The Little Barber and the Secret Treat

By Nahar Trina

“Hey Apu,” Topu whispered to his elder sister Tania. “What are you doing just sitting there?”

“Shh! Come here. Want a bite?”

Topu quickly surveyed his surroundings before flashing a mischievous grin. He held out his hand, revealing a hidden treasure. Taking advantage of the household’s deep afternoon nap, the brother-sister duo was busy devouring Grandma’s famous pickles, sneaking spoonfuls with gleeful determination.

Grown-ups always seemed to have a manual of rules: don’t do this, don’t eat that. How long could a brave explorer like Topu tolerate the tyranny of these regulations? No excessive chocolate, it will rot your teeth. No pickles at odd hours, you’ll get a stomachache. That was Grandma’s standard reply to every request Tania made. But Topu wondered, his tummy felt perfectly fine!

“Hey, does your tummy ache?” she whispered.

“Nope!” Topu shook his head vigorously, his mouth stuffed with the tangy treat. Even with an empty mouth, Topu was a boy of few words. He preferred the language of gestures—a shrug, a wink, or a thumbs-up. His delay in speaking had once worried everyone, but little did they know, he was just busy collecting a sackful of cleverness inside his tiny head. He simply hadn’t felt the need to talk until he had something really important to say.

He still remembered the day his mother tearfully asked, “Will our son never speak?” That was the day Topu decided to break his silence. His first words filled the house with joy. Yet, he remained a fan of being succinct—a quality his younger auntie clearly lacked! She could talk for hours with anyone: Grandma, Mom, or even the person on the other end of the phone.

Topu liked his auntie best when she read stories or played hide-and-seek. But he hated it when an annoying phone call snatched her away mid-story. Once, he even tried to ‘rescue’ her by breaking the phone to find the person living inside. He didn’t find anyone, but he did get a fair share of scolding from Mom and Dad. Oddly enough, his auntie found it hilarious!

“Hey Gullu, want to meet the person in the phone?” she would tease him. After Dad, she was Topu’s favourite buddy.

Looking at the pickle jar, Topu half-whispered to his sister, “Can I give a little to Auntie?”

No words came from Tania, just a firm pinch on his hand—a clear sign of disapproval. The quiet boy felt a sting of protest, but then, a clever idea sparked in his mind. He examined the red spot on his hand and flashed his sister one of his magical smiles.

“Ugh!” Tania looked up, startled. “What’s wrong? Why are you clutching your tummy?”

With a theatrical pout and a whimper, Topu announced that his stomach hurt terribly. Tania froze, her hands pausing mid-heist. Panic washed over her face. She was sure the legendary Topu-scream was coming, and she would be the one to take the fall.

While Tania sat there, paralysed by worry, Topu clutched his stomach and stood up. Once out of her sight, he chuckled softly. He took a detour to Grandma’s room to whisper a tiny confession about the “pickle heist” in her ear, then slipped under Dad’s office desk to begin his secret mission.

Earlier, he had ‘borrowed’ a pair of scissors from Mom’s sewing box. He loved visiting the barbershop with Dad, watching how the barber snipped hair with such flair. When Topu told Dad he wanted to be a barber, Dad laughed and said, “Okay, but first you need to grow up and train properly.”

But how can I train when everyone is watching me? Topu thought. Now was his chance.

He rehearsed the barber’s style in his head and lifted the scissors… but then he paused. He looked at the sharp blades and remembered Dad’s serious face.

Just then, he spotted his favourite stuffed bear, ‘Bhombol,’ lying nearby. Bhombol’s fur was long and messy. “Aha! A customer!” Topu whispered. He carefully snipped a tiny bit of the teddy’s fur. Snip, snip! Suddenly, Mom entered the room. Topu quickly hid the scissors behind his back and flashed his most innocent smile. Mom looked at Bhombol’s lopsided fur and burst into laughter.

“Oh Topu! Practising your barber skills already? Let’s put those sharp scissors away for now. How about we find some colourful paper and make some beautiful cut-outs instead?”

Topu giggled. Being a barber was hard work, but at least Bhombol looked stylish now, and his next mission, the Great Paper Art–-was about to begin!

- Total nr. of readings: 537 Copyright © The author [2020] All Rights Reserved. This story may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the author except for personal use.