Pops! (10 to 13 year)

My name is V. Arun. I am seven years old. My father's name is Venkatesh. He is very good. He never gets mad at me. He buys me a lot of toys and chocolates... I love my father.

That's a big bluff. Arun has never met his dad. He has only seen his photograph in the wedding album. And he hates him. Then one day, his father comes back. His mother has to take Arun to meet him once a month. It's a court order. His grandparents say that the Man is very bad and might try to take him away from his mom. Arun is scared and angry.

But why does the Man keep bringing him gifts? Why does he play with dogs? Why does he climb like a monkey? Why does he keep saying 'Pop! Pop! Pop!'? As if Arun could ever start calling this strange Man 'Pops'!

AUTHOR: Balaji Venkataramanan