"I was happy. I was waiting outside a shop and I found the exact thing I'd always wanted that thing through which you call someone. I think its called a 'mobile phone'. Yeah, that thing. It was hanging from a hook, wrapped inside a plastic packet. Once, I saw a man coming out of a pretty shop. It was huge and they'd put up decorations, like lights, because Diwali was near. The man was with his son, who was holding a flat object and pressing something on the object. It was a phone because he exclaimed,
"Dad! This is such an awesome phone!"
Phone. I heard it. So I asked my owner (Yes, I have an owner)
"What is a phone?"
She got surprised. She looked scared, to be honest.
"Where did you hear about that, eh?"
"I was roaming about and I saw a boy holding a flat object and pressing things that might be on that object and then he exclaimed that it was an awesome phone. What is 'awesome'?"
"You ask too many questions. Phone is an object through which you can all someone . And the other question? I don't know. Must be some rich-people language." She said with a frown.
"Rich people?" I asked, my eyes wide. Seeing that I was getting excited, mostly about what she told me the phone.
"Yes. Rich people. People with lots of money and that is why they could buy an object like that."
"But you have one too. And we are not people with lots of money. We barely get to eat."
"I had been saving some money for a while and when there was enough, I bought it." She said, showing me the phone. It was that flat but it was an object through which you could call others or anyone. She noticed that I was staring in awe at the phone. So, what she did was, she kept the phone back in her small hand-bag that hangs on her wrist, since morning and I don't know if she ever takes it off. Except for when bathing.
"What are you staring at?"
"No, its just tha-" I started but she cut me in,
"Listen here, you stop roaming about in the streets. Because I don't want you using your brain and getting me into trouble" which means, I should not use my brain to run away from her clutches, "and no more stupid questions" which meant, no more questioning about the phone.
But I did use my brain and ran away. As I was saying, I saw the phone and since I had some money, which I had stolen from my owner, I bought it. It cost me only 10 rupees. I had more than 10 and my owner clearly told me only rich people could buy phones. So, does that make me rich? This thought made me happy. I am rich! I am rich!"
"Lakshmi! Calm down!" I shouted at her. Lakshmi tells me the same story everyday without fail. And every time, she ends it with the "I am rich!" shout. Well, I end it actually. There's more to it. As I sit near her bed, staring at her, her round eyes looking at me, I tell her,
"Sit. Sit down." She'd gotten out of her bed and was legs apart, hands-up, wide apart. She calm down and slowly moves towards her bed, mumbling,
"But I am rich. My owner told me, a person needs to be rich to -"
"She is a bad lady. Forget about her. Sleep. It'll ease your head-ache" She was surprised that I knew she had a head-ache. "yes, I know" She lied down, I tuck her in and she closes her eyes.
