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.