Nithi

Nithi looked around with her saucer like eyes, curious and excited. She was seated comfortably in her mother's lap. The nicely dressed man had asked her a question.

"Do you like what you do?"

"yes", she answered. She stealthily eyed the candy that she had been promised. But it would have to wait. She would have to answer the questions first.

"Who teaches you?"

"My father" She stole a glance at the candy again, almost wishing that it would mulitply in number with each question she answered.

The man was not scary, but he was strange. He kept pushing a stick like thing towards her everytime she spoke. It made her voice sound loud. Everyone looked at her when she spoke into it.

He had a friend with him. That man carried some machine over his shoulder. He kept looking at her through the machine. She was fascinated by the light that shone out of it.

Her mother nudged her gently and said, "Answer uncle's question, Nithi".

"Uncle" repeated his question - "Do you dream of becoming rich and famous when you grow up and become a big girl?"

"I am already rich and famous, uncle. All these people clap for me. I get all the candy I want. And see, isn't this dress pretty?"

The man and his friend smiled. "Sweet child" he said.

"Do you go to school?"

"No...I don't get time. We have shows during school time too. Teachers don't like it if I go late. So I don't go."

"Hmmm..." He seemed thoughtful.

Nithi was thinking too. She wanted to hop down and run away from the bright light. It was making her sweaty.

She kept looking for her father. It was almost time for the show to start. The man kept asking questions like whether she enjoyed doing the show..who were her friends...who she liked best, mother or father...

When Nithi began to think that the candy was not worth all these questions, the man said, "Thank you Nithi, you are a nice girl. Here is your candy".

Nithi smiled, grabbed her candy and ran towards her father. It was time. She always knew when the show had to start. The camera was still on her. but she did not care about it now. It was time for fun.

The music started. She went up and took her position. She was now at a great height. She could see everyone's head. It was funny - there were so many kinds of heads and so many more different kinds of hairstyles.

She smiled and looked down at her father for the signal. The beats changed. She began her routine. The camera followed her. Nithi was confident and she knew she was very good. Her mother smiled at her from her seat at the corner. People clapped. Nithi loved it.

After the show was over, the man with the camera spoke with her parents and left, after playfully pinching her cheeks. She was tired and ready to sleep on the way home, in her mother's arms.

Nithi's parents were so proud of her. She was the first in the family to be interviewed for the tv. The man was doing some special show. More importantly, he had paid good money.

The only catch was, they did not know where they would see the show. They did not have a tv. The man could not contact them. They did not have a mobile phone. They did not have a landline phone - since the telephone department expected them to have a house to keep the phone.

Yet, they were glad. They kept walking.

There was a show to put on tomorrow. They only hoped there was no policeman who would take away half of their earnings.