can get past the guards, right? Maybe they have been doing that for some time now", said Chandrika.
"That doesn't explain why it vanished", said Asha.
"What's more, the page on which I wrote this is now a loose sheet", said Deepshikha, "Whoever came here didn't have to tear it."
"Now wait here. Deep, check your journal", said Chandrika, sitting upright abruptly.
"Why? I already did", said Deepshikha.
"But are there any signs of tears? Is the count of pages correct?", asked Chandrika.
Deepshikha's eyes widened with the realization of her mistake. She quickly went over to the page of her last entry. There were no signs of damage. She counted the number of pages in the journal. Asha recounted them for her. Each time, the number was correct.
"That's strange", said Deepshikha, shaking her head. "Not only is the journal undamaged, but it has all of its pages too."
"That's a good thing, given that this journal is very important to you", said Asha. "But that doesn't explain why there is a loose page here with us now."
"Deep, now tell me. Is this page the same one as your journal's?", asked Chandrika, holding me up.
Deepshikha thought for a while, looking at me, then at the journal, then back at me. Finally, she shook her head and said, "No, it's not. It just happens to be the same size as my journal."
"That means somehow this page has ended up here", said Chandrika. "Now, the question is... is this the same page as last time? Or did someone change the pages during the night?"
"That's a lot more complicated than where we were earlier", said Asha, "First, someone has to cross over a series of walls and barricades, evade several patrols, and creep silently into this room to even come near this journal, considering all that happened the night before last night. Second, why go over the whole process of placing an appropriately sized sheet in Deepshikha's journal, then replace it again last night? Why not only read it straight from the journal itself? And lastly, what good would it do anyone to read Deepshikha's secret wishes and try to make them come true? Are we dealing with fairies or what?"
"Second... Assumption: Secret... Fairy", Deepshikha noted.
Asha turned to her and wrinkled her nose. "Seriously, you are noting that down?", she said in an annoyed tone.
"Why not? We must put everything into consideration, right?", asked Deepshikha. "And wouldn't you like it if we had a fairy to fulfill our wishes?"
"That would be great!", said Chandrika.
Both of them looked at Asha with bright eyes. With a sigh, Asha gave in and said, "I guess that's true. But how can we confirm this?"
All three of them put their heads together in deep thought. Then, suddenly, Chandrika shot up straight and jumped on the bed with her right hand raised. "I got it! I have an idea! Please, please listen to me!", she shouted excitedly.
"Of course we will listen to you", said Asha. "That's what we are here for. What have you got?"
Chandrika grabbed Asha's and Deepshikha's hands. Then, with round, bright eyes and a big smile, she said, "I have a wish."
"What?", asked Deepshikha.
"A wish", Chandrika repeated.
"Yes, but what is your wish?", Asha asked.
"My wish…", Chandrika paused, took a big breath, and continued, "My wish is that I want to play Holi."
"Oh, just that?", asked Asha. "Of course you can. Anyone can play Holi."
Deepshikha and Chandrika stared at Asha. Asha looked at them in confusion, not knowing what to say. After what seemed to be a long time, it finally dawned on her.
"Oh yes, I forgot!", Asha slammed her forehead. "You guys haven't really celebrated Holi the way others do."
"Me because my parents are scared of someone abducting me amid the crowd…", said Deepshikha.
"And me because Baba thinks 'princesses should follow a mode of strict conduct, of which involving oneself in such frivolous proceedings is absolutely prohibited", said Chandrika, "except this time."
"Then, you are planning…", Deepshikha said, but was interrupted by Chandrika jumping across the room to grab a quill and an inkpot.
"Yes, I am going to use the fairy's blessing too. You shouldn't have all the fun, you know?", Chandrika said, jumping back onto the bed.
"But how will it help us determine who our mysterious benefactor is?", asked Asha.
"That's simple. Firstly, this time it's me who is going to ask for a wish. Secondly, the sheet will remain with me in my room, somewhere hidden safely. I know a lot of places for that. That way, we will know whether the wishes come true only for Deepshikha or not, and if they don't, how will they work for me, as no one can possibly know that I have it in my possession", Chandrika explained.
"But let's say someone manages to obtain the whereabouts of this sheet and finds your room. How will we catch that person?", Deepshikha asked.
"Leave that to me", Chandrika said, winking mischievously.
And so, once again, an inked quill rubbed across my body, and I experienced the same sensation again. Once again, something burned in me. Chandrika finished writing her wish and read it out.
"I wish that tomorrow, that is, on Holi, I and my friends Deepshikha and Asha will be allowed to take part in the celebrations and play with colors with everyone else too", Chandika recited.
Then she tucked me into her pocket and yawned. "It's been a long night", she said sleepily. "I say that we go off to sleep now". The others agreed too. Hence, Chandrika left the room with me in her pocket, while Asha prepared Deepshikha and herself for bed.
Upon reaching her room, Chandrika stood, rubbing her chin. "Now, now", she said silently. "Where can I hide you, my friend?"
She walked around the room, looking under the many nooks, crannies, and crevices. Finally, she squealed with joy as she saw an old lamp stand hidden behind a new curtain right next to the window.
The lampstand was well shielded from the wind thanks to the curtain but had been abandoned for some time now, for it was cracked and covered in thick soot. Chandrika grabbed the curtain's end and rubbed off some of the soot. Then, taking hold of a decorative stone, one she muttered was too shiny for her liking, she placed me on the stand and squashed me beneath the stone. With that, she pulled the curtain, heaved a sigh of satisfaction, and walked away. She moved around the room for a much longer time after that, executing some secret scheme of hers, but I was unable to see its progress as the curtain blocked my view. It was late when the bed finally squeaked for a moment. Then silence fell, and I spent the night trapped in my uncomfortable lodging.
