Sneak-peak is a funny business (Short story)

It was just a couple of days since we moved into our new house. Things were not in their places. The house owner had warned us about the few burglaries that went around there in the last few weeks and hence asked us to be careful. I’m someone who gets a bit cooked up about such issues. But Meera was different. She is an easy-go type and refuses to be too careful about just anything.

That day, she left me with our 4 months old baby to give attendance in her new office. I, being a freelance photographer had the levity of staying back home (or so, she presumed). I was left with our 4 months old son and the household stuffs to be taken cared of.

It would have been half past ten in the morning and the baby started crying. It threw a nasty tantrum when I tried to feed him with the bottle of milk. He kept pushing away the bottle. I wondered why babies had to be so merciless with their dads. I was into a predicament when I realized the cause for my babe’s tantrums. “What a fool I was!” He was not hungry but his diaper was wet. Ah! The toughest job! I am very clumsy with this assignment and Meera knew that. So, she had already prepared an ‘instruction manual’ in her own hand as to how I should go about doing it.

I failed at my first attempt to change the diaper. Several rounds of attempts followed but I still couldn’t manage it. I thought of taking a break and then give it one last try (after all what’s the use of this whole business? He’s going to wet it again, right?). I stretched myself and extracted a cigarette from the packet on the table. As I was about to light it I noticed a figure sneaking near the window. It was a dark man snooping around. My suspicion rose and I went near the window just to find the man turning the corner of our house. I got out and gave a through check of the grounds but in vein. The dark man was no longer there. I became a bit nervous.

After a few minutes I finally decided to let it go and went inside my house to give one last try at changing the diaper. This time I took the baby from our bedroom and put him on our dining table. I stretched the piece of instruction manual neatly beside the baby and began working on it again. And yes!!! I finally made it and my baby gave me an encouraging smile. Did I hear him say, "Encore-encore?"

“Thank you”, I said to the baby with a grandiose wave of my hand. But again there he was - the dark man at the window peeking into our private world.

This time I was determined not to let him escape. I ran out of my house at a dizzy pace and skidded around the corner of our house just in time to find him jumping over the wall to the next house. After landing into the next compound he suddenly put on a casual air and walked into that house.

“What’s happening here?” I couldn’t understand. I waited for a moment considering things and then decided to follow him. I jumped over the wall and tried peeking into the house through every open window.

“This is fun!” I never knew peeking into others house was amusing. I was a bit nervous though.

And suddenly... Did I hear a baby cry?

I thought I was imagining it (after all, that’s what I’ve been hearing for the past half an hour). “I’m just imagining it”, I convinced myself.

But no. I heard it again. Is my baby crying again? No. The sound was coming from within this house and I was nearing the sound more and more. I found a window next to me open and I cautiously peeked in through it. And what did I see in there?

My good Lord! I couldn’t believe it.

Another unlucky father and a baby with a wet diaper!!!