One evening before the electricity had gone off, Raya was busy trying to read a story in her English textbook. The homework was “What do you understand from the story ‘Kutchu and His Glasses’?”
The story of Kutchu and his glasses is an old tale in Indian study material that you will find many children have read throughout the years. It is a warm story of a grandfather who forgot where he placed his glasses and searches everywhere, only to find out at the end of the story—when Kutchu’s wife tells him—that he had them on his head all along.
For Raya, this story touched her deeply, not only because she and Thatha both had glasses but also because Kutchu’s dilemma reminded her of her own Thatha forgetting things.
“Thatha and I wear glasses, but Thatha, like Kutchu, forgets where his glasses are and I don’t,” Raya wrote as what she understood from the story.
Thatha, who later was told the story of Kutchu by Raya, laughed loudly at Raya’s take on the story.
Raya told him she had finished her homework and was ready for a new story about Lord Krishna.
Thatha was bemused by what Raya wrote as her completion of “homework.” He quipped, “I don’t know if this counts as finishing your homework, Rani, but I like your take on it.”
“Thank you, Thatha. Now tell me a story,” Raya begged.
“There once was a naughty little girl who only wanted to play with her dolls and her cousins.”
“Thatha, are you talking about me?”
“No, Rani, her name was Ranu,” Thatha narrated.
“The name is too close to mine, Thatha,” Raya protested.
“Her name was Priya,” Thatha said exasperatedly after thinking deeply.
“Priya was a good girl. She studied hard, helped her mother with chores, and looked after her siblings.”
“Oh, like Maya, my cousin,” Raya quipped.
“Oh dear, give me a break, Rani,” Thatha said, completely exasperated.
“What’s wrong, Thatha? Today you don’t seem like your storytelling self,” Raya questioned.
Thatha was very aware of his granddaughter’s keen insight. He didn’t want to worry her, but he couldn’t come up with a good story that night.
The reason was that Thatha was very concerned about his grandson Gokul, who had run away from home in Vizag. He got a call from his third daughter, Kamala, in the afternoon with the news. His daughter was worried that Gokul might come running to Thatha’s house after being scolded by his father.
Thatha had hoped Gokul would indeed come to his house, but it was almost time for the power to go out, and no one had showed up.
“You see, Rani, I am waiting for someone to arrive, but they haven’t come yet, and that worries me,” Thatha said.
“Who is coming, Thatha? Is it Krishna Anna again?” Raya said.
“No, Rani, it is Gokul, Krishna’s older brother. It seems he has run away from home, and it worries me,” Thatha said.
“What does ‘run away from home’ mean, Thatha? Why did Gokul Anna do that?” Raya questioned.
“Rani, can we put story time aside for today and wait for Gokul Anna?” Raya, noticing how worried Thatha was, agreed readily.
Thatha then asked Raya if she loved reading and studying at school.
“I hate studying, Thatha. I just want to listen to your stories. Why do I need to study?” Raya huffed.
Thatha then told Raya that there are so many stories that he doesn’t know that exist only in books. Once Raya learns to read well, she can read as many stories as she likes.
Raya was curious—more stories than Thatha knows? Is there such a thing? She wasn’t convinced, but she remembered the story of Kutchu and what it meant to her. Raya wanted to read more stories like Kutchu’s, maybe even read the stories with Thatha.
“Thatha, okay. I want to read many stories, so I will study well. But Thatha, you didn’t tell me what running away means.”
“Oh, Rani, not the forgetting kind, are you? Gokul Anna wasn’t studying well and received bad marks, so he left Kamala Aunty and home and went off somewhere,” Thatha said.
“Went off somewhere? Where, Thatha? Can no one find him? Is he playing hide and seek?” Raya questioned.
“Sweet Rani, that’s why I am worried. He might be playing hide and seek, and no one knows where he is,” Thatha said worriedly.
“So he is still hiding?” Raya asked.
“I don’t know, Rani. But I wish he would show himself already. The game is over, and Kamala Aunty and the entire family are worried,” Thatha said.
“I am worried too, Thatha. Can’t we find him together?” Raya questioned.
“Yes, it looks like we must. Let me get my cane. Then off we will go to find Gokul Anna.” Thatha didn’t know where he could find Gokul—everyone had already inquired in all the usual places he ran off to, but there was no sign of him. But seeing his granddaughter so determined, he hoped to find Gokul and put an end to his reckless behavior.
Just then, Maya, Raya’s cousin sister who was one year older than Raya, came bursting in to announce that Gokul Anna had arrived.
Thatha, who was so ecstatic with this news, rushed to Gokul. First he gave him a firm slap on the face for worrying everyone, and then he hugged him and sobbed.
Seeing Thatha like this made Raya very happy. Thatha cared for all of his family gently and greatly. He made sure all his grandsons and granddaughters were well taken care of and loved.
Just then the lights went out, and everyone ran to the veranda to hear Thatha tell his stories. But this time, Raya decided that since Gokul Anna still had to eat his meal and call his mother to let her know he was safe, she would tell a story instead of Thatha. The story she told mesmerized everyone: “Where, oh where, did Kutchu put his glasses?”/isolated-segment.html
memajuve 