THE OPTICAL ILLUSION (SHORT STORY)
THE OPTICAL ILLUSION
BY
Mottogucci
BY
Mottogucci
Megha sat pondering. What could she draw? She cursed herself for having left it for the last minute. She had to mail this today if she wished to participate in the "Most imaginative Picture competition".
She sighed ! she stared unseeingly at the drawing paper and chewed the pencil. "Ok!" she told herself and drew a half droopy eye in the middle of the paper. She thought "I will give colorful shading around it and....
"Megha, please come for a minute. How many times I have to call out?". "No peace and quiet" she muttered to herself and hollered "one sec mom". She frowned at the palette in which she had mixed different colors and kept ready. "Should she put this away?" Then she thought "I will just ask mom what she wants and be back immediately."
But things didn't work out as she had planned. First it was "Megha please dry the clothes in the terrace" she tried protesting and but to no avail. Then it was "Megha dear please run to Maruthi stores and grab these things for me. Your sister and Jeejaji are coming in the evening."
On the way, she met one too many acquaintances. "Oof ! of all the days!" She boiled inside but was her smiling self outside.
It was nearly an hour later that she could free herself. Just then she heard the door bell. It was the friendly neighbour mami(whom they used to call anbu thollai). She could smother you with affection. By the time the lady was packed off, she heard some giggles from inside her room.
With a cry of "Oh No!" she ran to her room. If she was ever destined to get a heart attack, it would have been this instant. The floor was a clutter. She stood rooted to the spot seeing the pandemonium in her room.
Her brother's three year old twins were on their knees and making her drawing paper colorful. One was being artistic and using the brush. But the other was a naturist using his fingers (probably the finger painting taught at play school) and palms. To make matters worse their kitten was having a ball as well.
She was playing with a ball of wool, which was all unravelled and all over the floor. Colors of paint had stuck to the wool as well her paws. Megha found there were paw marks on the paper as well as lines and curves of color all over the paper. the twins contribution of finger prints,crooked stars and blotches and patches of colors.
"You horrors" she screamed! Three faces (the twins and a kit)turned to face her. The moment they saw her face, they knew they were in for trouble. As if anticipating the next move, the kitten dived under the cot out of her reach and the twins shot out of the room dodging their aunt's claws. She chased them and the clever imps knew the right place to hide - behind their granny. Megha stalked forward as her mom shielded the brats behind her. "Give them to me" she growled.
Her mother did no such thing. Instead she admonished her daughter "Megha, what do you think you are doing? they are small kids" . "Kids my foot! They are little devils. See what they have done to my picture. And I am supposed to send it today for the competition. I am only a maid in this house attending to everybody's whims and fancies." Tears of anger streaked down her face. Gently pushing the kids out of harm's range, Megha was gently pushed into her room by her mother. As she entered the room, they could hear gentle mewing sound. but the kitten was wiser. She wouldn't come out yet. It knew the war zone was not yet clear.
"See what the devils have done" she pointed to the ruined picture. Though she felt sorry for her daughter, Mrs. Krishnan couldn't help the smile that came to her face to see the picture. She controlled herself and ticked Megha off instead. "how many times have I told you to put things away when not in use? You should have at least locked the door when you came out. you know the twins are still babies. They don't know what is right and what is wrong. They saw the brush and decided to paint like you. Come on now don't make a scene" and she walked out. That was it! For this also she gets blamed!!
Without bothering to clear the room, she dashed out of the house. She better be at charu's place till she cooled down or she would skin the twins alive. She didn't even notice her brother Ram coming in as she dashed out. Looking back at the gate he enquired his mother the reason for Megha's anger this time.
Mrs. Krishna smiled and led him to Megha's room. He could guess the whole thing in ten seconds. "Oh no" he put his hands on his forehead. "The twins again?" and he was admonished with a"don't you dare scold them".She explained what had happened.
Three weeks later, the door bell rang. Mrs. Krishnan opened the door to a courier. He said "courier for Ms. Megha". She signed and received the envelope. "Megha, courier for you" mother said as she went inside.
With a "For me?" Megha took the envelope. She looked at the from address and her knit her eyebrows. Hastily, she tore open the envelope. She couldn't believe her eyes. She pulled out a letter and a cheque for 500 rupees. She read the letter again. "but, but, how can it be?" she spluttered. "What is it dear?" asked Mrs. Krishnan. Ma, I have won the first prize in that competition. But I never entered that".
It was Ram's turn now. He lowered the paper he was reading and said with a smile. "Megha, I sent your entry". She couldn't make head or tail out of what he was saying. "what entry?" .
"Well, the same picture you were drawing.I titled it "Optical Illusion" . Felt that would be the correct title - the eye surrounded by sploches and bloches of colors, streaks and lines of colors not to mention cats paws or should I say kits paws and kids finger prints?" he asked with a naughty smile. The address was near your paraphernalia. So I sent it.
She hugged her brother and hollered "you little imps" and her nephews came running to her, but keeping a safe distance. She beckoned to them. The smile on her face made them brave enough to venture closer. with a wink she asked "icecreams?" "Yaaaay" came the reply as two pairs of small hands closed in on Megha's hands.
