Kids Short Story – GUDIYA
Photo credit: clarita from morguefile.com
The girl loved the doll . She herself was named Gudiya (Doll) by her mother. Her doll was the only thing which gave her pleasure in what was a dull life . She lived in the slums just opposite to the fancy apartments on the other side of the road . Her day used to began with sweeping the floor , washing the plates used for dinner , if there was any dinner at all . She had lived with her father for all the time she could remember . Her mother had passed away when she was only of six months ; so , she could hardly recall any memories of her mother .
That being said , she did missed her mom , mainly because of her father . But this doll was her favourite companion . She would talk to her doll about all the hardships she faced . How all the other children had better clothes than her but her frock was just tearing apart with holes in it . Her skinny body peeped through these holes . She looked malnourished and tired at all times . But she never let her doll suffer due to the unfortune she faced . She would dress her early in the morning with a newspaper which was used for packing food . She found that on the street and it looked quite clean to her ; so she picked it up and provided shelter for her doll .
She was always busy with her doll when she was not performing those domestic chores she had to attend for her father . When she went to sleep , she was always alone and was afraid to sleep in that dark room . But after the entry of doll in her life , her fear faded . She used to sing a lullaby to her doll ; when she was convinced that her doll was asleep only then she would go to sleep . That was the bonding between her and doll and today because of his father she was not having her doll with her .
Her father was a chronic alcoholic . He worked as a daily wage labourer at a construction site , not very far from their house . He was not competent enough for the job as alcohol had deteriorated his body but he was still hired because he worked very hard and had settled to work on a lower wage . Still the money was sufficient enough for the family to kill their appetite . But he knew worse . He used to spend a large part of his income at the pub which was located halfway of his route to home . But he did cared for her daughter and that’s why he didnt spend all of his funds on alcohol and used the meagre amount for ration of the family . But because of his habits he was always short on rent .
He returned to home very late in the night and used to curse god for his miserable life after he was high and his feet were out of control .
Gudiya , the girl , was accustomed to this . She never waited for him to be in time for dinner ; she would just do her duties ; by cooking the dinner and filling her belly and then took shelter to her bed with her doll , which her father had gifted her on last Diwali . Despite all this , she never hated him . But she expected more . Pinky’s father next door used to send Pinky to a school . Pinky used to tell her stories about what happened at the school and the little girl wondered if she would ever be able to go to one . She once asked him that when she will start her schooling . To which , the man said that it’s quite hard a labour at school and all the stories are a myth just to lure innocent kids to hell . She was dejected . She knew it was untrue ; because if it were true Pinky’s father wont be sending her to school .
That night she couldn’t sleep . Her thoughts revolved around the stories Pinky told her . She also wanted to play with other kids ; play stupid pranks on them . She wanted a release from her miserable routine . Pinky told her that school was a very clean place and was well-organized . She was anxious to see school but was disappointed . Her father coldly refused her request by building a lie around her dreams which she was finding hard to ignore . She never hated till them though she was disappointed in him .
It was late in the night around eleven maybe she guessed, they couldn’t afford a clock . She heard him looking for dinner . He was awkwardly looking for dinner but couldn’t find some. He was furious on her. He lurched to the bedroom as she heard containers falling in the kitchen. She was afraid and angry at the same time . She sank in her bed and closed her eyes forcefully and pretended to be asleep . She was afraid of him but she too wanted to take him on . The deprivation inside her was forcing her to revolt but she lacked the energy to cross the moral boundaries which were trying to stop her .
Her father pulled her out of the bed and asked her if she had prepared dinner . She wanted to say something but words just got stuck in her mouth . Her face which looked older than her real age 0f twelve became pale and her eyes were ready to erupt and were full of tears . She had something growing within her . She wanted to finish it all . But how ? She couldn’t suppress her oppressor . Even if she could , she will be dying of hunger as he is the one who is providing rent and ration for her .
She tried to get out of her father’s grip which wasn’t very hard as a drunk man is unable to control him alone how could he handle a determined girl of twelve year . He was baffled at this act of the girl and got off balance and fell on the torn sheet on which they used to sleep . The girl summoned all her strength and before his father could rise she did something which his father had never expected . He would be happier perhaps if she would have hit him with a prop or a broom ; but she didn’t have the courage to do that .
So she found her chance and ran . She ran avoiding cycles and rickshaws parked in the narrow street . Thirty seconds later she was on the street . But she didnt look back . It seemed that she wanted to break all her relationship with her past . She went straight to the bus stop which was totally empty at that time . Her heart was about to explode with all the running but she lacked reasons which could stop her . She ran harder and harder and was panting when she ran across the Police Station .
She was pretty convinced that she was unseen at that time of night , and she was for a major part of the journey . A policeman at the police station saw a shadow moving on the road opposite to the police station. He surely didnt think that the moving figure was of a twelve year girl who was on the run from his father . He followed and after a while the movement stopped . The girl was too tired to run any further and collapsed there on the footpath . The policeman also stopped at this moment . He took out his pistol and marched slowly towards the body . He sensed that there was no movement and was encouraged to go near the body .
As he got close his heart stopped . A girl of around fourteen-fifteen was lying flat on the road on her face . Her clothes were dirty and torn which clearly signified that she belonged to a poor family . She was sobbing softly .
The policeman coughed to attract attention of the girl . The girl turned to him , her face wet with tears . He asked , ” What’s the problem dear ? ” .
Gudiya replied , ” I forgot my doll ” .
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