The night went by, and daylight crept in. The soft snores of my captor resounded in the silent room. Just then, loud and fast footsteps were heard outside the door. "Chandrika? Chandrika!", a familiar voice called out. The sound of the door opening was heard. And then…
Suddenly the air was pierced by a high-pitched scream that went on for a long time. It drowned out the sound of something crashing on the floor with a metallic sound, and the bed violently squeaked in response.
"What? Where? Where's the fire? Who's hurt?", Chandrika's voice was heard, shaken by the sudden commotion and sounding scared and confused.
"It's – it's me", someone said slowly, their voice shaking as if they were crying. "Please help me! It's red!"
There was a period of silence between the two. Then Chandrika laughed hysterically, the bed squeaking again. The other person remained silent. At last, they said in an angry tone, "Why are you laughing? Here I am, completely drenched in some red liquid, feeling completely cold and miserable, and you are laughing? Is that what you do when your friends are in trouble? You laugh and roll on your bed as they struggle?"
The laugh, though, still continued. It ended when Chandrika started coughing, and the sound of a glass lid being opened was heard. Then Chandrika said, "I am sorry. I am terribly sorry for your trouble. I didn't mean it to be like this."
"You didn't mean it... So it was you who were responsible for this mess! What did you do? And why?", the person shouted angrily at her.
"I am sorry, really sorry. I told you right that I would take care of... our little treasure?", Chandrika asked.
"Yes", the person replied. "So what? Where is it?"
"Oh, it's right…", Chandrika said. Then the bed squeaked once, and the sound of footsteps coming closer reached me. The curtain moved. "It's right here", Chandrika said.
And a comical scene met my eyes. Chandrika stood near me, her curls tangled up and her clothes looking ragged. But the person standing next to the door looked much messier than the one near me. From what I could make out in the beginning, it was the figure of someone I had come to know well. But it was hard to recognize them, as from the first hair on their heads to their toes, they were drenched in a blood-red liquid, one that had spilled all around them, and a bucket rolled near them, the liquid spilling out from it too.
Chandrika stifled a laugh.
"You are still laughing?!", the person asked angrily. "That doesn't explain my situation at all!"
"I know it doesn't! It's just the spot where I hid the sheet. Your situation... It's an accident, Asha", Chandrika said.
And then it dawned on me. The person standing drenched in the red liquid was none other than Asha. And she was seeing red. She clenched her fist and waved it at Chandrika. "You have five minutes to explain yourself before I punch your head till it becomes as big and red as a watermelon", she threatened Chandrika.
"Look, I did say that I was planning to catch our mysterious fairy in the act?", Chandrika explained, holding her hands in front of her in defense. "So I thought, why not catch them red-handed?"
"No one told you to do that literally!", Asha waved her fists above her head and said, "Tell me, what was in that bucket? You better say that there was nothing messy in it."
"No, there wasn't. Just your regular bucket from the bathing area, water, and some leftover watermelon juice that... anyway, leave it. That's what was in that bucket."
"Hmm", Asha stood there silently for a moment. Then, she moved towards Chandrika, saying, "You know, it isn't so bad too, given the fact that today is Holi and also that it corresponds perfectly with the news I was bringing you…"
"What news?", asked Chandrika.
In response, Asha grabbed her and hugged her tightly. "All three of us can play Holi today! Holi Hai!", she shouted.
"No, my nightdress!", Chandrika screamed as her dress turned red too. "That's payback", said Asha, giggling as she ran out of the room with Chandrika chasing after her.
It was night again when I found myself back in the same position as yesterday. The three girls had retaken their positions on Deepshikha's bed and tucked me back into that heavy blanket. As I once again found myself feeling suffocated by the blanket, I closely observed the girls. Each one had their skin stained by a variety of colors—the aftermath of the day's celebration, one they all had wished for and looked forward to. Deepshikha and Chandrika were all smiles, as it was the first time they had celebrated this festival with such joy and freedom. But now it was time to once again discuss my judgment. The three girls were perplexed when, after the celebrations, when they had cleaned themselves up, they came to see me and found that I had once again failed to retain the inked lines carved on me. This was a mystery to them, as clearly no one had come to Chandrika's bedroom last night, but the wish was fulfilled out of the blue the very next day. They all agreed that it was a coincidence and that it was just a whim on their parents' part. As they racked their brains, thinking of a possible explanation, Chandrika shot up, held up her finger, and said, "I call for another wish."
"And what good will it do?", asked Deepshikha.
"It will clear the question of whether it waits out till daybreak to fulfill the wish or will it be instantaneous", said Asha.
Chandrika nodded in agreement. "Asha, you ask for a wish this time, but make one that must be fulfilled immediately", Chandrika suggested.
Asha reached out for the inked quill with one hand and me with the other. She scratched my body with the quill. The sensation and the burning returned. Asha read out, "I wish that our color stains would go away immediately". The very next moment, the faces of the three girls cleared up. They looked at each other in surprise.
"That's… That's just…", Deepshikha stammered.
"Tremendous!", Chandrika shouted, jumping on the bed.
"What is tremendous?"
The three girls sat upright in attention. Their eyes were full of shock and fright. Slowly, each one of them turned to face the door.
Standing on the threshold, her hands folded on her chest, and a smile on her face, was Queen Jyoti herself.