All ready to go to school, her little boy, Ansh, who was otherwise so very adorable and cute, was trying his level best to look as scary as possible.

Yes, scary, as it was Halloween. The scariest of the lot would be given the title of “MASTER GHOST OF THE YEAR” and Ansh was striving hard for that title.

Otherwise, also, he always hid behind curtains, sofas, and Almirahs and then popped out suddenly in front of everyone squealing, “BHAU”, so today, of course, was his day.

Though his grandparents didn’t like the concept of celebrating Halloween and sending kids in such ghostly attires, they too didn’t spoil his mood by saying so. They know how much he loves scaring all.

He loves to frighten people around him and today he’s got the get-up also – white cloak, powder-covered face, one eye covered with a patch, bloody lipstick and origami nails.

“Ooooo! I am loving him so much”, thought Ansh’s mom Kavita. 

She reminisced about one incident from her childhood. When she was small, during Diwali,  her face got burnt due to a firecracker. So, when the treatment was going on, her face had to be kept covered in a white bandage. Her face looked like that of a mummy. Though it was painful, the fun of scaring her friends eased out some of her trauma. She loved scaring her friends. Those days, they especially loved playing ghost ghost. 

Kids are really innocent and God gives them strength. They find out ways of being happy even when they are in pain.

As she was lost in her thoughts, Ansh surreptitiously put her hand on her shoulder and whispered in a hoarse voice in her ear, ” Mommy, I am the ghost Ansh. I am here to scare you”

She jerked with fright to make her son’s day. Ansh jumped with joy.

Then, he ran to his room and slid inside his sleeping dad’s blanket to scare him.

“Hahahaha… I am a ghost… I have come to scare you”, spoke Ansh in a hoarse voice.

“Ahhh! Save me, save me”, his dad screamed and then hugged him hard.

“You are looking scary, but cute scary. And see, I taught you yesterday night how to pass that spectral smile. Practice it, you aren’t getting that perfect ghost smile. When I was small, my one ghostly smile was enough to scare everyone around”, his dad guided him.

He winked at his dad and informed Kavita, “Mom, I am going downstairs to scare dada-dadi”
His mom nodded and he went downstairs.

He slowly entered their room, his grandparents were watching the morning news. He tiptoed towards them and in a shrill voice, blurted,” BHAU!!! I am a ghost, I have come to terrify you.”

They both turned back and acted as if petrified, then his grandma picked him in her lap, embraced him in her arms, and said in a frolic way, “That’s so cute. You are a scary but cute ghost.” She put her kohl’s black dot behind his ear to ward off the evil eye.

They all then went to drop him off at school.

Looking at the efforts of all the parents and the excitement of little ghosts, the school awarded each one of them with some or the other title and Ansh got the title of

“SMILING LITTLE GHOST”

-Rekha Mittal Gupta