“I want to go to Goa, like last summer,” protested Kira.
“Me too,” said four-year-old Kayati, who didn’t really understand what was going on but wanted to have her say anyway.
“We’re going to Rajasthan because Uncle Saurabh’s regiment is moving out from Teergarh soon and we won’t get another chance to visit,” snapped Mom. “Grandpa was posted there 30 years ago, and Saurabh and I loved it. You can play in the sand there, like you would in Goa, except for the sea.”
“But the sea’s the best part,“ cried Kira. But no one was listening.
Seeing Laika again
Some weeks later, when they were nearing Uncle Saurabh’s house, Kira realised something else. “That awful Rohit will be there,’ she exclaimed.
Mom laughed. “Your cousin’s not awful. You’re just jealous because he got Laika, not you.”
“Who’s Laika?” asked Kayati.
Kira glared at her. “I couldn’t keep Laika because of you. Dad said you were too small and we would have to wait to get a dog.“
All the memories of Laika as an adorable puppy flooded back, as they arrived at their destination. Then, a wave of heat hit them as they got out of the van. Kira opened her mouth to grumble, just as an enormous black-and-tan monster charged out with a roar and made straight for her.
Kira wanted to run and climb the nearest tree, but there were no trees around and anyway she couldn’t get her feet to move. Then, the monster stood on its hind legs and dropped Kira to the ground.
“Laika, you’ll lick her to death!” cried someone, and pulled Kira up.
Kira realised it was Rohit and the monster was the puppy she had cuddled two years ago. “What a good thing you took Laika away.” she sighed, slightly dazed. “She’s gi-normous.”’
“And she obviously remembers you,” replied Rohit.
It was true. Laika was dancing around Kira, with her mouth open in a grin that could easily be misinterpreted as a snarl. Rohit urged Kira to pat Laika and Kira did so reluctantly. But when she felt Laika’s soft fur, she was no longer afraid. And then she was flat on her back again, this time, quite happily.
Outdoors, finally
Over the next week, Kira tried to stay cool indoors. Laika followed her around faithfully but Kira could tell that Laika was conflicted about wanting to be with her and to be outside playing with Rohit and his friends Ankit and Sushant. So, finally, Kira stepped out.
Lengths of green cloth stretched from the roof of the house to the wall of the compound, and it was not as hot as she had expected. The boys had dug a shallow ‘bunker’ in the sand and stuck three flags on top of a mound of sand in front of it. When they saw Kira, they dared her to “attack” and grab the flags.
Illustrations: Satheesh Vellinezhi | Photo Credit: Illustrations: Satheesh Vellinezhi
Kira didn’t hesitate. She dropped down and slid along the sand, out of sight of the boys. She tossed a pebble against the wall and the boys turned, and one flag disappeared. Another pebble — and another flag disappeared. The final one was grabbed by Laika because Kira had taught her to retrieve sticks when they had played in the corridor indoors.
“Rematch,” cried the boys and the three of them came at her, grabbing for the flags but unable to get them because Laika had decided that they were her “sticks” and she was not giving them back.
Finally all of them burst out laughing, and then found plenty to do together under that green shade.
It rained the next day and Uncle Saurabh took all of them to the high sand dune about a kilometer away from the house.
“It looked bigger when we were young,” said Mom.
“A lot of sand has been taken away for the brick kilns in town, but it’s still about 50 feet high,” said Uncle Saurabh.
Illustrations: Satheesh Vellinezhi | Photo Credit: Illustrations: Satheesh Vellinezhi
An amazing find
Kayati sat down contentedly at the top of the dune, like she would at the beach, and began to build a castle with mounds of damp sand. Soon, everyone joined in and a fine structure began to take shape.
Laika stayed out of the way, until suddenly, without warning, she leapt at the castle wall and sent sand flying everywhere.
“Laika, you ruined it,” protested Rohit, and then they saw a huge monitor lizard scurrying away. Everyone was happy that Laika had stepped in.
“Monitor lizards are rarely seen in summer. The rain must have disturbed this one,” said Uncle Saurabh.
With the “castle” a mess, the children began to slide down the dune on flattened cardboard sheets. Kira felt like she was flying until, suddenly, at the bottom of the dune, she toppled over something hard. She gave a little cry that only Laika heard and responded to. Together, the duo dug in the sand to see what had blocked Kira’s path.
“I found something,” she shouted to the others who were still sliding here and there. In seconds, everyone was beside her. They began digging too, and when they finally stopped, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind.
There was a wall underneath the sand. “Maybe today’s shower washed the covering layers away…” said Uncle Saurabh.
“It’s right at the bottom of the dune. Could it be the wall of an ancient house or city?” asked Kira.
“Who knows? With Harappan civilisation sites not too far from here and with Gupta era sites as well, it could be anything,” said Mom.
“‘This is so cool,” said Kira. “Can we stay here all summer, and come back every year?”
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