Life saver or Piece of Paper?

Neenu desperately needed twenty thousand rupees. Immediately. She had no idea how she was going to get such a large sum at such short notice. But she had to do it. To save her mother’s life.

She knocked at the doors of every relative, every friend, every acquaintance, every person she possibly knew. But she got no help. Those who could help were not willing to and those who wanted to help were pretty much in their same financial state.

Her last hope was her employer at the construction site under whom her mother worked full time, and she worked part-time. Despite Neenu’s repeated begging and pleading, Handing over twenty thousand rupees to the hands of a 13 year old, part-time construction worker, didn’t seem right to him.

“Listen girl, I am a business-man and I think only in terms of business. Suppose I do give you the money. Tomorrow, if your mother dies, how’ll I get my money back? From you? Who works only 2 hours everyday? You’ll run away, and i can’t take that risk”.

“Saab please. Please save my mother. I’ll stop going to school and work full time in the construction site. That way, I can repay you soon.” she said

“Ok” said the employer after some consideration. “I’ll give you the sum and 1 year time to repay me, if you come in and you know…. spend the some time with me.” he said with a menacing smile “Deal?”.

Neenu did not take even a moment to consider. She ran off into the street, away from her employer’s house, tears streaming down her cheeks. She could not be so weak as to forget her mother’s upbringing. She knew her mother would prefer death over a life earned from selling her daughter. By making this deal. She would just gift her mother a life which she would be ashamed of forever.

As Neenu exhausted every hope of gathering the amount needed, her mother lay in the hostipal bed, dwindling between life and death and fighting for every breath. She’d begged the doctor to start the surgery which was critical to save her mother. But they insisted that they would not start the procedure until atleast a sum of twenty thousand was paid. Their callousness was shocking to Neenu.

It was almost like they did not expect her to bring the amount and so wouldn’t even mind watching their patient die infront of their eyes. She cried, desperation seeping into every nerve and cell in her body.

Neenu sat crying on a road-side bench, totally lost as to what to do. She could not let her mother die. Her father already left her and her mother when she was an infant. After that, It was her mother who worked hard, took care of her, fed her, clothed her and most importantly insisted on educating her. She would not even allow Neenu to work part-time because she wanted her to focus entirely on studies. But, when times were difficult, Neenu insisted that she work a little to help earn more.

Lost in thoughts, when Neenu looked up, she saw a man emerging from an ATM counter on the opposite side of the road. He held a huge bundle of currency notes which he was stuffing into a bag. Then, with the bag on one hand and cellphone in his other hand, talking to someone, the man was walking towards what seemed to be his car parked a little distance away.

The thought that arose in Neenu’s mind on seeing this scared her. She didn’t want to do it. She couldn’t do it. But she had to. It was her only hope. Her Last chance of saving her mother. She got up, wiping her eyes, quickly crossed the door and quietly followed him.

The streets were empty and silent, and the man was too engrossed in his conversation on the phone to notice anything else. When she reached just behind him, in a trice, Neenu grabbed the bag that the man was holding and broke out into a run. The bag slipped into her hands easier than she’d imagined and without looking back or
thinking twice, she ran with all the strength her feet could muster.

***
As my Grandma paused while narrating this story to my little sister, Aaradhana, who was 12, I could see her tension. Even though I sat at the table on opposite side of the bedroom, working on my laptop, pretending to not listen to a single word of her story, honestly speaking, I was listening as intently as my sister.

I was curious. This was not one of grandma’s usual bedtime stories. Not the ones which my sister, though way beyond the age of bedtime stories, enjoyed hearing. This seemed to wake her up more than put her to sleep. After drinking some water, Grandma continued.

***

The man was so shocked, it took him several moments to respond. “Thief!!” he screamed running after Neenu. She ran like she had never run before in her life. She couldn’t see anything or hear anything.

She only had her destination in her mind. The hospital. She could only see herself, handing over the money to the counter and the doctors saving her mother. She didn’t even mind going to jail for it.

She could hear some noise from a little distance behind but she ran as fast as she could without looking back. Even though she was exhausted and out of breath, she continued running with all her might. The hospital was now in sight. Just few more feet. Just before her feet gave in, she reached the hosptial entrance. She ran to the counter and opened the bag, and emptied the bag onto the desk.

“Please, please.. start my mother’s surgery” cried Neenu, completely out of breath. She looked at the entrance of the hospital, no one was in sight. While the lady at the counter was busy counting the money, Neenu was glancing at the hosptal entrance anxiously. After a few moments, She ran to the entrance of the ICU, from whose glass window, she could see her mother, who lay unconscious. Warm tears rolled down her cheeks.

At that moment a hand grabbed her roughly by her elbow. She turned around, shocked, to find a policeman holding her hand, looking down at her furiously. Behind him, stood the man from whom she’d stolen the money. “You thief!” yelled the policeman and slapped her across her face “Good for nothing fool! Stealing money from hardworking people.”

“Sir…sir” Neenu cried and dropped down on her knees in front of the man from whom she stole the money. “Please sir, I needed the money despeartely. My… My mother” She said pointing to the door of the ICU and broke out sobbing bitterly, unable to continue. “She.. She needs a surgery. Else she’ll…she will” Neenu said through sobs, unable to muster the strength to speak further.

The man, looked through the glass window into the ICU ward. His expression gradually changed from indifference to one of utter shock. “You… you are her daughter!??” asked then man in utter disbelief pointing to the first bed in the ward. “Yes sir” cried Neenu “Please help me. I’ll repay every single rupee”

“Don’t believe this beggar, sir” said the policeman when he saw the expression on the man’s face soften. “All these beggars are the same sir. Every single one of them are liars. They’ll say anything to trap nice people like you and run off with your money” he said looking down angrily at Neenu.

