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The sun shone through Gayatris window. It teased her eyelids open. She yawned,

stretched and got out of bed things she had done a thousand times before. For

Gayatri, today began like any other day.

Gayatri Verma was a bright, 12-year-old girl with sparkling eyes and dimpled smile. She

was an eighth grade student in a local school, forever praying to God for a new bicyle.

She hated travelling in a school bus. After all she was big enough to ride the bike on

busy streets. But who would make her mother understand?

Guddus Lucky Day [Illustration by Shinod AP]

She had just finished tying her striped tie over her blue and white uniform when her

mother called, Guddu! Guddu Verma, dont forget to keep your shorts. Remember, you

have gymnastics after school.

Gayatri hated it when her mother called her that! Guddu was such an awful name. It

sounded as if Guddu was someone with two pigtails and thick black spectacles!

As she ate breakfast, Gayatris thoughts turned to her two best friends, Nitya and Mitu.

They both loved to call her Guddu. Her parents too liked the sound of Guddu. The

Verma couple found the name very affectionate and charming. It was beyond Gayatris

understanding how anyone could find the name Guddu charming.

Gathering her school bag and lunch, she kissed her mother and left for school. On her

way out, Gayatri looked down and spotted a small pink square envelope lying on the

porch. There was no name on it. She picked it up, admiring the curly design on the

envelope. Another pamphlet publicising a newly opened fast food joint in her locality,

Gayatri decided. Thinking she would like to copy the design in her art class, Gayatri put

the envelope in her pocket.

At lunch time Gayatri hurried to meet her friends in the canteen. Mitu was there. She

had wild curly hair and an equally wild sense of humour! She could always make Gayatri

laugh. They had known each other since kindergarten.

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Nitya was new to the school. She was new in town. Gayatri and Mitu had met her on the

first day of school. Most kids thought Nitya was very snobbish, but they both knew it was

shyness on Nityas part that made her keep away from most of her classmateschildren.

Hey, Gayatri! called Mitu. I have egg paratha today. Wanna trade?

Sorry Mitu, Gayatri answered. Mom made me my favourite sandwich today.

I have chocolate pudding too, teased Mitu.

Gayatri thought about the pink envelope she had found on her way to school. The

envelope with a design that she wanted to draw out in her art class. But she did not

really need the envelope. She could remember the design and, besides, she really loved

chocolate pudding!

Mitu, I found this neat envelope on the porch this morning. Do you want to trade it for

your pudding? Gayatri asked.

Mitu studied the little pink envelope. Like Gayatri, she thought it might be fun to draw the

curly design.

Sure Gayatri, I am too full for the pudding anyway, said Mitu.

The bell rang and it was time to get back to class.

When Mitu went back to her class, a girl called Lovely walked in with a fistful of new

pencils. Mitus pencil had shrunk to nearly half its size, she had sharpened it so often.

She offered to trade the pink envelope for one of Lovelys pencils.

Lovely looked at the paper. Underneath the design were several numbers written in a

line. Among them were the numbers 10 and 13. Ten was the month of October in which

Lovely was born and 13 was her birth date.

Sure, Lovely agreed, Ill trade. She was thinking, it just might be lucky!

Later, during the maths class, Lovely found she was out of paper. She turned to her

friend Rimjhim seated behind her.

I have this lucky paper. Ill trade it with you for some paper, okay?, Lovely told Rimjhim.

Rimjhim loved anything lucky. She studied the small pink envelope and decided it

would make a great bookmark for the book she was reading! She agreed and placed the

lucky envelope in her book.

After school, Gayatri, Nitya and Mitu walked towards Gayatris mothers car. She was

going to drop them to their gymnastic class. Just then Rimjhim came running up to the

car. Her mother had called the school saying she wouldnt be able to pick her up and

Rimjhim didnt want to take the bus to the gymnastic class.

Rimjhim told Gayatri, Ill give you my lucky bookmark if you let me come with you.

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Gayatri stared at Rimjhims bookmark. It was the same pink envelope she had found on

the porch this morning! It was crumpled now, and one of the corners was bent, but there

at the top was the design she wanted to draw.

How did Rimjhim end up with it?

Gayatri smiled and said, Hop in. Then she tucked the envelope back into the same

pocket where it had first rested.

Later that evening, while Gayatri was getting into her pyjamas, she heard her father

shouting downstairs. Her father rarely shouted! Something was wrong!

She ran downstairs and into the living room. Her parents were sitting on the sofa in front

of the television.

Dad, whats wrong? Gayatri asked.

Her mother said, Honey, everythings okay. Hes just disappointed. He bought a lottery

ticket last night and somehow lost it. Hes been playing the same number for years and

tonight, his number finally came up! Were both just disappointed.

Gayatris father said in a shaky tone, I dont understand how I could have lost it. I put it

in my shirt pocket, then I drove home. I stopped at the porch to pick up the evening

newspaper, then came into the house. I didnt know it was gone until now, when I looked

for it.

Dad what did the ticket look like? Gayatri asked thinking about the small pink

envelope.

Her mother smiled, Guddu, it looked well, like a lottery ticket. Dont worry about it. It

isnt like we lost something we already had. Were no worse off than we were before.

Gayatri ran upstairs and pulled the envelope from the pocket of her uniform. Then she

took it downstairs to the two people she loved most in the world.

Did it look like this? she asked hopefully.

They stared at the paper, then at each other. Suddenly, as one single excited voice, they

both screamed, Gayatri!

Tomorrow we shall go to the market to buy you a bicycle, her mother exclaimed

happily. I think you are responsible enough now.

Guddu Verma smiled. Her parents had called her Gayatri!

Then she smiled again, imagining how her friends would react on seeing her with her

new bicycle. Today indeed had been a very lucky day!