The Thunder Rocket

Chapter 1: A Rocket Idea

Aanya sat on the floor of the small flat with her crayons spread out like a fan. Rohan sprawled on the sofa with his diary, and ⟨Character 4⟩ slept on his feet.

⟨Character 1⟩: A big one. A really big one. With three fins and a red nose and tiny windows so you can see out.

⟨Character 2⟩: That is the fifth rocket today. Are you starting a rocket shop? I’ll run the counter and you draw them and we’ll be rich by Friday.

⟨Character 1⟩: It’s not a shop. It’s a plan. Look, this one flies high, high, high, up where the clouds are.

Outside, over Pune, the sky grumbled low. Thunder.

⟨Character 1⟩: Not again. Not again, not again.

⟨Character 2⟩: Hey. It’s just noise. It’s a big grumpy drum in the sky. You want me to go up and tell it off? I’ll tell it off.

⟨Character 1⟩: No. I want to find it. If I build a rocket I can go up and see it, and then it won’t be scary anymore. I’ll make it stop.

⟨Character 2⟩: You and whose rocket? You don’t have a rocket. You have a lot of paper and, um, one broken crayon.

⟨Character 1⟩: Then I’ll build one. Help me look for parts. Come on.

On the balcony, under an old cycle cover, they found it.

⟨Character 1⟩: This. This is my rocket. Look at the spikes at the top. That’s an umbrella that got turned inside out in the monsoon. It’s already been up in the weather. It knows the way.

⟨Character 2⟩: It’s bent. It’s got a hole. But okay. Okay. We can tape the ribs straight with cricket tape, the green one. That sticks to anything.

They carried it inside. From the kitchen came ⟨Character 3⟩’s voice, singing an old Tamil song, warm and wobbly, while chai bubbled on the stove.

⟨Character 3⟩: Where are my glasses? I had them. I had them on my head. Now my head is empty and the world is blurry. Oh, the chai smells good through a blur, at least.

⟨Character 1⟩: Paati, your glasses are in your hair. Right above your ear. And we need string. A lot of string. And tape.

⟨Character 3⟩: So they are. So they are. Take the drawer, take the whole drawer, and mind the chai. This song is about a river, if you want to hear it.

The doorbell rang. ⟨Character 4⟩ woke and howled, long and cloudy, all paws and ears.

⟨Character 2⟩: ⟨Character 4⟩! Good boy. The rocket is nearly done. We need a brave someone to sit in the basket first, to test it. Someone with four legs.

⟨Character 1⟩: A test pilot. Front paws up. You get to pick, ⟨Character 4⟩. Do you want to go up, or do you want my brother to go?

Chapter 2: Up, Up and Away

On the terrace, the evening wind smelled of dust and jasmine. The broken umbrella lay on its back, ribs green with cricket tape, a basket tied to the middle with string.

⟨Character 2⟩: Left rib taped. Right rib taped. The pole is a broom handle, the nose is a steel katori from the kitchen, and the whole thing is held together with tape and hope. Aanya, that is a real rocket, and I built half of it, so I’m allowed to be a bit proud.

⟨Character 3⟩: Nobody told me the rocket needed a katori. Now how will I drink my chai?

⟨Character 2⟩: Oh, where are my glasses? I had them at the stairs. I had them right here on my nose, and now my nose is empty.

⟨Character 1⟩: In your hair, Paati. Like last time. Now shh. We’re doing the test. ⟨Character 4⟩, sit. You’re the test pilot. Best pilot we’ve got.

⟨Character 4⟩ sat in the basket, ears up. Aanya climbed onto the parapet and held the string. She unwound the umbrella’s old crank, and the rocket shivered, then lifted off the tiles with a whoosh.

⟨Character 2⟩: It’s going up! It’s really going up! And it’s taking the dog! It’s taking ⟨Character 4⟩! Aanya, the dog is in the sky!

⟨Character 1⟩: ⟨Character 4⟩, stay down. Rohan, don’t shout, hold the diya steady. Paati, take the string with me. Gently now. I’m pulling us back over the terrace.

⟨Character 3⟩: Pull, pull, little round basket. Down, down, like the river.

⟨Character 4⟩ landed on the tiles, sneezed twice, and his tail went round and round like a fan.

⟨Character 2⟩: He’s not hurt! The rocket flies, Aanya! It actually flies!

⟨Character 1⟩: Then I’m going. I built it. I made the plan. I’m going to find the thunder.

⟨Character 2⟩: You? The pilot should be the sensible one. That’s me. I’m this many years older and I do not cry when the sky grumbles.

⟨Character 3⟩: Enough. Sit. Drink. I made chai, and chai first. Then we talk about the sky.

⟨Character 2⟩: Paati, you gave us the chai already. This is the third cup. My hands are swimming.

Aanya unfolded a scrap of green cricket tape. Rohan looked at her for a long moment, then pressed his lucky tape into her palm.

⟨Character 2⟩: Take it. It’s my best one. I’ve had it since the last match. If you get scared, squeeze it and think of me getting out for a duck.