Snow Love

Rehan was a six year-old child with great dreams, rare in the kids of his age. His father was a poor rickshaw-puller, but rich in honesty and virtue. His mother died early, leaving all responsibilities on his father’s shoulders. He lived in a small room in a big city, with a cooking stove, a charpoy, and a few utensils. A string, tied from one end of the room to the other, bore their clothes to dry.

In their locality, a school had opened recently. Rehan gazed with wonder at the uniforms and the loaded school bags. His father worked tirelessly from dawn to night. He just roamed around and observed everything like a poet. He had a great love for nature, and staring at the sky was his favorite pastime. He liked birds, squirrels, flowers, trees and the rain as well. He was an expert in making paper boats.

Two years later, he worked as a shoe-polish boy. He was zealous about work and even dreamt of going to school. Most of his wishes were fulfilled in dreams, but he was hopeful of living them in reality too. One afternoon when his father was returning, he noticed a ladies-purse lying on the rickshaw. His father picked it up at once and returned it to the shop where he had dropped that particular lady. Fortunately, one of the shop-keepers knew her and he succeeded in returning it safely to its owner. She was highly surprised to encounter honesty in such a time. Rehan too was with him and she turned on the TV for him to watch. That was the first time he had ever seen a TV so close. He observed the white snow fall in one of the movie scenes and felt exhilarated, thrilled like never before. He stood watching the snowfall in awe. The lady and her husband warmly insisted that he eat the sweets humbly offered on account of his father’s honesty. There was a golden necklace inside the purse that had been brought back safely, untouched.

Later, they returned home. His father was a practicing Muslim, and inspired his child on the path of goodness. His craving for snowfall grew abundantly in seconds. He tried to resist, but abruptly asked his father about this wondrous phenomenon.

“Papa, where does white fall occur?”

“White fall? Do you mean snowfall? It occurs in hills and mountains.”

“Why not here?”

“Here, we have hail stones, rainfall, winter, summer and monsoon. Isn’t that enough?”

“No, I want to see snowfall right now. It looks so clear, crunchy like ice cream!”

His father felt sad at his inability to provide him ice-creams more often, his dearest and only child. He pointed to the open window,

“See, all the stars have arrived in the sky. Sleep, and let me sleep.”

Rehan was too passionate by this time. He went outside to gaze at the sky and felt like waiting for real snow to fall all over him like a white blanket covering the mountains. He imagined the atmosphere turning white. “Ah! How pretty!” He tried to imagine his mother’s face but without success. Suddenly he sensed a change in the weather. The breeze became cold as never before. He thought that winter has arrived and papa was too deeply asleep to be disturbed. He closed his eyes, opened them again, and what a beauty he saw! It was a real snowfall. “Unbelievable”, he thought. He was overjoyed. He opened his mouth to the sky as if to taste the ice-cream prepared by God for children like him. He ran around and danced. No one was awake except him. He thought of making snowmen as he had seen in the movie. And in a few minutes they were ready, but looked lean and ready to crumble at another touch. He felt tired now out of his excitement and energetic playfulness. He thanked God and smiled. Suddenly he felt his mother’s hand on his head.

“Will my child get up now?” He felt blissful at hearing his mother’s soothing voice. Oh, but it wasn’t hers. His father repeated, “Is my child still asleep?” He opened his beautiful brown eyes and smiled. The sunshine was already waiting for him.

A Younger Sister’s Story…

Sara was gazing at the toffee boxes in a shop like a butterfly gazing at a flower. Scratching her head she wondered which one to choose. A two rupee note was a pretty good amount for a little child like her to be satisfied. She consulted her brother, a year older than her and yet of same taste. He presented his views like an elder brother. ‘That’s coffee bite, fifty paise each, and tastes good’. She replied: ‘But… I think mango bite is a better one’. The shopkeeper was smiling and said softly ‘what a decision you’re making! Be quick. Bigger ones await you in future’. She bought mango bite and popped it in her mouth.

   Both Sara and Ahad went to school together, played together, and fought after regular intervals. As Diwali was approaching, Ahad was thrilled to buy firecrackers. Both went to a small set-up and began selecting the ones they liked. The rockets with a red cap were gorgeous. The next day while lighting the string attached to the rocket, its direction was suddenly changed and it found innocent Sara’s hand to hit and later collapsed at the wall nearby. She was in shock and wept for hours even though the hurt was minor.

   Their father had a rice mill and during winters their pastime was to play hide and seek on the mountain of infinite rice bags, 100 Kg each, covered with a tremendous waterproof blanket. Once they played longer than usual and were so lost in game that they didn’t notice the guard closing the main gate. At a scary instant they realized their plight and began to cry. Hearing muffled cries and shouts, a passer-by informed their father and they were rescued.

