Dinner in the Dark

  That was a pleasant evening. Dwaraka and Nalana arrived at my house. We have finished our 10th grade at the same school and now it was time for us to divide and study. So, as a farewell, I invited them to my house for a meal.

     The clock in my room showed - 8:28pm. Dwaraka sat in my bed and started sniffing. "Oh! What a delicious smell!" he said. "Your sister is a true cook!" added Nalana. I leant back and found a big grin from my sister, Sarah, in the kitchen. She seemed professional. "Well, finally our of school life! But I miss my friends like you guys…" said sad Nalana. "Oh, don't worry Nalana, that's why I have arranged this treat!" said I, thinking that would cheer her up. "And who will stop us from meeting a dozen times an year?" added Dwaraka, thinking the same. Soon, the lights went off. "Maybe the power went off" said my sister.

        We threw our hands ahead as we could see nothing. I felt something touching my hand. "Ah! What's that?" I screamed. "It's just me!" said Nalana. "Ugh! Too dark to cook!" said my sister and suddenly, the lights were on. "Oh! There comes the power!" I said. My sister looked at us and gave a wheezing laugh. "Nalana! The hand you have touched was Dwaraka's! And uday, you have felt the sofa's hand touching yours!" another laugh came. We watched ourselves and burst out laughing.

               "Time to eat!". We sank into our chairs in the dining room. Sister brought us hot tomato soup, boiled eggs, gongura pachadi, lassi and also puris. Our mouths started watering. We all started eating. I was eager to taste the gongura pachadi. So I mixed it in the rice and as I was about to put that brilliant combinaton in my mouth, the lights went off. "Oh! Not again!" Dwaraka and Nalana seemed hungry. As we can feel the ingredients in our hands, we continued eating. While I was fetching for the tomato curry, someone caught my hand and were about to eat it. "What ingredient is this, sister?" asked Nalana. Then I answered, " It is called 'my arm' and it is not meant to be eaten".

       "Oh, sorry" she said. Few giggles came. I asked Dwaraka to pass the tomato curry. He unknowingly pushed a glass full of water. Soon, there was water flowing on the table. We all heard the sound of it and got up from our seats to escape getting wet. "Ugh! Too dark to eat!" said Dwaraka and the lights were on! It was as if the power comes and goes with that special chant .There were shouts of joy for a moment. And, as we looked at the table, the tomato curry was full of water, a boiled egg was put in the lassi, and the water was flowing on the table.

    My sister stared at it in horror and slowly said, "Umm... Let… let me order food from the restaurant..."