Comfort Food

“Here boy, scrub that dirt off your skin,” Aunt Petunia said, giving the five year old a washcloth as she scrubbed hard at his arm.

He looked down at his dark brown skin, covered in coarse black hair, confused. He had been given an extensive bath today to prepare for his first day of school the next day and he had never felt so clean in his life.

His aunts slender, pale hands scrubbed his skin until it felt raw and hot to touch but she kept scrubbing.

Embarrassed, Harry scrubbed hard at his legs as he tried to scrub his skin clean but the brown remained. He didn’t know why he was the color of dirt while his family wasn’t. It made him feel even more different and he felt as if he stood apart from his family. Not that he wanted to be apart of the family, they were horrible to him and worked him to the bone but he assumed it was just because he looked so different.

Maybe if he wasn’t brown his family would like him better.

He lay in his cupboard that night, skin tingly from the extensive scrubbing he had undergone. His thick, coarse hair plopped around his head like black waves on the dingy mattress he called his bed.

Tomorrow, he would see what he could do about his skin.

After his first day at primary school, Harry and Dudley were picked up and brought to town. Dudley was brought to the ice cream shop to quell his tears from the day without his parents while Harry was given a shopping list and a handful of notes to get groceries for dinner.

Next to the grocery store was a little shop that doubled as a restaurant. Harry knew he wasn’t supposed to go in there because his Aunt said it was run by people stealing their jobs. One day their windows had been smashed and there were a lot of cops surrounding the store when his Aunt took him shopping. She had tsked and complained about ‘their kind’ and how it had been a nice neighborhood prior to their arrival. He wasn’t sure what that meant but he knew the people that worked there looked a lot like him.

Maybe they would know how to make his skin lighter! He quickly walked over there, nervously looking around his shoulders to make sure nobody was watching him. He already had a reputation as a trouble maker thanks to his family, he didn’t want to add anymore fuel to the fire.

Upon entering the store, his nose was instantly hit with foreign scents that made his mouth water. He had luckily received food during school today, something he hoped would continue due to only being fed every few days at home, so he wasn’t that worried when his small stomach rumbled gently.

He quietly shuffled to the front counter and pressed the bell with bony fingers to get the shopowners attention.

“Hello Beta,” An accented voice said as a man walked through the beaded doorway that separated the store from the restaurant. “What can I do for you?”

Harry nervously rubbed his hands together, taking a slight step back. This was the first time he had ever interacted with someone that looked like him and he was worried about doing something wrong.

“I was wondering if you had anything to make my skin lighter?” The young boy asked meekly, wrapping his arms around himself defensively.

The man looked taken aback but then his eyes saddened.

“Why would you want to make your skin lighter?” The man asked, coming around the counter and kneeling down in front of Harry.

“My family thinks I’m a trouble maker and I think if I could clean the brown off my skin they would like me better.” He explained in a rush, green eyes wide behind his broken glasses.

“Well we’re the same color and my family likes me just fine,” The man said gently, holding his arm out to compare their colors. “My name is Raj Kapoor. What’s yours?”

Harry scrunched his face in thought, looking nervously at the door to the shop.

“My name’s Harry.” He whispered.

“Nice to meet you Hari, that is a very good and strong Indian name, you know?” Mr. Kapoor said with a smile. “Would you like to have a quick snack?”

Harry’s stomach rumbled and he blushed in embarrassment.

“No, it’s okay. I already ate today.” He said, beyond grateful for his lunch at school. He didn’t want to spend his Aunt’s money on something as silly as a snack. He’d be in big trouble.

“But you sure sound hungry, beta! Let me get my wife to make you a quick snack, okay?”

Harry shuffled his feet before he nodded.

“Okay but I have to get groceries for dinner.” Harry said nervously, unsure of how much time had passed and not wanting to get in trouble.

“What do you need? Let me see your list, we probably have everything you need.” Mr. Kapoor said, reaching out for the grocery list Petunia had written him. He directed Harry to sit at little table with vinyl seats and disappeared behind a door.

Harry kicked his feet, scuffing the tips of his worn sneakers on the floor as he looked around. There was a little red altar in the center of one wall, with beautiful flowers and foreign smelling incense burning. Harry squinted his eyes to look closer at the pictures and realized they were paintings of people with multiple arms. He furrowed his brows as he looked around at the mural painted on the wall and the menu that was depicted with various pictures.

His attention was brought back to the door Mr. Kapoor had disappeared through and saw a beautiful woman in an orange dress with a scarf crossing her body. She carried a plate of what looked like balls of rice with silly faces made of vegetables and a small bowl of sauce or soup.