“Its ok Sir” spoke the man to the policeman “Thank you for all your assistance and sorry for the trouble, but I can handle it from here. On humanitarian grounds, I don’t want to charge any case against this girl.” The policeman was evidently annoyed. He muttered something under his breath and left, disgruntled.

When the policeman was out of sight, the man spoke to Neenu gently “Don’t cry. You can use this money to save your mother. What happened to Smriti? How long has she been so ill?” Neenu was surprised the man knew her mother “Sir, how do you know my mother?” asked Neenu.

“I.. Neenu.. I am your… I am your father” he said.

Neenu was dumb struck. She couldn’t believe her ears. Shell-shocked, she looked at the man, trying to remember his face from the old photographs she had seen several years ago.

“I am, Neenu” he said looking down. “I know what I did to you both is so bad… apologizing is of no use… But circumstances forced me to…Listen I..”

At that moment a doctor came out of the ICU ward. He looked at Neenu “I’m sorry. She’s no more” he said with a sorry expression “Before we could start the surgery, she passed away” He said and left.

Neenu looked at her mother through the glass window. She felt numb. She was shattered. Completely broken. She could not feel anything now. She wiped her eyes and her tear stained face with her sleeve and walked with slow heavy steps towards the hospital entrance without turning back to look at the man who claimed to be her father, standing dumbstruck.

The lady at the counter said “Excuse me” Neenu turned to look at the counter. The lady at the counter placed the bundle of notes that Neenu had given earlier, on the desk. “You may take back the money you paid for the surgery. And terribly sorry, for your loss” she said.

Neenu moved towards the counter and picked up the bundle of notes. She turned back to see her father looking at her. She walked upto him and handed him the money.

“No, you can keep this. It will be of help to you. I am no stranger. As your father, I want you to keep this” he said.

“My father and mother is the woman lying in the first bed in the ICU who just left me, ” said Neenu and walked slowly, out of the hospital.

***
Grandma stopped. A tear drop rolled down from Aaradhana’s face. I had forgotten to act busy working on my laptop
and was looking at them.

“Grandma, what kind of story is this?” she asked bitterly.

“Not all stories,have happy endings dear” Grandma said. “Most importantly I want you to learn something from this”.

“What?” Aaradhana asked, wide-eyed.

“The worth of money. Money is very valuable, dear. It should be used with utmost care. You must never waste it. Think of Neenu. If she got the required money on time, she might have saved her mother. For every rupee you spend unnecessarily, remember there are lakhs of people who are desperately in need of it to fulfill even their most basic needs. So always spend money responsibly. Just because you have it in plenty, don’t misuse it. For once instead of spending on anything you like, give the same money to a needy person. The joy when you see the smile and gratitude on his face will be incomparable to any other joy you get from spending on what you like.”

Now I understood. This story, it was not for Aaradhana. It was for me.

**Today morning**

I was in my room trying out the latest dress I bought when dad called me downstairs. He seemed angry. “Whats this Aashima?” Dad asked, waving a piece of paper infront of my eyes. Mom and grandma, sitting on the sofa, looked at me.

“What dad?” I asked.

“Your last month’s credit card bill. You spent thirty five thousand?” Dad asked me shocked.

“What’s the big deal Dad?” I said, annoyed. “I just got some new dresses, shoes, handbags and stuff thats all.”

Dad turned to mom. “Look at your daughter. She’s spent thirty five thousand on useless frivolous things and asking me whats the problem. More importantly, this is not the first time. Seeing her credit card bills I’ve been warning her for the past 6 months to cut down on her expenditure” he said indignantly. “We’re giving her everything she wants then what is there to spend so much on?”

“Aashima, what’s this dear. How can you spend..” started mom. “If we can afford it, then whats the problem” I blurted out. “Dad, if you can earn enough to meet all these expenses easily, then where’s the problem”

“I earn to take care of your needs. To give you food, shelter and good education. Not for you to splurge on whatever useless things you want” Dad yelled “Until, you learn to use money responsibly, I’m keeping your credit card”

***
I was so upset I did not even have dinner. I did not allow anyone to talk to me either. We belonged to a very sound financial background with my dad managing a huge company of his own, so I couldn’t see what all the drama was about. Now, as I sat watching my grandma walk out of our room and my sister wiping her eyes and lying down to sleep, I could see light.

After few moments of consideration, I got up and left my room and started walking towards grandma’s room. Upon reaching her room , I saw her sitting on her bed, wiping away tears.

“Grandma, I’m sorry” I said as I sat with her. “I was wrong. Your story, it made me realise.” I said looking down.

“That was not just a story dear. And Neenu is not just a character. She’s me” said grandma.

I looked at her in disbelief. “This, happened to you? This was your story?!” I asked stunned. She nodded, smiling through her tears.

“I’ve been so irresponsible. I hate myself” I said tears streaming down my cheeks. “There now dear, its not your fault. You’ve been brought up in such a way that you never saw difficulties in life. You’re father always wanted the best for you. He wanted to give both his daughters all the happiness in the world. He did not want them to ever be faced with any trouble especially financially. But always keep in mind what I told Aaradhana” Grandma said.

“I promise I’ll never spend unnecessarily ever again” I said.

“I knowdear, I know” she said kissing me on my cheek, wiping away my tears.

I slept with grandma that night. Next morning, when I got back to my room and opened my wardrobe to see all my new dresses, shoes, bags and cosmetics stacked neatly in piles. The shame I felt reinforced the promise I made to my grandma as well as myself.

__END__