“You didn’t call me tonight, so I came myself,” Pompom mumbled near Aalo’s ear.

Aalo fumbled for her glasses in the dark and put them on as the Gyppie focused into her view. “I was upset.” Aalo sat up finally, facing him. 

“Being your specs-buddy I know what is troubling you,” Pompom admitted.

“So?”

“So, now we need to find a solution to your problems,” Pompom shrugged.

“Easier said than done,” Aalo made a face.

“True,” Pompom sat down in front of her, making a dent in the mattress. “But you have any ideas?”

“Can we go to a specific person’s dreamland and see what they are dreaming of right now?” Aalo asked uncertainly.

“I don’t know how to do that. I am still learning,” Pompom scratched his head.

“Could you learn and do that?” Aalo clasped her hands hopefully.

“Wait,” Pompom fluffed up his fur and hopped down from the bed. 

“Where are…” Aalo couldn’t complete the entire sentence before Pompom disappeared under the bed.

In a few minutes, there was a sound of huffing and puffing. Aalo peered curiously down from her bed to see Pompom dragging a huge purple book from under her bed. The book was so heavy that it left track marks in the thick layer of dust where even Pompom’s feet never left marks. Aalo hopped down from the bed and helped him drag it outside. The book had gilded edges, and the pages were also painted with gold borders. 

‘Encyclopedia of Dream Surfing’ it said in bold yellow glossy letters. The front cover was speckled with millions of little frail symbols, embossed on the front. 

“This is beautiful,” Aalo said, tracing the patterns with her fingers admiringly. “I wonder what secrets are hiding inside it.”

“This is an interesting book,” Pompom turned the book upside down, opening the glossary as his fingers skimmed over the list of words. Aalo started searching too…

“Dream sanction…Dream satisfaction…Dream search…Aha,” Pompom’s stubby finger got stuck on that one word.

Aalo’s eyes gleamed as they turned the pages frantically, landing on the page where there was a detailed illustration of dream searching and how to draw the dream you need from the lots of dreams floating around. The instructions were written in a language Aalo couldn’t decipher, though. They were loads of spiral symbols etched on the page. Pompom nodded his head and frowned repeatedly before he closed the book and gave a sigh. 

“Seems easy. Just needs a bit of concentration. You need to be able to focus on the person you want, imagine them in your mind’s eye and I need to chant a spell to draw that dream towards us.

“Well, you make it sound easy. Let’s do it then.”

“You are so excited,” Pompom grinned. “How will you sleep?”

But somehow, despite all the excitement, as soon as Aalo’s head hit the pillow, she could feel tiredness taking over. It had been a long day, and she was drained, both mentally and physically. Before she could even start counting the sheep, she had drifted off into dreams.

Pompom was already present there, mumbling something inaudible, pacing up and down.

“What are you doing now?” Aalo placed her hands on her hips, just like her Maa does when she wants an answer out of Aalo.

“I’m trying to memorise the spell in my head,” Pompom shook his head, still pacing with his hands behind his back. He looked like a grownup trying to come up with a solution for something important.

Aalo tapped her foot, waiting for him to be ready. Finally, he stopped pacing and opened his eyes, holding out his fluffy hands. His lips moved to form inaudible words. Aalo could see little stars dance between his fingers. Sparkles shot out from his fingertip as he gestured for Aalo to hold his hands. With shaking fingers, Aalo laced her fingers through his, gripping tightly. His fingers were warmer than earlier as the sparks jumped from his fingers to hers, wrapping their arms in a yellow unearthly glow. 

“Close your eyes and think about the person who's dream you want to visit,” Pompom instructed.

Aalo knew what to do. She closed her eyes, and a round face with a moustache popped in her field of vision. The features got clearer and clearer in her memory. His strong hands, his infectious smile and that genuine concern in his eyes. Everything fit like a puzzle piece in Aalo’s mind, to form a concrete image of the person. Suddenly Aalo felt herself being dragged. The force was threatening to tear her hands away from Pompom.

“Hold on,” Pompom screamed over the sound of whooshing air as strong winds encircled them.

Aalo almost wished they hadn’t attempted it. This could be dangerous, really dangerous.

And suddenly the winds stopped, the pull halted, and it was replaced by calmness. Silence dropped like a curtain. Aalo opened her eyes to find herself in the dining room of their own house. She heard voices from the kitchen and quickly dragged Pompom behind the heavy curtains that hung opposite to the sofas in the drawing-cum-dining room.