“Hello, my name is Rani,” The woman said, her voice soothing as she sat next to Harry. “This is Idlis. Have you ever tried it before?”

Harry shook his head, scooting forward to get a closer look at the new food.

“Where’s the spoon?” Harry asked in confusion. Rani smiled and wiggled her fingers at him.

“Your hands are the spoon! Just pull a piece off and dip it into the chutney.” She explained, demonstrating for him.

“Isn’t that messy?” Harry asked in shock. Why would anybody eat with their hands? Aunt Petunia would have a heartattack!

Rani just laughed and shook her head.

“So what if it is? Nothing soap and water cannot fix, yes?” She smiled at him, pushing his small hand towards the bowl encouragingly. “Try it. Every boy in India eats this to get big and strong.”

Harry nervously dipped the rice in the chutney, being extra slow and careful to not make a mess. He took a bite and his eyes widened as big as saucers.

“Wow! This is really good!” He exclaimed, surprised. He’s had rice, of course, but he wasn’t allowed to use seasonings for his own food. This was the most flavorful thing he had ever eaten in his life and his mouth watered just from one taste. “Did you make this?” He asked in amazement.

“Yes, thank you! I knew you would like it.” Rani laughed, enjoying watching the nervous skinny little boy devour her cooking. “You may stop by here anytime and I will make you something.”

Harry looked up at Rani in disbelief.

“You want me to come back?” He asked softly, chutney stained fingers paused over the rice.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?” She asked, leaning down to look at him eye level. “You are always welcome here, Hari. No matter what.”

Harry felt his heart pick up and tears spring to his eyes. He had never been told that he belonged anywhere. He was always told how much he didn’t belong and how unwanted he was. But here were these two wonderful strangers insisting they wanted him to come back.

Harry was saved from having to reply by Raj coming back with two bags full of food.

“Here you are, Hari.” He grinned, rubbing the scruff on his cheek in slight embarrassment. “I got all the items on your list and added a few extras in there for you from me.”

Harry’s heart soared. Somebody cared about him! Maybe the problem wasn’t the color of his skin but just his family, all along.

“Thank you so much.” He said before shoving the rest of the rice in his mouth. “How much?” His muffled voice asked as he wiped his sticky fingers on his bagging pants.

He pulled the wad of bills out pushing it towards Raj.

“Let’s count it together, okay?” Raj chuckled, sitting with him and pulling the money out. Together, they counted out the necessary money, which Harry was sure should’ve been more but Raj folded his larger hand over Harry’s smaller one and insisted he keep the leftover.

“Save it, okay?” Raj winked.

Harry looked at them both before offering them a shy smile.

“Thank you very much.” He said shyly, happiness burning brightly in his stomach. “I promise I’ll come back.”

“You better!” Rani smiled, walking him to the door. He looked around the store one more time before scooping up the bags and running out the door. He stopped behind a pillar and dug out the extras they had left for him in the bag. There were bags of chips and candy inside that he gleefully shoved into his baggy pants pockets, for once grateful that he was only given Dudley’s castoffs to wear.

His Aunt and Uncle were walking out of the ice cream shop, wiping Dudley’s sticky face with wet napkins when he ran up carrying the bags.

“There you are boy, get in.” His Uncle Vernon said roughly, snatching the bags from him and putting them in the trunk.

“Yes Uncle Vernon.” Harry said obediently, getting into the back seat and looking out the window. He still had the taste of chutney on his tongue and the feeling of rice under his nails, reminders that he really belonged somewhere and that there was nothing wrong with him.

Harry became a frequent visitor to the Indian shop after that. The store was on the way home from his primary school and after the first day the Dursley’s expected him to walk him. He would stop by every day after school to get a snack and talk to the Kapoors. Eventually, he insisted on helping out in the store to pay them back for their kindness.

He would do basic little chores around the store and when Rani heard he cooked at home she had him come into the kitchen to learn how to make some basic Indian dishes. He tried different types of curry, Aloo Paratha, Biryani, and so many new amazing dishes. With the new constant source of food, Harry stopped appearing like a skeleton and actually started to fill out more. His cheeks were rounder and he had more energy, which helped him complete his chores faster.

He began learning about Indian history, cultures, and traditions. It was in casual conversations and he asked a ton of questions but he also started to celebrate holidays with them. He helped clean for Diwali and they had a mini Holi celebration in the parking lot of the store. He learned about Hinduism and many of the deities, even learning how to give thanks and tend to the altar.

