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| IndiStar! |
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"Mom!
Mom!
Where Are You?
Where Are You?"
This was Jhanvi, frantically searching the entire house for her Mother.
Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, even their pet cat, Daisy, seemed to have no clue!
It was her special day and the most special person in her life, her Mother was nowhere to be seen!
~~~
Just then it dawned upon her...
The one piece missing from the puzzle...
The Teen-ish Treasure Tracker as the Mother - Daughter duo, liked to call it, was a ritualistic game ever since Jhanvi's Thirteenth.
It was her Nineteeth today.
The Last Teen-ish Treasure Tracker for Jhanvi was here.
So, this game's rules struck Jhanvi for a while...
~~~
Mom! - Mom had combined that essence of Christmas Day with Jhanvi's Day...
In a game, which concealed her Birthday Present in its folds, each year...
There was only ONE Rule to the Game, followed by Mother - Daughter alike...
Mom! - Mom had stirred a surprise for the concluding Teen-ish Treasure Trove...
~~~
She'd bet her Mother's disappearance was a part of the surprise!
The Ultimate Rule Was...
The House Would Be Laid With Clues For The Day, which J had to reveal and connect.
But J had checked all rooms in search of Mom, and no clue was in sight!
All?
'My Own Room!' - J Exclaimed!
She dashed to her room, and reached out for the wardrobe.
In that small drawer, which had that star shaped key chain, lay the first clue.
Jhanvi's sixth sense was right.
The star held the clue.
The star had 9 edges and a Sun outlined ...
~~~
Jhanvi had been playing this game for the past six years!
'Think. Think.
9 Edges
Star
Sun
Nine - Time Maybe?
Star - A Star Shaped Clock In Her Room?
Sun - Morning!
Time On The Wall Clock!
It Was 8:50 AM.
Ten Minutes To Go...
9:00 AM.
~~~
'Jhanvi! See who's come early in the morn to meet you...'
This was Dad, calling out to J, prompting her to run down the stairs...
On the door, stood her best friend, Himani!
Turns out she had come, not to wish her but to give her a wrapped box...
No, it could not be! Himani could not forget J's birthday!
But Himani just handed over that box and left.
'I have to unwrap that box this very moment!' - J thought to herself...
~~~
She ran back to her room, unwrapped the box, to find Grandma's favorite Jade ear-ring.
But, where did the one for the right ear go?
It was only one ear-ring!
How did Himani get Grandma's ear-ring?
And where was the second of the pair?
~~~
'Jhanvi! Have you seen my Jadey?'
Jadey was how Grandma liked to call it...
J ran to Grandma's room, gave her the Jadey.
Turns out Grandma didn't have a clue about the connection with Himani.
Just that Grandma's Jadey's were restored.
Before she left the room, J spotted a Visiting Card on the bed...
It said - 'The Baker's Brew!'
J's favorite bakery!
It read - 'Collection Time - 3 'o' clock.'
Second Clue?
Jhanvi was quick to comprehend - her birthday cake was due!
Mom, where ever she was, would surely turn up at the bakery for the cake.
She'd bet it was her favorite 'Icy Blue Cream Creation'!
Were Grandma's Jadey & Himani a part of Mom's plan?
~~~
Only 12 Noon by the clock?
Another Three Hours To Go?
J Couldn't Wait Anymore...
But Mom refused to even receive her call...
~~~
And, as she was passing by Grandpa's room, she heard Dad and Grandpa talk in whispers.
Third Clue, maybe?
She could hear Daisy's name and her own.
And, Grandpa called out to her...
'Jhanvi! Dear, could you please clear Daisy's litter box? It hasn't been cleared since last night.'
'Sure Grandpa!'
'And, could you please collect my spectacles from the Optician's?'
'Sure Grandpa!'
One thing for sure.
Dad & Grandpa were a part of Mom's Surprise.
~~~
Two Tasks...
The litter box was a 5-minute affair...
It was the to-and-fro travel to the Optician's and the rush at the shop that made the clock strike 2:30 PM!
By this time, J had a separate plan taking shape in her mind.
She made it a point to visit The Baker's Brew at 3:00 PM.
~~~
3 'o' clock at the Bakery...
Jhanvi noticed Mom's car outside the shop and drove home.
She was sure to find Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma & Daisy geared up for her B'day Bash!
~~~
J reached home by 4 'o' clock, owing to the heavy traffic, of course.
To her surprise, three guests apart from family were there to welcome her.
~~~
First, Mom was back home. With her Icy Blue Cream Creation!
Second, J's maternal Uncle & Aunt had joined in!
Third, Himani was there too!
~~~
Jhanvi put together all the pieces.
~~~
Mom had disappeared for the day.
Himani had given her Grandma's Jade ear-ring, which led J to the visiting card.
Dad & Grandpa had planned to send J out of the house for a whole 4 hours!
~~~
'Mom!
Let's end this last Treasure Trove gracefully.
I've managed to figure that Himani, Grandma's Jadey and Dad & Grandpa have been with you, the whole day.
Let's just reveal my last Teen-ish present too, Pretty Please'.
~~~
Mom & Dad took centre - stage.
Attached to the Bakery Box's side was a small chit which proclaimed...
Jhanvi, you're a smart girl.
For You,
Here's your smarter companion...
~~~
As J finished reading it aloud, she found a Nokia Lumia 820 on the glass table!
~~~
And, that's how Jhanvi's 19th could be summed up as...
The Tale Of The Jade, The Bake...
The Curious Case Of The Lumia!
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BlogAdda gives out a creative writing theme each weekend for Indian bloggers.
This is my second fiction attempt after
The Mysterious Look, which had been penned for WOW! in the past.
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