Blessing

Being captive alone in a space of a room with a kitchen and a terrace was suffocating Alena during this lockdown.

" Uncle, would you please give one packet of chip. Wait.. no, no, not one please make it two but let me check first which flavour, i should take. Actually, i'm very choosy when it comes the matter of snacks. It's not that i don't prefer any flavour but i'm little bit choosy here, you know. Anyways, why is it so hot here? Why don't you open that window and let the fresh air come in. By the way uncle i am kitty. "

" Oh god! For God's sake, please stop talking now kitty. Why does this girl always go on talking without any break. " Alena's mind was full of all these thoughts right now.

" Why can't she keep quiet and purchase whatever she wants. " Alena's thought was about to burst now.

She got irritated and said, " Kitty, do fast.We need to go home. "

' okay! darling i am done. " Kitty smiled.

' uncle! Let the window open always, you'll get fresh air at no cost. This is the bestest tip ever from my side. ' it was Kitty's sentence which popped out finally while leaving the shop.

" He is laughing but deep inside he might be thinking how much talkative this girl is." Alena tried to figure out his thinking about Kitty at that moment.

Alena and Kitty reached at their flat where they lived. It was just at five-minutes walk from the shop but she spoke sentences in one complete angle in those five minutes. It meant one sentence per second. "O my god, Alena gasped even while calculating it in her mind.

" How tiresome it is to talk so much. " Alena thought looking at Kitty's face, tried to figure out whether her mouth was complaining to her that it got tired but no. In fact, it was smiling two inches more with every sentence.

Alena put a headphone in her ear, pretended to enjoy the music but all it was conspiracy to avoid listening her talk.

For them reaching at the flat was the final destination for the day but it was not final destination to Kitty's talk.

Kitty never willed to give up, whether anyone listened her or ignored her, she would never stop speaking.

Sometime she stood in front of mirror, trying some dialogues from the movies and laughed herself.

The only time when Kitty's lips used to stick together for a long time when she slept. Is it so? Obviously no. She used to talk sometime even in her sleep. That time was her study-time when a living talking doll, didn't talk any word.

Rest of the time, she went on talking and talking like never ending temple run game. No full-stop, no comma at all.

Alena could even listen her talk echoing from every inch of the wall.

Since childhood, Alena heard that wall has ears but after meeting Kitty, she knew that wall can even speak if the person living inside it would be like her friend, Kitty.

Sometime, she stood in the balcony and randomly saying, " Hello uncle! How are you? " Or someday, " Hi aunty! Today you are looking very beautiful. "

One day Kitty came running to Alena, " Alena, i'm going home today, after one week, i'll return. "

These words of Kitty gave tranquility to her noisy life, comfort to her ears, ease to her mind, her heart started singing out of joy.

It's not because Alena was selfish or she didn't love Kitty. She loved her like her own sister but the only thing she didn't like about her was Kitty's never ending talk.

Alena went to station to see her off and returned happily.

It was so peace and serene in the house like a teacher entered the classroom and he would had asked the students to keep a pin drop silence. She enjoyed her company, no need to give pain to her ears or her lips.

After two days, the government announced a complete lockdown in the city for a month. No buses on the road, no trains on the track, so no travelling from one place to another. It was a complete ban on the movement.

Alena was happy on such announcement. She was not bothered about it because she was not affable.

Seven to ten days passed in a blink of eye. But then the calmness which was blessing to her started fading now. She was longing for peace and solitude for a long time started changing into curse. Her heart and soul felt like dwelling in solitary body. She felt like a single lonely cactus in the desert.

Alena sometime put her ears on the wall, tried to listen Kitty's voice. She stood in front of the mirror to see her saying dialogue.

She went in the balcony. She thought any uncle or aunty would talk to her. But they behaved unknown as if they didn't know her. The only person whom they knew was Kitty.

Alena started missing her now. She understood her value in her life. She was actually a blessing for her whom she never understood and always tried to keep her quiet.

Each day was passing like a snail on the sea- shore, not willing to move anywhere.

Finally the government announced the removal of restrictions over the movement. Buses, trains could run with some conditions. Again she got happy but the reason was different.

Kitty called on her phone, said, " Alena, tomorrow i'll come. Would you please come to receive me? "

" Of course yes dear. "Alena said and started dancing like crazy. She saw herself dancing in the mirror and surprised, " Hey! Is it you Alena? "

Next early morning, she woke up, got ready and reached to receive her half an hour before the train. Train reached the platform, Kitty got down from the train. Alena ran and hugged her tightly.

Both of them got into a taxi. " Uncle, from how many years, you're riding this taxi? How much do you earn per day? How many children do you have? " She bombarded him with questions and he was replying but laughing more.

Alena was looking at her. This time her talk was not annoying her. In fact she also asked him some questions after breaking her hesitation.

They got down and Alena went to give him fare.

He said, " Your friend is very talkative. Such persons are pure from heart. You are really blessed to have such friend. "

Alena had already felt his words. She smiled and went after her in the flat.

Kitty freshened up and went to the balcony. It was after a long time, she went to see uncle and aunty. But this time Alena was also with her there and that also without putting headphone in her ears.