Harry loved spending time with the Kapoors. They often sent him home with his belly full of delicious food and his pockets full of sweets. When mothers day and fathers day came around at school, he made crafts for them. Rani kissed his cheeks and hung them up proudly in front of the cash register so everybody who came in would see them.

Eventually, he confided in them about his parents dying in a car crash and how he didn’t know what they looked like or even their names. He assumed his dad was Indian because he knew his Aunt Petunia wasn’t so his mom couldn’t have been, either. He also told them about the chores he was forced to do and the way his family treated him. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much they could do but help him in anyway that they could. Although, they did make him promise that if it ever got to be too bad at home, he would come straight to the store.

After he had been visiting them for about a year, Dudley had finally found his secret stash of sweets hidden under his mattress. He had eaten them all before telling his Aunt and Uncle, resulting in Harry having to confess where he got the candy from.

“There’s an Indian shop on the way home from school and they always give me candy when I walk by.” He admitted in shame, head hanging low as tears streamed down his cheeks.

His Uncle turned purple in fury, something Harry hadn’t caused in a long time due to always ensuring his chores were done on time now that he had more than enough energy for them.

“You are interacting with those people?” His Aunt screeched while his Uncle started pulling his belt through his pant loops.

Harry flinched back and tried scrambling away to his cupboard but his Uncle grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt to drag him back into the living room. His Aunt hurriedly shuffled Dudley, who was smiling gleefully, out the front door.

Harry received ten lashes for interacting with those people and ten more for stealing food, even though he tried to insist he didn’t steal anything. Then, his body bruised and bloody, was thrown into a heap in his cupboard.

Gingerly, he tried to move to lay on his stomach to avoid putting pressure on his injuries. He had been so stupid, he knew better than to hide food in his cupboard but he didn’t know where else to put it. Now he would never be allowed to see the Kapoors again.

They kept him locked in his cupboard for almost a week, not even letting him out to use the bathroom. He had a bucket in his cupboard for whenever they would leave him alone but he hated having to use it. Every night, he silently cried, wishing he could live with the Kapoors instead of the Dusleys. They were nice to him, Rani kissed his scraped knee for him and made sure he always ate enough and Raj would pet his head while he taught him Hindi.

One night, he stared at the door to his cupboard with empty eyes, begging anybody who could hear him to let him run away to the Kapoors. He prayed to every deity he had learned about, his body filling with the deseration to get out of the tiny cupboard he was trapped in.

Suddenly, he heard a quiet click of the door unlocking. Sitting up in surprise, Harry stared at the door. It was the middle of the night but he didn’t hear any of his family coming down the stairs. If he listened closely, he could hear his Uncle and Dudley snoring from upstairs.

Gently, almost in disbelief, he pushed the door to his cupboard open. It was unlocked. He didn’t waste another second before he pulled his sneakers on and quietly escaped through the front door. He ran the whole way to the store, knocking on the glass and ringing the bell used for deliveries in the back. The Kapoors lived in a tiny flat above the shop, he knew, so he just tried to make them hear him.

The lights turned on inside the store and Raj came to the door slowly, holding a bat. He dropped it when he saw it was Harry and called Rani down, running to the door to unlock it and scooping the child up in a crushing hug.

Harry looked a fright once they brought him into the light. He drastically lost all the weight he had managed to gain, his cheeks appear gaunt once again. His clothing reeked of stale urine, sweat, and was stained with dried crusted blood. There was an angry bruise on his shoulder that was peeking out through the loose neck of his shirt and he wasn’t wearing his glasses, making the dark circles under his eyes stand out starkly.

“Hari, where have you been? We have been so worried.” Rani breathed, running her hands over his face and through his greasy hair in concern.

“My Aunt and Uncle found out you’ve been feeding me,” He said, his lower lip jutting out and eyes filling with tears he refused to spill. “They hate Indians. They hate all brown people but I think Indians the most because they hate me so much. They beat me and locked me in my cupboard all week, they haven’t let me out at all. I was praying and praying to every God you taught me about and they must have heard me because my cupboard was suddenly unlocked! I ran and ran and ran until I got here because I don’t want to live with them anymore, please, can I live with you? I promise to help, I can clean and cook and help in the store. I won’t take much space, please?”

Rani and Raj stared at each other over Harry’s head, concern and anger overtaking their features.

“How about we take you upstairs for a nice warm bath and some clean clothes and we can talk about it in the morning, okay, beta?” Rani suggested, directing Harry up the stairs to their flat.

He had only been un there once, to clean off after their Holi celebration. Rani took him into the bathroom and ran him a bath, turning around while he hid his beaten body under the bubbles. She scrubbed his hair for him and helped clean his face. She was so much more gentle than his Aunt Petunia was, it made silent tears leak from his eyes and mix with the water on his cheeks.