Pompom placed a hand on his chest, trying to even his breath. Aalo couldn’t breathe in anticipation as she parted the curtains slightly, peering through the little gap.

Sound of giggles was heard from the other room with the light tinkering of steel and glass. Finally, the giggles increased in volume. Mister Chatterjee emerged from the kitchen. On one hand, he had a glass bowl full of half scooped ice-cream, melting at the edges, forming a white pool in the bowl. On the other arm was perched a little eight-year-old curly-haired girl in a white frock. The girl laughed out loud and planted a kiss on his cheek, as she held his face with her dimpled hands. His lips lit up in a beautiful smile as his moustache twitched. He kissed her back on her forehead and then on her cheeks.

“Your moustache is tickling me. Stop it,” the chubby little girl laughed, trying to push his face with her stubby fingers.

He just laughed and deliberately nuzzled her more, tickling her stomach also. She wriggled in his lap and laughed more. He placed her down on the dinner table, took a spoon and cut a neat portion of the ice-cream, offering it to the girl. The girl opened her mouth wide, and he put the spoon full of Oreo ice-cream in her mouth.

“What are my babies doing?” Aalo’s Maa’s voice drew her attention to the doorway again. Her mother was beaming at the both of them. There was something in her eyes, an unfathomable happiness that Aalo couldn’t even describe in words. It felt like contentment, something she hadn’t seen in her mother’s eyes ever since she was born.

Both the big man and the girl giggled as the guy held up the ice-cream bowl. And at that moment, Aalo, hiding behind the curtains, knew what to do.

“Take me back to reality, Pompom,” she whispered. “I have one unfinished task to complete before the night ends.”

“I guess I know what it is,” Pompom whispered back to her, holding her hand as he whisked her away from the land of dreams, into the reality where another dreamland was waiting to be built. And all it needed was a ‘yes’ from Aalo.

❤️❤️❤️

As soon as they dropped out of the dream, Aalo was wide awake. She quickly got down from her bed and rushed to her mother’s room. She couldn’t control the skipping of her heart as she jumped into her mother's bed and hugged her tight.

Her mother stirred and opened her eyes, yawning, “What happened, baby? Was it a nightmare?”

There was concern in her eyes as they searched Aalo’s face for clues of fear.

“No, it was a good dream,” Aalo beamed. “And I guess I know what to do now.”

“What are you talking about, baby?” her mother held her hand and dragged her down on the bed. Aalo quickly cuddled against her chest, nuzzling her face into her mother’s neck, hugging her even tighter.

“I have decided whom I want as my Baba.”

Aalo’s Maa stiffened but said nothing. There was just silence before Aalo kissed her mother’s neck and then kissed her chin.

“Maa. I can’t choose. But I think Mister Chatterjee will be a good enough Baba for me. I like him and I know you do too…” Aalo paused.

“O baby,” her mother sniffed, “You really do? Do you really like him? I was so afraid you wouldn’t want him to be…”

“But Maa, I want my real Baba to have me too. Maybe I’d go to spend some evenings with him?” Aalo cut her off.

“I won’t stop you from going to your Baba, Aalo. I never did,” her mother sighed. “It’s just that…”

“Adults are really complicated, and there are some things that I don’t need to know now.”

“Yes, baby,” Her mother grabbed her cheeks and kissed her forehead. 

Over her mother’s shoulder, Aalo could see Pompom standing at the doorway, a big grin pasted on his face. His blue fur was glowing brightly in the little light that strayed from somewhere, and he extended his hand in a gesture of a silent hug from a distance. Aalo smiled and nodded back.

“I want to just enjoy my childhood, Maa. Just don’t force me to grow up just yet,” Aalo whispered. 

Her mother just replied in kisses, covering every inch of her face with the touches of her soft lips. She hugged Aalo tightly, kissing her over and over again as warm tears rolled down both their cheeks. 

And those tears were finally being woven together into a dream in the reality, a dream where they could be happy, complete and a family. No more tears, no more longings and maybe it never would have been possible, if Pompom hadn’t come to her as a ‘Specs’tacular Surprise.

Maybe getting new glasses wasn’t that bad after all.

❤️❤️❤️

THE END

❤️❤️❤️

A/N Thank you so much for reading this little story. This is my first time writing a Children's Fiction Novella! All kinds of constructive feedback are welcome! Do let me know if you like this little piece of 20K words! Thank you so much for reading this book and staying with me throughout this journey you all!