A Ray Of Hope On Diwali Night
Inder sat alone on a small rock, watching the sun set. 'Inder, what a beautiful name!', aunty had exclaimed when they had first met him. Beautiful name, miserable life. The only good thing in his ten years of life, were uncle and aunty.
He hadn't gone home after work today. He wasn't hungry, and his family probably wouldn't find anything amiss. Anyhow, they would have one mouth less to feed. He hated his parents, 'We brought you into this world so that you can earn and help us fill our stomachs. Forget school.' They had firmly told him. He didn't want to work. He wanted to study and become a big man like uncle.
He liked uncle and aunt because they showed him dreams. Aunty always told him that he could become a big man one day. She taught him English and spoke to him in English now. His parents said that it was useless to dream. If they found out that he was learning English, they would be furious.
The sound of crackers shook him out of his reverie. He felt miserable again. If these people did not use crackers, he would have been in school today. They provided free uniforms, books and meals, too. His parents sent him at the beginning of every year to get the uniforms. They would sell the books and make some money.
These people were having fun at his expense. He slogged in the factory all day, so that these people had fun. They burnt the crackers, which he struggled to make, hated to make. They burnt the crackers, which killed his brother.
He had run about frantically when his brother's body caught fire. There was not a single drop of water anywhere. He had to watch his brother burn to death. And the employer did not even give money for his funeral.
He heard the crackers again. He heard the people laughing. How lucky they were! Inder wished he could laugh too. He never laughed. Sometime he smiled when he was with aunty, because she made him feel happy. He was the happiest when she had said 'Don't call me malkin, call me aunty.' Maybe he could learn to laugh someday.
He suddenly remembered that they had called him over for Diwali celebrations. He hoped they wouldn't burn crackers, as he got up to go there.
"Come soon, Inder, you are just in time for the puja." uncle said. The puja was something new to him. At home, they would burn two lamps and go to the nearby temple.
After the puja, aunty handed him a new pair of clothes. "We'll talk to your father about letting you stay with us. He will have to agree. We'll send you to school too!" she said and hugged him. It was the first time he was ever hugged.
"Aunty, I love you!" he said. She looked amused for a second and then hugged him again. "Yes beta, I love you too!"
There are many more Inders who don't have aunts to send them to school. When you use firecrackers the next time, remember that you may be killing someone's dreams, spoiling someone's life.
Happy Endings and Sweet Beginnings
"Yes, you answer my question" the teacher said and pointed to Aparna. Preeti shook the dreaming Aparna "She's asking you. Stand up." Aparna stood up quickly and looked at the teacher in confusion. A little later, the teacher asked another girl and made Aparna repeat the answer after her.
"What were you doing? It was such a simple question!" Preeti told her when she sat down.
"I wasn't paying attention" she said dryly.
"What do you mean? Something wrong with you?"
Aparna looked somewhere else. "I'm missing Sonu, that's all."
"Again? Are you crazy? I thought you had forgotten him! It's been almost a month now. He won't come back. It's impossible."
Aparna sighed. "He'll come back. He can't leave me, just like that. No, he'll return." She rested her chin in her palm and closed her eyes. She had thought that she had forgotten him, too, but his memories had come flooding back and she was missing him again now. She could not think of anything else, and it was becoming difficult to concentrate on her studies.
It had been love at first sight for her, when she had seen him sitting on their compound wall. It was vacation time and she would spend most of the day outdoors. She started seeing him more often, but he was very shy and would disappear nearby if she tried to approach him.
She was not one to give up easily, and tried many tricks to gain his confidence. She would sometimes sneak up close when he wasn't looking, and then offer him the tit-bits which she had brought from her house. Or she would smile and say something. She eventually succeeded, and they became good friends. He did not speak her language, and neither did she, his. They conversed through body language and thankfully, seemed to understand each other quite well.
One day he did not come, and she never saw him after that. He had left her feeling lost and lonely. She had often wondered if he had tried to tell her that he was going, but could never figure anything out.
After returning from school, she sat by the window and looked outside, hoping to see him. She had been doing it every day, but it was hard to give up hope on him completely. Suddenly her heart started thumping. Could that be him? It did look like him, his cute, smiling face. She ran out and stretched her arm. "Sonu! I missed you!" she said in an excited voice, as he flew to her and perched on her wrist. Following him was one more bird, and two smaller ones.
She let them perch on her other hand and said "You, Mrs. Sonu, are Mona, and these kids will be Chotu and Motu. And as for you, Sonu, don't you dare leave me again!"
Sunrise
She walked up and down the terrace slowly, watching the sunset. Her heart was so heavy that it was suffocating. There were many clouds and she couldn't see the sun. She would miss her favourite scene. It was a miserable day.