   As they reached higher classes, various tutors were assigned for them. But due to their unbridled playfulness, each teacher lost the seriousness after a span of time and fun leaped in, diverting the sole aim of education. Once a very scary tutor came and punished Ahad for his lack of concentration. Sana, the younger sister did nothing but passed a smile that infuriated him and he hit her cheeks later. She was quick in complaining and Ahad was punished again.

   Each passing day the gaps between them seemed to widen. Sana became a hard-working student while her brother was a sports lover rather than a study-lover. After topping in class tenth she went to the excellent school far away and stayed in a hostel. One day, surprisingly Ahad came to meet her with a home-made cake. She was glad with twinkling eyes. He gave her a piece of paper, smiled and left. Just two lines were written there:

Kiss thine dreams, do smile each day,

My adorable sister, Happy Birthday!

Rohan and a Squirrel

Friendship is something that erases boundaries and creates a special bonding. Rohan was a young boy who was quick in making friends. Everyone liked him. The neighbors always chatted about his gentle manners that were scarce in their own children.

One bright day, he saw a squirrel near his window and smiled. He was quite fond of squirrels. In fact his classmates called him squirrel due to his quick movements, combination of mischief and intelligence, and due to his natural love for peanuts. The next day again he saw it running subtly after having sensed some disturbance. This time he peeped out to find that the squirrel's nest was on the outer side of the window. He got a good exercise to do. After all his Mathematics exercises weren't as interesting.

He was about to say 'mom, what do squirrels eat?' when he himself recalled the answer 'ah, yes, peanuts and nuts, etc.' Next day onwards, he began placing the nuts on the window and curiously watching it hold the food and eat charmingly. He tried to imitate it after making sure that nobody was around.

Soon they were friends. He felt a cry of joy when first touching it, holding its hands. It ran away in no time. He kept experimenting with various food items in the house and once observed it sucking the straw attached to a mini fruit juice paper box.

One night a scary storm came and its house was shattered in minute pieces. It entered Rohan's room in search of protection and settled in his cap placed upside down creating a comfortable abode. In the morning he woke up feeling touched at the sight of it resting in his cap and was later devastated to find the nest broken.

He then put the twigs, dry grasses, mud, etc. in one corner and watched it, fresh as dew, preparing the nest once again. It taught him that life is the other name of fresh possibilities and hope. He learnt from the little one's zeal and opened his Mathematics textbook with a newly acquired enthusiasm to complete his work.

A Broken Toy

Brokenness is the Essence of Existence; it’s the Force of Life that Crafts Jewels.

Riya was a shy, little girl who loved dolls. She always held one around her tender arms and requested her aunt to sew its clothes. Once she stitched a beautiful white gown. Riya was extremely delighted to see her little doll wearing a white snowy gown. She was often in quest of ear rings to gift it. They shared a unique relationship. She would talk and share her thoughts with the doll, little it mattered that the lifeless piece couldn’t respond. Secretly she would take her mother’s make-up items and apply, imitating her with an air of beauty consciousness.

   Once she was caught and warned, but her adventurous friendship never ended. She was considered small enough to go to school and not even allowed to go outside to play for the fear of learning new mischiefs. But the inside of her heart felt a strange desire to move out, take the fresh air in and play with friends. Lack of friends compelled her to imagine the doll as one and proceed with an imaginative conversation with the doll.

   That night, she secretly went to the roof-top and looked down. She sighed and felt awed at the small objects downwards. She began measuring a red car through her fingers and felt a sudden flush of felicity. She smiled. She was standing in a dreamlike state on the verge of the roof. That very moment she found her mother standing behind, extremely worried. She carried her in her lap and hugged affectionately. Next day, a cat dragged her doll from her room and chewed it, separating away the spherical head from the body. After finding her doll in that state, Riya wept with two thick streams of tears.  A toy was broken but she felt as if her only friend has deserted her. Some portion of her heart felt an ache as the doll’s remnants were thrown in the dustbin. Her father saw the cloud in her eyes and bought a new doll for his doll.

Such is a happy childhood, innocent with the occasional gushing of tears, smoothened with the love of parents. The pains of broken toys don’t last long. A child’s first encounter with brokenness is that of shock, then acceptance, then forgetfulness. It’s a good lesson for adults as well who fail to forget the brokenness, get immersed in its flood, willing to be carried away to the land of gloom.

So relax, accept, forget and move on,

The currents of bliss will meet you at dawn!