SAVIOUR AT 21 A BLOCK

Mumbai, a dense and crowed city. Hotter than lamp in summer and in rain it is far from imagination to live without getting drench. 21 A block was residence of Mr Ramnath Vyas., a well educated man and president at Human Welfare Department. His aura made other aware of their work at office, a tall dark and fat virtually 40 year old man proves to be the best president yet at human welfare department. He dwelled with his wife and two sons, both studied at university. His wife a fat, unfathomable and swarthy body, used to treat servants like cattle, they had more than 4 servants at a time. And among them, one was my father. Rajesh Singh, I can still feel his aura around me, the way he patted me, his hard hands revealing the hard work he did for me. I still remember that day, my 14^th birthday on which he brought a chocolate cake loaded with 14 candles. That was my first birthday cake and we both enjoyed and savoured it. He had brought that cake from his overtime salary. He worked that month more than 16 hours just to make my birthday superfluous. I had lived in a place which is perfect for me, I’ve learnt life in those rooms which gloom even at daytime. My eyes waited all day for my father to come and we had supper before sleep. I had studied at government school and college. My father had fulfilled my every little dream but once I became mature I understood those circumstances and started working in hotels  and bars as dishwasher. My father wanted me to complete my graduation and focus more on my IAS exams. Two years ago, on the night of 19^th September, rain was falling with its high pace. People were running towards their home, streets were filled with all kinds of species and the man at the gate of 21 A Block is striving and shivering with fever and there is no hope from the master to call him inside or provide him safe place to rest. It was my father, who was suffering from fever and was seriously ill that time. He faint there at this very gate, where we are standing now. He died after 3 days, doctors reveal that he had suffered from plague and was seriously ill by the time of work........

He supported me every time, he inspired me, if there is anything I have learnt from this universe that is, never ever try to give up, it’s not only you who is working towards your dreams but it comprise of all those who are supporting you to make your dream a reality. Today shifting my stuffs to my new apartment as President of Human Welfare Department is not only my dream,  but it had been seen by my father at this very gate. He was the man who saves me, who made me. He was the saviour at 21 A Block.

SAKSHAM SHRIVASTAVA

“WAGER”

I never knew, that wager would change my life. Come on Abhinav we’ve to leave now, this is going to be the best Annual function, said Rajat. We both reach school within ten minutes. Program has already started and that beautiful girl in black saree is announcing, that our next performance is of Miss Anamika Bhaweja. My heart beats briskly and is going back to those moments…..

Virendra and I had wager to get the most beautiful girl of our school. First turn was mine and I had groomed myself in showing my faux perpetual love to her, by watching her coming and going from school, walking through her house, tried to start conversation, but never gather courage to had one. It was just a wager for Virendra but change was running through my veins and my heart, by each passing day, it seems inevitable to stop myself from enchanting towards her soul. Yeah, a 16 young lad was now learning the language of soul and was searching his soulmate. I started loving her intensely and the more days pass the more I falter confidence that whether one day I would be capable of showing my perpetual and fondle love to her. Finally one fine morning I dare to write a letter expressing my feelings for her and put in my pocket. That day I request her to meet me at canteen of our school and she did. We met as decided and before I started to speak, she impetuously advised me to check my science notebook, there were plenty of mistakes. It helped me to lose my confidence and I nodded on every question asked by her but It was like a reverie, how did she know about my science notebook, I started to mumble but she was gone by then. I followed her and without any word gave that letter to Anamika. We both had come to join next lecture of science by Miss Rashmita. I was not in mood to study, while rewinding few minutes back memory, I remembered that Anamika had told me to check my science notebook, I meticulously glance on every page, and what I had found was a white sheet of paper. That paper I opened underneath my desk, so that no one could notice. There was something written on it, with pink glittering ink that had changed my life and those words are “I lOVE YOU”……….

Today watching her on stage, seems like my whole universe constituted in this universal magic.

“Do believe in magic, and it will happen”  

SAKSHAM SHRIVASTAVA

CIRCUMNAVIGATE

Hurry up everyone, we are getting late, said Umesh dada. He has been taking care of us for 2 years. For us he is our whole family. We are orphans of SMILE CHILD TRUST. Today Umesh dada has brought us to this new zoo, near our town. I am Ram, ten years old swarthy boy. This is the first outing of my life, I’ve never been any place before. Today I saw thousands of species, sometime I soar, sometime aghast. Zoo is filled with peoples of every age group. I saw a group of lads and went forward to join them. But we are not allow to play or talk with them. This is the first time I’m getting envy with those lads, who have come with their parents. They ‘re eating Ice-cream and playing different games. I didn’t know what they’re playing but it fascinated me. Our folk is now moving to exit gate and I somehow manage myself to stay and submerge with those lads and play their frantic games, abruptly a man with long hair and dark moustache comes near to me and haul me from the crowd. He accuses me, of stealing their playing boards and food. They start beating me, but no one listen to my sob. I echo Umesh dada’s name and then……….

He comes as my savior and till then I faint. I don’t know how I get here again in the orphan’s bed but I feel relax of being at safe place again. I need some fresh air to rejoice my soul which had embittered by those games. I walk through the garden, and rain starts with its full pace. I sat under a shed and contemplate about how rich people and those who have parents live? How beautiful games they play, they needn’t have to worry about their dirty clothes and they can eat anything as much they want. My contemplation devastates by a voice coming from my back. How are you feeling now? Says Umesh dada. feeling better, I reply. He can see my tears running from my cheeks, my heart soaring for those frantic rather expensive games and my mumble as I’m fighting with god. He took a paper from his pocket and gives it to me. It is a ship, a ship of paper. What should I suppose to do with this? I ask. Join your fellows they are waiting for you at backyard, he insist. They’re playing with their ships and ask me to join. It fascinates me more than those frantic games. I indulge myself in the games. After a long period of time. All have gone to sleep except me. Umesh dada has  come see to me, its too late Ram you must sleep now, he suggests. I ask him to join, I circumnavigate with ships. He pat me softly and gone to sleep.