The sun of her life had set too. There was darkness everywhere. She hated darkness. She had already cried for a long time, and now her eyes pained if she did. She was restless and felt as if there was a big hollow inside her. This was as bad as hell.
She did not have any close friends at school. And now her closest, dearest friend was resting beneath the mud in her garden. Her poor little puppy! That truck driver must have been blind. She hoped he died a similar, devastating death. He had ruined her life.
The scene kept playing again and again in her mind's eye. Her scream, and then her Sonu's body getting crushed underneath the truck's tyres. The blood, the shock, the helplessness... She wondered how she had not fainted on the spot. How her hands had carried the body and hugged it to her chest.
Why had her father forced her to bury him? So what if he had checked if he was alive? Didn't he see how her hands were trembling when she buried him? He could still be alive. Burying Sonu alive was worse than anything else.
She tried to prevent a tear from escaping her eye. Why was she present there? Why was God playing such dirty games with her life? He had no right.
"Hey I just missed the sunset! Hi Charu! Did you see it?" she turned towards the voice with a jerk. Her neighbour was standing on his terrace and smiling.
"No, I .. I couldn't. The clouds were covering the sun." She answered, trying to hide her face.
"Oh yeah!" he said, looking upwards "I do see that. Make sure you see the sunrise tomorrow. They are always more beautiful. I feel happier when I see a sunrise. Hey! Something wrong..?"
She ran down the stairs. It was too difficult to hold back her sobs anymore. There couldn't be a sunrise. There was never going to be any sunrise in her life. It was impossible.
She went to her room and cried. At night, she refused dinner and went to bed. She fell asleep before she knew it.
She woke up with a start. It was morning already and there were funny sounds coming from the main door. She went slowly and opened it. And stared. "Sonu" she whispered. The little puppy whined. He was wet, probably due to the night's rain. A replica of Sonu he was. Only a little smaller.
She grabbed him into her arms and ran up the stairs, crying all the way. Who cared if her eyes were burning? These were tears of joy.
She held him tight as she opened the terrace door. There were no clouds today. And the sun was just beginning to rise.
Hidden Emotions
Ruchika picked up the receiver of the ringing telephone. "Hello?"
"Hi Ruchi! What's up?"
"Oh, hi Kavita. No, I wasn't doing anything particular."
"Hey, are you crying? Something wrong?"
Ruchika laughed "No I'm not crying. Just a little tired that's all."
"Sure? Nothing to worry? Are you alone at home?" Kavita asked in concern.
"I'm fine. Yeah, alone again." She laughed once more.
"O.K. Since you're tired, I'll hang up now. Go and get some rest. Bye"
"Sure, bye." Ruchika put the receiver down, wiped her tears and went to her room. Once there, she started weeping again.
When the door-bell rang later, she washed her face quickly and opened the door. "Kavita!" she exclaimed.
"I knew that you were crying." Kavita said firmly.
"No, nothing like that.I'm not so well, nothing at all." She shook her head.
Kavita held her hand. "Yeah? Then why are your eyes swollen without any rise in temperature, even? Don't lie." Ruchika kept quiet for a while and then started sobbing. Kavita patted her gently to comfort her.
"Nobody loves me. Dad went out of station today afternoon and Mom is gone for her night shift."
"Why don't they hire some servants? Things will be easier."
"I don't want any servants!" Ruchika screamed. "You don't understand. Nobody does. Preeti also fought with me today. Dad won't be here for my birthday. Mom will also forget. Nobody cares for me."
" She'll remember, Ruchi, it's not like that. They love you. Don't they give you everything you want? But they have to do their work also."
"I don't care!" Kavita stayed and comforted her till she calmed down, and then left. She was shocked. Ruchi had seemed the happiest person in the world, at school. It was hard to imagine that she could have looked so happy on the outside with all this agony bottled up inside. She marveled at her strength and tried to imagine what she was going through. It felt dreadful.
When Ruchika woke up the next morning, she found a gift and a card on the table. It was the pair of earrings, which she was longing for. She glanced into the master bedroom. Her mother was asleep.
When the phone rang, and she immediately picked it up. "Happy Birthday, Ruchi!"
"Preeti?"
"Yeah, sorry for yesterday's mess. Actually, I was already bit upset so I just blew up. Just forget it. Happy Birthday anyway, we'll have fun at school today."
And that's how it was, at school, with friends, flowers and gifts. When she returned home in the evening, their car pulled into the driveway. "Daddy!" she said "back so soon?"
"Yes, I told them to hurry up the work," He gave her a bear hug" Just how could I miss my darling daughter's birthday?" As they entered the house together, the lights were suddenly switched on, and all her friends were huddled around the table, which had a beautiful cake on it. "Surprise!" they shouted in unison.