Chutki cleared her throat in front of everyone in the family that evening. In her both palms laid Mattaru, his shell all clean, plump and prideful. Golu was beside Chutki, both siblings were dying out of joy from the inside.

"Everyone, today we have gathered for an important discussion." Golu said like some mighty minister.

"That tortoise trouble is neither important nor innocent." Dadi grumbled.

"Uh oh Dadi! Cheer up, this is really not that bad." Dadaji said.

"I am still not convinced by this. But since Mummy has decided, we will have to go by it." Papa sighed.

"This is a new member of the house, Mattaru. He has matar eyes, loves peas and the cutest and happiest tortoise you will ever know." Golu recited.

"I caught him when I went fishing by the lake. Mattaru followed me and made me his friend so we decided to keep him with Mummy's permission. He will not cause any disturbance to everyone and be a nice tortoise. Isn't it, Mattaru?" Chutki said. Everyone looked at Mattaru who nodded. Everyone again sighed.

"So, have you thought about how you would take care of it?" Dadaji asked.

"Yes, I asked my school friend, Rita about it. He would need food at least four times a week and a little brushing of his shell. Sometimes he likes to go out with me on walks and swimming in the tub." Chutki said.

"I will also help Didi in taking care of Mattaru." Golu said.

"Okay Golu. If you and Chutki really want Mattaru, I can lend you my tub." Dadi sighed in relief.

"Thank you Dadi." The children hugged her.

"Ahem, what about me?" Mummy said.

"Thank you mummy for allowing us to keep Mattaru in here." The children chuckled as everyone smiled.

The following days were full of Mattaru's antics. Sometimes he came in between Papa's feet, or hanging onto Dadaji's kurta or hiding in his dhoti. Sometimes moving along Dadi, making her grumble. Sometimes moving towards the kitchen with the smell of delicious food. The only time Mattaru was innocent was when Chutki was home. He would go back to his tub and pretend to swim carefree.

Chutki would giggle and feed him peas which ended his day in luxury. At night he would come out to see everyone sleep. Then he would sneak out of the house and enjoy the night breeze under the moonlight.

After a few days, Mummy called, "Maa ji, would you bring these vegetables from the market?"

"Okay Golu's mummy. Chutki, let us go to the market." Dadi said while taking the jute bag for vegetables. Chutki had finished her homework and rushed to the living room. Before than she accompanied Mattaru in her small bag.

"What happened Dadi?"

"Chutki, let us go to the market." Dadi said while moving out of the house.

"Arey, move slowly Chutki's Dadi!" Dadaji commented while Golu was playing Ludo with him. Dadaji had his newspaper along his side.

"Oh you keep shut, Golu's Dadaji! Always teasing me." Dadi frowned, to which the children and Dadaji giggled.

Soon Chutki and Dadi reached the market. The bustling of vegetable vendors selling, the mothers and aunties bargaining about the inflated prices, the other sweet shops making fresh samosas, jalebis and other snacks. The smell tingled in Chutki's nose.

"Dadi, I'm getting hungry. Why not get some jalebi?" Chutki asked.

"Oh, jalebi! Yes I can smell that too. Let us eat a little and then take the vegetables." Dadi exclaimed. Jalebi was Dadi's favourite and only weakness so Chutki could take advantage of that. They went to a sweets shop where the halwai was making fresh jalebis dipped in sugar syrup.

"How much for 400 grams of jalebi?" Dadi asked.

"Just 1 rupees maa ji." The halwai said.

After buying the jalebis, they sat on a nearside bench and ate them.

"You know Chutki, Dadaji used to bring home jalebi everyday especially for me. He used to say that I would remain as sweet as jalebi if I ate them. That is why jalebi is my favourite." Dadi spoke and Chutki listened keenly. She slid a bite of jalebi in the bag so Mattaru could savour it too. After they were done, they saved some for everyone.

They went to the vegetable shop. Mattaru felt like a king. The royal ride, the savoury jalebi and the cool breeze! It was as if his destiny became better when he came to Chutki's home. As Dadi looked at the fresh potatoes and brinjal, she asked the vendor, "Oh beta, how much for half kilo aloo and baigan?"

"Maa ji, seventy paise a kilo for aloo and eighty paise a kilo for baigan!"

"Are you looting or what? Give them at good prices!" Dadi bargained. Chutki sighed again. She wasn't interested in the irrational arguments of the adult world.

"Maa ji, this is half the price of what we bought from the transporters. Everywhere it's the same rate!"

"Stop fooling! Either give at twenty paise for aloo and twenty five paise for the baigan or we are going!"

"Okay maaji." The vendor sighed as he packed the vegetables when maaji told him to put the firm and fresh brinjals.

After they were done, they went to another shop.

"How much for the dhaniya?"

"Ten paise maa ji." The vendor said.

"Okay, pack them. See Chutki, how that previous vendor was looting everyone!" Dadi said as Chutki nodded.

There was a thief that had been following Dadi and Chutki since the start. His eyes were on Dadi's batwa. As she opened her purse to give the money, he came and snatched away the purse.

"Oh my purse! Thief, thief! Someone catch him!" Everyone looked at the shouting Dadi and the running thief.

"Thief, catch him!" Everyone exclaimed.

That was when Chutki, out of instinct, took out Mattaru and aimed for the thief's head. In five seconds, Mattaru hit the thief's head and fell onto the ground.

"Caught him!" Dadi said while taking her purse back while slapping him twice. Afterwards everyone beated the life out of the thief.

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T/n~

Samosa: Indian snack of fried pastry flour with spicy potato and pea filling

Jalebi: Indian fried snack of flour dipped in sugar syrup

Aloo: potato

Baigan: brinjal

Dhaniya: cilantro/coriander

Paise: unit of Indian currency which is presently extinct

Ruppees: Indian currency

Maa ji: addressing as mother

Batwa: purse

~To be continued...

Your grateful author,
かな恵一