“Happiness is not in what others can afford, but in what we can manage”

SAKSHAM SHRIVASTAVA

RAM MUST STEAL

His eyes were puffy and ram is not in mood to wake up now, it’s too early to get up almost 4 of morning. He pours his bottle with water and start walking to find solitude. He had sat under a tree and excremented, while walking back to tent he remember how last night he was trembling from hunger and there is only one small piece of bread left for three members. His father had lost his legs in early childhood and ram along with his father begs in Indore, finally he reached home and hauled his father because his mother was not inhaling and exhaling air. His father checked her breath and a loud sob filled the tent with sorrow, two hearts were crying one who had lost his mother and other who had lost his wife because of hunger. They didn’t have money for cremation and mother remains there for two full days. His father had lost all his senses in grief, poor people know the true meaning of love because their love is unconditional, ram went to beg and returned with nothing he had accustom to sleep without food. He woke up early as always and while returning from farms(solitude) he was contemplating why and why god chose his mother? And went back to his tent without any answer. He saw his father was not well he had been suffering from hunger for past two days and his mother’s dead body was still there for him to feel guilt which results in severe panic in his heart and stomach. Ram knew that if today he came with open hand, he will surely loose his father too. He begged and had nothing as usual and he also was not feeling physically well.

Rashmita a tall, fair, innocent girl who had just got her results of high school. And was returning to his home town today which is 200 miles away from the city. His father wants to know the reasons for her failure in high school and talk to her in intonation. Rashmita needs money for her ticket and as we know withdrawing money becomes too easy. There are ATM machines everywhere. Rashmita is feeling bless and withdraw 500 rupee for her ticket. Meanwhile RAM is sitting on pavement and watching Rashmita and he noticed all events happened few minutes before. He was taught in school that stealing money or anything is sin and a sinner goes to hell after death, but what important for him is to safe his father who was suffering from hunger. He gather dare to step forward and grab Rashmita’s bag. He is running with full efforts and Rashmita is following her, after 15 minutes of marathon she stop and regretting about how careless she is, she is walking towards her apartment and blaming herself for this stupidity, she stops and ran towards a boy sitting outside a tent. Yes that is Ram, Rashmita starts slapping him, and he manage to rescue himself and hide in his tent, she enters without any hesitation and stop, she saw a sleeping man, stinking body of a dead women and a boy shivering from fear, she has lost all her senses and speak nothing, total silence because there is no way to help or to punish that child for his mistake. She take out money from her bag without counting, and put in Ram’s hand. She left and start moving towards her apartment. Sometimes silence is the best way to answer, she doesn’t know who that boy was, what has happened to his family, but hope that, that money will help that little child to survive more days. Her phone is ringing for more than 3 minutes and she picks it finally, she says that “ I am not coming, papa I have to study for my future exams” and she cuts.

SAKSHAM SHRIVASTAVA

"Educated Indians"

Before I begin this topic let me ask you to think what education means in your term? Is it all about focusing and sharpening mind? Find your answers after reading this incident,

 Two days before, I have finished reading "Brida" by Paulo Celho and want some more good stuff for my hobby. I woke up early that day and manage to get myself at book shop at 9 in morning. That day was perfect all were looking neat and greeting one another, i always have a slight crush on that girl at reception but, sometime things look more perfect if you let go. I greet her and ask her to help me to find "Aleph" by Mr. Paulo again and she did as always and now i am more excited about the heap of papers in my hand than anything else. I pay its bill and greet her to have a nice day. I pull the main gate and start moving towards my bike, i am the only one with bike, others where using their car to get here. i walk some more steps and a sublime fear, storm passes through my veins. When.......

I saw intense scarlet eyes, maybe they have been weeping for more than 2 days and now seems like they are tired of being in bloodred state. He was a man, typical Indian beggar, whom we ignore at railway station, bus stand, outside hotels. I manage to move on pavement to fetch my bike, and I stopped again, because their is something wrong. He is sitting next to women, maybe her partner who was sitting in a position of touching head to thigh. I thought maybe they haven't eaten for days and if I gave some money which cost almost nothing but a pack of cigarette for anyone, so finally, I went to them and ask what had happened? Do they need something to eat? my words are not even finished now and that man began to sob. His sobbing made the women awake from her fainted state. And all hell broke loose when I saw an infant sleeping on her thighs. I ask him what do you want, he told nothing and the women in saree full of holes joined him in intonation. His partner starts, that they hadn't had eaten for past 3 days. I got to a conclusion that because she had not eaten for couple of days which results in no nutrition in her body to develop milk in herself for her infant. I stop thinking and wish the infant was alive, but it wasn't. Her mother was moaning in grief and father was numb. Is there any way to help them? Money or food is of no use to remove their grief. But I do not want to loose any other human being, it is not humble duty to feed them, it is human nature to help one another.

There were thousand of people passing through that book shop or pavement, but none of them really just once had decide to go and ask for their sorrow, How could it be possible they are buying books and most of them are regular customers and went there to fetch either books or newspaper. What education are they getting or got? Do poor people don't have right to live or love their new born baby? while I feed them with some typical Indian stuff, I was watching to beast and animals passing through the book shop, they don't deserve to be called a human being. Human beings are not like that, we want to help each other not to enjoy watching others sufferings. Education means learning, learning science, arts, humanity, socialism, justice etc. Education may come from anywhere even from a good novel. When an animal turns into a man by practicing certain rituals then it is "EDUCATION"

                       

                                                              SAKSHAM SHRIVASTAVA