It was a day like any other. I had finished my homework by 5.30, gulped down my milk and charged out of the house to play.

When I returned at 7.30, the house was unusually quiet and my father?s car was not in as yet.

That meant he had not returned from office. I rung the doorbell. Nobody answered. I could hear my dog sniffing from behind the door. I said ?Jerry open?, but obviously he couldn?t.

I tried the back entrance and after ringing the bell here, too, several times, realised there was no one at home.

I then saw a note on the latch. It said: ?Raghav, Nita aunty is in TMH. We are going to meet her. Take the keys from Sourav bhaiya. Will be back by nine.?

Phew! That was a relief. I took the key and went in, bathed and changed into my night clothes. I sat on the bed to enjoy my favourite television programmes, munching chocolate wafers.

The evening seemed perfect and I was really enjoying my independence, feeling rather grown up!

Suddenly, I heard a sound from outside. I lowered the television volume and listened hard. It distinctly sounded like someone was walking on the lawn and making strange pish pash sounds.

My heart skipped a beat and I sat still. After that my heart was beating so fast that I could hear it thumping.

The sound outside was quite loud. I felt the steps move to the other window. Then I heard a flower pot fall, making a loud, and what seemed to me, a terrifying sound.

I was trembling and I wanted to cry like a baby. All my bravado had simply vanished.

But I knew I had to do something. I knew I had to find out what was going on. I somehow got up and first switched off the light, so that whoever it was, could not see me at least.

Timidly, I moved the curtains aside and peered out. I really do not know what was it I expected to see. I was even prepared to see a huge monster.

I saw something I least expected. A cow.

So great had been my fear, it still wasn?t sinking in that there was nothing to be afraid of, anymore.

My gaze shifted to the damages caused by the cow. Some pots broken, the dustbin overturned and its remains scattered all over the lawn.

This done, the cow was feasting on the vegetable peels it had managed to salvage for itself. It looked absolutely peaceful, totally unaware of the damage done to my brain in the meanwhile!

I realised I had not latched the gate when I had come back home. I mustered up my courage and very bravely, went out to shoo the cow away.

That done, I came back and switched the television on again, feeling quite a hero now. Started to munch the wafers with renewed energy. I was so comfortable I was almost beginning to doze off.

Then, it happened again. This time it was a tap on the window. It startled me out of my sleep. For a moment I froze, but encouraged by my cow shooing act, I got up to check what it was this time.

There was nobody. I returned to my bed. Again there was a tap. Several taps, in fact.

I was ready to freeze, when suddenly I heard someone giggle. It was my sister.

She wanted to scare me and had done it.

Meanwhile, my parents entered from the front door. What a relief it was to see them! It seemed like they had been away for an eternity.

Dad came up to me, a huge, lovely chocolate in his hands. He gave it to me, saying, ?This is for you, for remembering to keep the gates shut when we were away. You have been a responsible boy.?

?Thank you,? I said, grabbing it in a hurry, lest he take it away, knowing I didn?t deserve it.

I quickly unwrapped it and ate it as fast as I could, hardly even stopping to relish its rich taste.

Just at that moment, my sister entered and in her loud voice, announced the destruction in the lawn.

Dad looked at me, expecting an explanation. I didn?t stop a moment longer and just ran away from the room, the chocolate safe in my stomach.