Rohan's Embarrassment
Meera: "Yuck, Appa kissed your cheek, Rohan! There's a big moustache mark."
Rohan:kissed in front of everyone." "It's so scratchy, Meera! I don’t like being
Amma: "He was just happy you finished your first big book, kanna."
Meera: "Appa never kissed me at school. Only at home."
Rohan: "Yeah, but today he kissed me right at the school gate. My friends saw!"
Meera: "Arjun even giggled and said, 'Aunty-kissed-baby!'"
Rohan: "Exactly! I’m not a baby. I’m in Class Two."
Amma: "Hmm. Sometimes love looks like a kiss, sometimes like making hot dosas."
Meera: "Or like when Paati kissed my scraped knee and blew on it. That felt nice."
Rohan: "That was different. My knee hurt. Today I just felt…embarrassed."
Amma: "Did you tell Appa that?"
Rohan: "No. I just wiped my cheek and ran inside."
Meera: "You kind of pushed his hand away too. He looked a little sad."
Rohan: "Really? I didn’t mean to make him sad."
Amma: "He waited up yesterday and kissed your homework book, you know."
Rohan: "He kissed my book?"
Meera: "I saw! He said, 'My Rohan worked so hard,' and then he kissed the cover."
Rohan: "That’s…actually nice. No one saw that part."
Amma: "Love can be shy or loud. Appa’s kisses are the loud kind.". Appa’s kisses are the loud kind."
Meera: "You can tell him what kind you like. Maybe a secret kiss on your head?"
Rohan: "Or just a hug when my friends are there."
Amma: "Shall we practice? I’ll be Appa."
Meera: "Okay! I’m Rohan. Amma-Appa, don’t kiss my cheek at the gate."
Amma: "Alright, Rohan. Can I hug you and say I’m proud?"
Meera: "Yes, but no loud smacking kiss sounds."
Rohan: "I’ll tell him like that. Not angry, just clear."
Meera: "And when we come home, you can get all the kissed cheeks you want."
Rohan: "Deal. Morning hugs at school, evening cheeks kissed at home."