Copy

"Prapti ,dear give me two capsicums if you have? My children want to have noodles for lunch and we have missed Saturday fresh veggies market." as always Avika entered her best friend cum neighbour Prapti's house.

Their friendship had known no bounds since last seventeen years ,when duo had come into neighbouring houses as the newly wedded daughter-in-laws.

Life for Avika was like a smooth sail so far while Prapti's world had witnessed many whirlpools. She had come in a joint family where her husband had an extended family with five siblings. Soon after her wedding Prapti had won admiration in the vicinity due to her extremely devoted and homely nature. But mostly her devotion was ignored by her immediate family who took her for granted. Round the clock she would grind her bones for her in-laws. Avika on the other hand enjoyed a blissful life and stepped out of her home to join her husband's business. With in three years of her marriage Avika attained motherhood twice while Prapti gained this bliss after twelve years of her marriage with the birth of her son Aayan . Aayan who with his birth wiped all lines of misery and worry from his mother's face.

Aayan became centre of Prapti's life. She loved to talk about him and him only. If Aayan smiled she would smile ,if he would cry she would go hysteric , if he felt low Prapti would catch fever.With every passing year so many things in their life and relations had changed but their friendship remained unadulterated. New neighbors came and wondered to see the unshakable faith and love the two friends shared. They would visit each other without any formality ,without using doorbells. It was only on Sundays when they abstained from each other and became a little bit formal when husbands of both of them were there.

Avika being working often forgot to refill her grocery items or missed green market. On such occasions without any hesitation she would rush to Prapti's house.

"Hello, Aunty . Mummy is in her bedroom."Little Aayan smiled while squatting on the living room Sofa fiddling with the remote of TV , engrossed in watching Tom And Jerry everyone's favorite cartoon show.

"What mess is this Aayan?" Avika wondered. All the decoration pieces of the showcase were lying on the floor,with a huge pile of clothes thrown helter-skelter. Avika's heart was racing as she knew her friend well. Prapti would always keep her house spic and span contrary to Avika who would manage her house only on weekends. Otherwise also she knew well that though Prapti pampered her child yet would never let him watch cartoons alone as she felt it to be her prime duty to keep a watch on her son.

"Aayan, what is this child ? Why haven't you finished your milk?"Avika picked up little Aayan's tumbler and handed it over to him before rushing into her friend's room. She forgot all about capsicums and prayed for Prapti ,smelling something fishy. The lobby which lead to her bedroom was also having everything out from the cupboards in that area. 

"Prapti, where are you? I hope everything is fine?"Avika fished in Prapti's bedroom while almost tumbling over another huge pile of clothes.

"Do you need something?"Prapti uttered with a lot of difficulty.

"Capsicums. I mean nothing."Avika struggled to say something.

"At this hour you have come here for nothing?"Prapti spoke while pulling out her Sarees from the cupboard.

"Capsicums."

"Take from refrigerator." 

"Yes. Diwali is three months away. Isn't it a bit early for cleanliness?"

Prapti looked unbelievingly towards Avika.

"Avika , someone has stolen my sixty five thousand rupees."

"How much?"

"Sixty five thousand." Prapti gasped.

"Where had you kept that amount?"

"Under my clothes in this cabinet."

"Prapti, who keeps cash like this?"Avika nodded her head disapprovingly.

"I". helplessness in Prapti's voice melted Avika's heart.

"Prapti, if it had been me my husband would have killed me. What about your husband?"

"He is very understanding. I have told him. He has gone to his office. He was asking me to stay calm and search carefully."

"He is great. But, l think he is the one behind all this. All husbands find out ways to pester their wives.Definitely your husband knew where you keep money."Avika patted on her shoulder.

"He knows of course. But, he hasn't done this. It is someone else who has access to our portion in our absence."

"Did you go somewhere?"Avika was genuinely concerned and forgot all about her motive of coming- capsicums for noodles.

"Two days back we had gone to watch late night movie show."

"Then it must be someone in the family." Avika knew well that Prapti's a few in-law family members were jealous of her and her gradual prosperity towards which she had been heading since Aayan's birth who was not less than a lucky charm for his parents.

"Yes, but we can't blame anyone without proof."

"Relax, Prapti you take rest for sometime and initiate search again when your husband returns."Avika sounded sensible.

"Avika ,l don't worry about cash but l am worried about Aayan's copy. I am unable to find that."Prapti began to shed tears.

"Don't worry you will find Aayan's copy that can't be of any use to anyone."

After fifteen minutes or so Avika left for her home wondering at her friend's behaviour. She was baffled to see devotion of her friend for her son's education . Aayan was in class one and his mother valued for his copy more than her sixty thousand rupees. While she herself had never bothered much about her children's stationery. She remembered ruefully how on many occasions her children who were now in board classes had come to her with teary faces when their books or notebooks had gone misplaced. How she would get Xeroxed material for them.

Avika, knew what she had to do for her dear friend Prapti next time when they would meet eachother. Soon everyone in the neighborhood came to know about Prapti's loss , specially the loss of Aayan's copy. 

A week passed since burglary in Prapti's house when one evening Avika was in for a surprise when Prapti came with sweets to her home.

"Prapti, have you found money?"

"No, my dear but l have found Aayan's copy."Prapti chirped while hugging Avika.

"Oh! It wasn't a big deal. We could have got it xeroxed from any of his classmates."Avika smiled at her own prudence.

"Are you serious Avika? Can you explain how?"

"You didn't pay attention to what l have just said. Aayan is in class one. We could get it photostated."

"Avika, l know meaning of Xerox. Do you think l am a fool that l would cry for class one copy? Idiot it was his Savings Copy of his Post office account. I don't want anyone to know about what we are planning for his future. Therefore, l was crying." Prapti was laughing uncontrollably after a week.

"Seriously". Avika was dumbstruck as she knew  that she was the new joke which her neighbors and family was going to crack for years to come.