Unlit stars!

Two boys were walking down the street after playing for nearly two hours. They were getting back home. It was Srinivasan's house and Rajkumar's mother was a servant at Srinivasan's home. The two boys got together well, fighting, playing, arguing and continuing the play with the football. 

Rajkumar had been a frequent visitor to their home, an area full of plants, a swimming pool being an attraction for the wayfarers. Still, the two boys went for an even bigger playground to practice. Srinivasan's mother was well acquainted with the fact that Raju's mother was a servant and so was her son to be pictured as one. "Raju merely picks up the ball and brings to my son, as my son is a very good player. He's intelligent that he makes use of this loafer, who does naught a thing else than sitting at the veranda with an old yellowed thick textbook in his hands. What a trouble is to look at him, he's so dull and compose." She whispered to herself, in a higher pitch as if she were talking to someone in front of her. Continued. "Yes, he knows his work very well, about where he stands and where would he land in his life. When he grows up, he would wash Srinivasan's clothes and pity, he thinks that he's studying." ; "These rascals give birth to children, to make a print of themselves in the little ones.", "It's the call of, rather law of life, the way you are, so are your children. Now, she can't be like us and teach Raju as we teach our son with luxury and comfort of all kinds." ; "What would anyone study when there is not even an air conditioner working?" She questioned herself and sprang with conviction. "Yes-yes; that's the reality. You see, what shall be the fate of this studious yet illiterate boy." 

Afternoon passed that day and the boy kept on sitting with sun occurring as a lantern; the warm breeze rung as coldness for his wet sleeves, he was drenched with sweat. All that time he had been sitting under the hot sun, he was more concerned with the story that he was reading; the one where a King had two wives and was living under the ambiguity for whom of the two was to be taken for a grand carnival. To Rajkumar, his mother's message in the morning was enough that he had to study the entire lesson before they left for their home and ate their lunch together. Now, the afternoon fell in the hands of the vibrant evening where sun faded it's glow and let the children play freely, as they had already studied and completed their portions for the day by that hour. Raju's mother was still indoors while no one had come out of the glass door all the time that he sat outside. His patience struggled to be stay to it's silent nature. He wanted to ring the house bell and ask for mother. What was wrong? He had heard that they were going to eat lunch after a day's gap. He wanted to experience a sight, or a little glimpse could do, of his mother. He wanted his maa alright and for God's sake, not tortured by the Malkin.
In sometime, the door itself opened. The mother came out and held his hand after hugging him, to leave for home. She had done a lot of work because the Malkin had given her a threat that she could be easily driven out of her job if she complained for over-work. "Maa, why are you to be here for so long?", he questioned. "Beta, we don't have a Sarkari naukari , we are daily wagers. If we miss a day's work, we miss our income, or can even lose our job and our Malik's pity upon us. Today, be happy! Your maa, will prepare Raita and Chawal(Rice) for you. Let's go to the bazaar, I will buy you a chocolate. I remember, last month you had shown a wish to eat it. Today, it comes true. Thank the Lord! Your mother has earned to make her child fill his tummy today. So, beta; you studied?", "Yes, maa..I did! I will tell you the story.. There was a very rich king.." "Beta, all the kings are rich..",  "Oh, alright. Anyway..You know he had married twice and..."
The mother and child walked through the market, and then reached their home. They had shared their experiences of the day. To the mother there was only Rajkumar and his goodwill the utmost thing. In the mornings, she sent him to school and later he waited for her outside the Malkin's house or in their veranda. They were big people, they did pity on the lady by giving her child- the space in the sun to study. His homework's were done there. He had sound health whereas his mother's health deteriorated by every passing day.
In fewer days, his mother was bedridden. He had no choice but to look for work while she kept longing for life in the government led hospital. The doctors were kind and the best there but little money to buy food for himself and his mother made him work in a roadside Dhaba. His childhood was falling prey to the fright of his employer. One day, Srinivasan got to know about his friend and while coming back from the school, he asked the cab driver to wait for sometime so that he could talk to Raju. "Hey, what has happened of your football champ? I thought, you were as good as me! What sick business are you falling into. It's very deep, these people slap your face and there are no provisions in the law or court to prosecute their culture of expletives. You just run away. Listen me? You go to school! Fine?" Here, Srinivasan had given his thoughts for Rajkumar to reflect upon. "No, Srinivasan.."; replied Raju- "Before going to school, one has to fill one's tummy too. Now, that responsibilities have come...."
Mother couldn't work any longer and earn her child a good life. He was left wandering for new jobs..few lasted weeks and few went on for months.. At last, he became a Richshaw puller where upon he transported carts and racks holding heavy carpets. A lonely boy, pulled along hundreds of kilograms and in the same shimmer of the sunlight. The mother of Srinivasan had rightly pointed the child's future. To him books were distant dreams and a chocolate from maa's hand of care was a sight of the past.. Life moved with struggles, the real struggles..the real labour!

Comments

  1. I like people who cares about art. This is good.

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    1. Thanks for your appreciation, Payal! :)
      It means a lot.

      Delete

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