On a bright Sunday morning, Arjun tiptoed into the kitchen. The house was so quiet he could hear the fridge humming.
He pulled a box labeled 'SNACK MACHINE' from under the table.
Arjun hooked a pot to a spoon, tied a string to a ladle, and balanced a banana on a plate. He pulled the string — CLANG!
The ladle flew off and hit the cupboard. Arjun covered his ears. The clatter echoed down the hall.
He wrapped the string tighter and pulled with both hands — WHOOSH! Flour exploded like a white cloud.
Arjun blinked through the powder and sneezed. He grabbed the cracker and reached for the banana lever — ZING!
The banana splatted against the wall. The front door opened. Footsteps. 'Arjun?' Mummy called.
Arjun froze. A leather chappal whistled through the air and landed with a thwack right beside his foot.
Mummy picked up the banana from the wall. She looked at the flour, then at the pot dangling from the ceiling. She laughed.
They sat at the little table and ate the squished banana together. The kitchen was a mess, but the house felt warm.