"All is well that ends well" Mrs. Krishnan said with a smile
She sighed ! she stared unseeingly at the drawing paper and chewed the pencil. "Ok!" she told herself and drew a half droopy eye in the middle of the paper. She thought "I will give colorful shading around it and....
"Megha, please come for a minute. How many times I have to call out?". "No peace and quiet" she muttered to herself and hollered "one sec mom". She frowned at the palette in which she had mixed different colors and kept ready. "Should she put this away?" Then she thought "I will just ask mom what she wants and be back immediately."
But things didn't work out as she had planned. First it was "Megha please dry the clothes in the terrace" she tried protesting and but to no avail. Then it was "Megha dear please run to Maruthi stores and grab these things for me. Your sister and Jeejaji are coming in the evening."
On the way, she met one too many acquaintances. "Oof ! of all the days!" She boiled inside but was her smiling self outside.
It was nearly an hour later that she could free herself. Just then she heard the door bell. It was the friendly neighbour mami(whom they used to call anbu thollai). She could smother you with affection. By the time the lady was packed off, she heard some giggles from inside her room.
With a cry of "Oh No!" she ran to her room. If she was ever destined to get a heart attack, it would have been this instant. The floor was a clutter. She stood rooted to the spot seeing the pandemonium in her room.
Her brother's three year old twins were on their knees and making her drawing paper colorful. One was being artistic and using the brush. But the other was a naturist using his fingers (probably the finger painting taught at play school) and palms. To make matters worse their kitten was having a ball as well.
She was playing with a ball of wool, which was all unravelled and all over the floor. Colors of paint had stuck to the wool as well her paws. Megha found there were paw marks on the paper as well as lines and curves of color all over the paper. the twins contribution of finger prints,crooked stars and blotches and patches of colors.
"You horrors" she screamed! Three faces (the twins and a kit)turned to face her. The moment they saw her face, they knew they were in for trouble. As if anticipating the next move, the kitten dived under the cot out of her reach and the twins shot out of the room dodging their aunt's claws. She chased them and the clever imps knew the right place to hide - behind their granny. Megha stalked forward as her mom shielded the brats behind her. "Give them to me" she growled.
Her mother did no such thing. Instead she admonished her daughter "Megha, what do you think you are doing? they are small kids" . "Kids my foot! They are little devils. See what they have done to my picture. And I am supposed to send it today for the competition. I am only a maid in this house attending to everybody's whims and fancies." Tears of anger streaked down her face. Gently pushing the kids out of harm's range, Megha was gently pushed into her room by her mother. As she entered the room, they could hear gentle mewing sound. but the kitten was wiser. She wouldn't come out yet. It knew the war zone was not yet clear.
"See what the devils have done" she pointed to the ruined picture. Though she felt sorry for her daughter, Mrs. Krishnan couldn't help the smile that came to her face to see the picture. She controlled herself and ticked Megha off instead. "how many times have I told you to put things away when not in use? You should have at least locked the door when you came out. you know the twins are still babies. They don't know what is right and what is wrong. They saw the brush and decided to paint like you. Come on now don't make a scene" and she walked out. That was it! For this also she gets blamed!!
Without bothering to clear the room, she dashed out of the house. She better be at charu's place till she cooled down or she would skin the twins alive. She didn't even notice her brother Ram coming in as she dashed out. Looking back at the gate he enquired his mother the reason for Megha's anger this time.
Mrs. Krishna smiled and led him to Megha's room. He could guess the whole thing in ten seconds. "Oh no" he put his hands on his forehead. "The twins again?" and he was admonished with a"don't you dare scold them".She explained what had happened.
Three weeks later, the door bell rang. Mrs. Krishnan opened the door to a courier. He said "courier for Ms. Megha". She signed and received the envelope. "Megha, courier for you" mother said as she went inside.
With a "For me?" Megha took the envelope. She looked at the from address and her knit her eyebrows. Hastily, she tore open the envelope. She couldn't believe her eyes. She pulled out a letter and a cheque for 500 rupees. She read the letter again. "but, but, how can it be?" she spluttered. "What is it dear?" asked Mrs. Krishnan. Ma, I have won the first prize in that competition. But I never entered that".
It was Ram's turn now. He lowered the paper he was reading and said with a smile. "Megha, I sent your entry". She couldn't make head or tail out of what he was saying. "what entry?" .
"Well, the same picture you were drawing.I titled it "Optical Illusion" . Felt that would be the correct title - the eye surrounded by sploches and bloches of colors, streaks and lines of colors not to mention cats paws or should I say kits paws and kids finger prints?" he asked with a naughty smile. The address was near your paraphernalia. So I sent it.
She hugged her brother and hollered "you little imps" and her nephews came running to her, but keeping a safe distance. She beckoned to them. The smile on her face made them brave enough to venture closer. with a wink she asked "icecreams?" "Yaaaay" came the reply as two pairs of small hands closed in on Megha's hands.
"All is well that ends well" Mrs. Krishnan said with a smile
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