And Santa Smiled!!

When in Karachi, time doesn't mean anything!! It was past eleven, and Simra was just redoing her hair. She always did it. No, she wasn't going out, she was infact off to sleep, but brushing her hair every night prior to sleeping was an act she had been performing since the past 7 years, and now at 16, she did it with even more vigour.

"Ammi, how come your hair is so shining??," she had asked with such an innocence that Ammi smiled.
"You want shining hair too, but yours are so sleek shiny, what else do you want?" she had ruffled Simra's black hair.
"Like yours."
"Ok, then you must brush them every night before sleeping."
"Every night?" she gasped.
"Yes. a hundred times."
"Ammi!!???!!"
"Well, it ain't hard dear, thirty three times the right tuft of your hair, same times the left tuft, and thirty four times the back side, and you are done.."
"Well, sounds easy," she chuckled and ran off to brush her hair.

Today, as she looked through the face mirror, she could still sense the same little Simra brushing her hair, and then running off to Ammi to get an appraisal. Her face mirror was set such that through one side she could easily catch Shani and Nida asleep. Shani, 8 years old was an early bird, 'early to bed and early to rise' type boy, and Nida, at sweet 7 was equally fond of sleeping.
She joined them soon. Abbu was also trying to sleep, she could not hear the sound of TV coming from the adjacent room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ZzZZzzZz

Peacefully snoring Simra was awaken by a noisy Shani, who was shaking her arm, while Nida splashed water right over her head, and singing "Hey there everybody, its a looney-ful day,"

"Okay, okay my loonies" she laughed, "Whats up?"

Shani who was so excited for some reason began, "You wanna see someone smile?,"

"Oh no, I have two dear little looney guys right heree smiling rather grinning.."

"Sim baji, cmon na get up!!!"

"Pleaseeeeeeee!!!"

"Ok, coming.." Simra flung the dupatta on her shoulder and scampered alongside the two kids.. They took her to the lounge and there - on the glass door that led to the balcony were not one, but four smiling faces, drawn against the dew.

Simra was taken aback. Smiling Santa. How did it come there..No one had drawn Similing Santa in years. The last time she had seen a smiling santa was seven years ago, in the december of 1999.

"Simraaaaa," Ammi had shouted.

In those chilly winters which kid would wish to get out of the cosy blanket.. and so was the case with Simra. Simra just 9 dug her face further in the pillow.

"Dear, there's santa on the balcony, u sure u wanna miss him?"

Simra had woken up with a startle, just like today. Being an avid reader, she loved Santa Claus, because of his grin perhaps, and the fact that he stuffed stockings with toys. She slid her feet into the plush slippers, and there out in this very lounge there was a smiling face drawn with the tip of Ammi's finger against the glass door covered with dew... She uttered without thinking, "Ah, smiling santa is here." and the secret of the smiling santa remained buried with her, and Ammi.

And today, seven years later Shani and Nida had conjured up the smiling santa.

"Good going!! chaps, ya know what I call these.. smiling santas.. its been along time since they last smiled.."

"Sim! you won't ask us why we made 4??'

"Course not, its each of you smiling at me.. Shani, Nida, Abbu.. and ofcourse Ammi."

And she returned the sincerest smile to the four smiling santas.