I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING.

He came inside the house,  leaving pale muddy footprints on the floor. I asked him to remove his shoes and clean his feet and hands.He glared at me but obeying , entered the bathroom.He must have had a fight with Ravi or Akash , I concluded.

He came out washed and dried and sat on the sofa opposite me.

"Rahul, here is your milk", handing him the glass.

He gulped it down. Milk was his favourite drink and he banged the glass on the center-table with a thud. I gave him a stern look.

"What is the matter?" asked I.

He did not reply, but stared blankly at the ceiling.Then making eye contact with me , he said in a low voice," I want to tell you something, mommy".

"Yes tell me " said I with a smile on my face, folding the clothes that I had pulled down from the cloth line and not looking at him, immersed in the chore but mentally  prepared to hear his long stories of fights and arguments with his play mates in the park.

" Ravi's mommy and daddy will be going for a divorce".

"Mommy, will you and daddy divorce ?"

I slowly looked at his face, keeping aside the freshly washed clothes. His face was sad and a thousand tempests were raging in his little mind. His nervous demeanor suggested that things were a bit serious.

"Why do you ask Rahul?"

"You and daddy had an argument today while I was going to school"

"It was a discussion , my child."

"Ravi 's parents fight everyday . Ravi and his mommy will be going to his nani's place (maternal grandmom). Today was his last evening with me".

I pulled him close to me and hugged him. His cheeks were wet and he was trying to suppress his sobs.

How was I going to explain a six year old that sometimes relationships do not work out and people have to part ways. The adults partly solved their problems by moving away from each other and later moving on , in life. But the uprooted tender sapling  finds it difficult or at times impossible to thrive in a different environment. Ravi was punished for no fault of his . But he was the most affected party.

I explained to Rahul that his parents would always be with him .What happened with Ravi's family need not happen with every family.

Tonight , I have to talk to my husband.

CREDITED TO:-WRITE OVER THE WEEKEND( WOW) - JUNE 21st