Little Mona was absolutely over the moon. Her father had surprised her with the most extravagant gift—a stunning soft toy resembling a girl in a lovely pink dress with bright blue eyes. The girl wasn’t aware of her father’s intentions behind this extravagant act. He had done so to keep her away from hovering around during the party he had hosted for having bragged a million worth business deal, that evening.
“I’ll call her Pinky! Isn’t her dress just gorgeous?” the seven-year-old exclaimed excitedly, but her enthusiasm fell on deaf ears. Her dad had already shifted his focus to a phone conversation, as he often did, while her mother was busy perfecting her makeup for a party.
“Come,” the caretaker, Ratna, gently guided Mona to her room. Mona’s parents had strictly warned Ratna to keep the child entertained indoors.
With a big hug for her new soft toy, Mona began an animated one-sided conversation. Ratna, who was preoccupied with organising clothes in the cupboard, didn’t immediately notice but eventually caught on as Mona chatted away.
“So, what games do you enjoy?” Mona asked her companion. Ratna figured the toy wouldn’t respond, assuming Mona was simply imagining the doll’s replies. Mona erupted in laughter, clapping her hands. “Wow! You like playing Snakes and Ladders too! Hold on, let me grab the game!”
Ratna couldn’t help but observe as Mona set up the board, excitedly rolling the dice. “Alright, here’s the dice for you! I rolled a four, and you can roll next to see who goes first.” To Ratna, there was silence, but Mona chirped, “Oh, so you want me to join your game? Okay!” With that, she tossed the dice again, announcing, “You got a two, so I’ll start!” And so began an enthralling game of Snakes and Ladders. Mona engaged in lively conversation with the toy, clapping each time her token found a ladder, and expressing sympathy for Pinky whenever a snake sent her piece tumbling down.
For a while, Ratna watched, initially unfazed, but as Mona became so absorbed in her game that she even refused dinner, concern began to creep in.
It wasn’t until well past midnight, when Mona was still deep in conversation with her beloved toy, that her parents finally took notice. Typically engrossed in their own busy lives, they felt a stir of concern and attempted to reason with her. “Sweetheart, Pinky’ is just a toy…”
“But Pinky talks to me! You don’t have time, Papa is busy, and Ratna has household work. At least I have a friend to talk to!”
Mona’s words tugged at her mother’s heart, making the sophisticated lady soften in response. It became clear that this was more than just a child’s imagination—it was a sign of something deeper. The parents exchanged worried glances, realising they might have overlooked their daughter’s need for attention. Ratna sensed this was a lesson learned the hard way, and hoped they would soon begin to prioritise their daughter’s emotional well-being.