She bundled him in a nice fluffy towel and gave him a big t-shirt of Raj’s to wear for the night since they didn’t have any children’s clothes. Not like he minded, he was used to wearing too-big castoffs. He was brought out the the living room, where Raj had prepared them cups warm spiced milk. After the stress of the week, Harry fell asleep after a few sips of the milk, leaning against Rani’s side with a little mustache of milk across his upper lip.

She gently lay him down on the couch, tucking him in with a thick blanket and wiping his mouth clean with her thumb.

Her and Raj retreated into their room to talk, leaving the door cracked open in case he needed them.

“Raj, we cannot leave him with those people.” She hissed, anger brimming under her skin. She angrily started to brush her long hair as a way of releasing her frustration, staring at her husband through the mirror.

“I agree but what can we do? We cannot just offer to adopt him, you know how complicated the law is about immigrants.” He said, concern causing his forehead to crease as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“We can call the police,” Rani offered hopefully. “Maybe if we have a case of child abuse against them, they will let him stay with us.”

“There’s just a chance of him being taken away.” Raj shook his head regretfully. “Perhaps I will call Amit. His son is a lawyer, if I recall. They can let us know what to do.”

While Harry slept peacefully for the first time in over a week, the Kapoors were busy making phone calls until long after the sun rose in the morning.

Rani made Harry a quick easy breakfast of idlis, the same meal she had made him on his first visit all that time ago. She gently woke him up and let him use the restroom before coming to the table for breakfast.

He gave a huge toothy smile at the familiar dish and climbed onto the seat to beging serving himself. It shows just how much he had grown over the past year of visiting them. At first, he would refuse food despite his obvious hunger and needed so much reassurance to help himself. Now, he would just take it, knowing he was allowed and encouraged to eat his fill.

Rani and Raj sat next to him, watching him eat with small smiles on their faces.

“So Hari,” Rani said as he ate. “We were up all night and spoke to a lawyer. They are going to draft a custody agreement for us to take care of you in place of your Aunt and Uncle. Would that be okay with you?”

Harry dropped the rice he was holding and flung himself at Rani.

“Do you really mean it? You want me? I can stay?” He exclaimed in utter disbelief as he hugged her tightly.

She laughed lightly, rubbing his bony back as she looked at her husband with tears in her eyes. They had always wanted children but had never been blessed with one. It seems like the Gods were finally giving them their wish.

“We are going to do everything in our power, beta.” Raj said, scooting next to them and resting his hand on the back of Harry’s head.

It took a few weeks but the Dursley’s were charged with child abuse and endangerment and neglect of a child. They were both arrested and taken to jail, while Dudley was sent to live with his Aunt Marge. The Kapoors’ lawyer friend helped them fight for custody of Harry, which was awarded a few months after he had run away to them in the night. In that time, they had cleaned out their guest room and presented it to him as his own room. Having never had a room before, Harry was flabbergasted with that much space just for him and he had a hard time getting used to it.

They started filling his wardrobe with clothes that actually fit him and began a routine that they all slipped into with determination. Harry was officially adopted and became Hari Kapoor six months after they took him in. He was amazing he had a family now and started shyly calling Rani and Raj mum and papa.

The Kapoors adjusted to parental life seamlessly, ensuring Hari did his homework and always went to bed clean and with a full tummy. Free from the relentless bullying of his cousin, Hari started making friends at school and would even share his lunch with them when they asked. It seemed as if he was thriving, even joining a junior football team, much to his parents excitement. They were his biggest fans and were at every school event, every football game, and hung all of his artwork up around the store and their flat.

He still had his ups and downs, of course, from all the trauma he endured. It took a long time for him to realise they weren't going to try to return him or ship him off somewhere else and they wouldn't beat him for making a mistake. With his confidence in his family, Hari began to grow confident with himself and even began to play pranks and start getting into mischief like a young boy his age should.

He went to festivals with his family, celebrated the same holidays, and went to temple to pray. He met their extended family and friends, and became apart of the family so seamlessly. Under their care, Hari began growing into a confident, self-assured boy, who was always happy to lend a helping hand or share his food with those who needed it. He had ultimate trust in his family and felt comfortable asking about and for anything that he needed or wanted.

That's why, on Hari's 11th birthday, when a mysterious letter arrived with his former name on it, he brought it to them immediately.

Mr. H Potter
The Smallest Bedroom
55 Wisteria Walk
Little Whinging,
Surrey