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