Tooth or Dare

Nikita(6 yrs old) pulled her front tooth out 4 days back. She’s been wanting to place the tooth under her pillow since then. Her father with great difficulty convinced her to wait till Thursday night coz Tooth Fairy is really busy during the week & may not leave a good gift.

She forgot to keep it under the pillow on Thursday night but she remembered & carefully kept it under her pillow on Friday night. Her 4 yr old sister Naina was not at all happy about the situation. She also wanted a gift from the tooth fairy. She spent a hectic ½ an hour trying to pull out atleast 1 tooth to place under her pillow. Her father then gently explained to her that her tooth was not ready to come out but she was not very convinced & went off to sleep reluctantly.

Silently applauding my husband’s sensitivity I went off to sleep myself. At around 11.30pm I’m shaken awake by the same sensitive husband %^*%&* to write the "Tooth-Fairy Letter" explaining that Nikita's gift will be given to her only on Sunday(coz we had forgotten all about it & it was too late to go out and something).
Bleary eyed I sat and looked at a blank sheet of paper & pen which my husband oh so thoughtfully provided. 10 minutes later I surveyed my handiwork, decided that it was the best I could do under short notice and placed it under Nikita’s pillow.

This morning…

I was in front of the mirror combing my hair when Nikita stretched & got up. Almost immediately the body stiffened, shot upright & scrabbled frantically under the pillow. Her nimble fingers shook the letter out & she read out loudly in excitement.
“Mama, look Tooth Fairy has written a letter to me. Naina, look she has a message for u also” exclaimed Nikita. This was a first because for the previous 2 teeth, Tooth Fairy directly left gifts, so there was no need for a note.

Naina was also up by now and leaning into the letter. Together they scampered to the living room to show their father. As I was leaving to work, Nikita gave the note to me for safekeeping just in case we needed to show it to Tooth Fairy as proof of document.

10.30 AM
Nikita calls me at work.

Nikita: Mama, have you kept the Tooth Fairy letter carefully?
Mama: Yes I have.
Nikita: Did u see the Tooth Fairy leaving the letter?
Mama(lying thru her teeth, pun unintended): No I didn’t.
Nikita: Okkkk bye.

11.30AM

Nikita again.

Nikita: Mama
Mama: Hmmm
Nikita: You wrote that Tooth Fairy letter, right?
Mama, startled: What are you saying?
Nikita: because there is half a sheet of paper & a pen lying on the table.
[Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh mama’s mind is working overtime to find a loophole. I had divided an A4 paper into ½ before writing on 1 half of it. Nikita seems to have found the other half]
Mama: What color does the pen write?
Nikita after a minute: Blue
Mama: Well the tooth fairy has written with a black pen.
Nikita: ohhhhhhh. Ok bye.

1PM

Guess who….

Nikita: Mama, did the Tooth Fairy really write the letter?
Mama, taking the bull by its horns: Ofcourse she did. Why? Does it look my handwriting?
Nikita: Mmmnnn, no-o.
Now that her mother challenged her directly she hesitated to call her mother a liar.
Nikita: Ok byeeee.


I’m thanking my stars I brought that Tooth Fairy letter along with me. Just imagine the number of doubts which would have cropped up if she had it with her the whole day. And there is still 4 hours to go before i leave office.