One and A Half Hours

Like every day, six-year-old Anya had gone out to play.

- Vandana Gupta

So, her mother was surprised when she heard the sound of children at the door.

“Hey, how come you're back so early today?” she said, opening the door.

Anya stood there crying, clutching her arm. Her friends were with her.

“What happened, Anya? Why are you crying?” she asked, concerned.

“She fell from the swings, and her arm is hurting a lot,” one of Anya's friend said.

“How many times have I told you to play carefully?” she scolded gently, while giving Anya some water.

When Dad returned from the office in the evening, Anya's pain had worsened, and her arm had started to swell.

After hearing what had happened, Dad said, “Neelu, let’s take her to Kamla Hospital. We might need to get an X-ray. If the bone is fractured, they'll put on a cast. Otherwise, a crepe bandage should be enough.”

Anya’s mind raced. She remembered what her friend Anu had told her just a few days ago—how the doctor gave her an injection, bandaged her tightly, and even made her take bitter medicine.

“I don’t know what the doctor will do to me ... I don’t want to go to the hospital,” she decided.

But after some time, Dad said, “Neeta, bring Anya. I'll get the car out.”

Anya tried hard to protest, but Mom sweetly bribed her with some candies in the car while Papa drove towards the hospital. As they reached an intersection, Mom noticed some fruit vendors.

“Look, such fresh fruits! We don’t get such good fruits near our house. Let’s buy some,” she said.

Dad pulled over, and both of them got out to shop.

Meanwhile, Anya's thoughts ran wild. If my bone is broken, the doctor will cut my hand open... and maybe he'll fix it with nails. That'll hurt so much! No, I don't want to go to the doctor.

Quickly, she slipped out of the car and looked around for a place to hide.

Where should I go? If I hide nearby, Mom and Dad will find me easily.