Singin with Spidey by Vibha Batra

Gehna loved talking to God. She often picked up the receiver of the old metallic telephone and had long chats with Him.

She shared everything with Him her secrets, her fears, her dreams. That day, she wanted to make a special request. She was bored of playing with her friends. She wanted a pet to play with. But her parents wouldnt hear of it. So she asked God to send her one and promised to be a good girl in exchange.

The next day, when Gehna came back from school and threw her bag on the chair, out popped a spider from her bag. It was tiny and purple and cute. Hello there, Gehna, he said with a naughty wink. Gehna was over the moon. She happily skipped about the room, spider in tow. God had listened to her and sent her a pet! Not just any pet. A talking pet! How cool was that!

Gehna was just getting used to the fact that she had her very own pet when her eyes fell on the TV. Oh, Its time for my favourite show, Spidey, she informed him. But much to her disappointment, the TV refused to come on. As Gehna soon discovered, there was no electricity at home.

Hmm, What do we do now? wondered Gehna aloud. Well, we could play something, suggested Spidey, a naughty gleam in his eyes. I know just the game! Gehna exclaimed.

Lets play Guess the Tune! she chirped, her excitement rising. It was a game Gehna excelled at. She could hum the tunes of all the latest songs, leaving her friends guessing. Little wonder, she won all the time! But she had barely started humming the first tune when Spidey exclaimed, Munni! She tried another one. Again, Spidey yelled, almost immediately, Sheila! Oh, her little pet was way too smart. He knew all the answers.

Guess the Tune is such an easy game, Gehna said hurriedly. Lets play Jumping Jack. Whoever jumps the highest, wins! With that, she sprang up, high in the air.

Gehna was very light on her feet and had no trouble beating her friends at it. Sounds fun, answered Spidey, jumping way higher than her. She tried two more times but try as she might, she just couldnt beat Spidey. After all, he came with a string attached and could bob up and down effortlessly.

Hmm, this is not good, thought Gehna. She couldnt keep losing to her pet. She had to show him who the real Master was. Oh, lets stop playing these silly games. Lets play something more exciting, something more fun. Okay, Spidey agreed. What do you have in mind? Eatomania! Gehna replied, her eyes twinkling.

Eatomania was the best game in the world! All they had to do was eat their favourite food as fast as they could and the fastest eater won. Well, Jalebis were Gehnas favourite sweets. No way could she lose at this game. Besides, how much could a tiny spider eat? So off went Gehna, wolfing down two, five, ten yummy jalebis in a couple of minutes. But Spidey shot right ahead of Gehna, gobbling up as many as eleven small carrots in no time!

Gehna could take it no more. She burst into tears. She was used to beating her friends, used to winning, used to all the compliments her friends showered on her. And this chit of a spider had beaten her hollow, in not one, not two, but three whole games!

She prayed to God with all her heart. Dear God, I dont want a talking pet. In fact, I dont want a pet at all. I just want to go back to playing with my friends. Please please please take Spidey back. Promise I wont trouble Mom and Dad anymore. No sooner had the words left Gehnas mouth than the string of the spider came unfastened and Spidey vanished into thin air!

Gehna was relieved! She kept her word. Not once did she ask her parents for a pet again.

She happily went back to playing Guess the Tune, Jumping Jack and Eatomania with her friends!