Anything But Love
Photo credit: ecerroni from morguefile.com
“Hey where are you going so early in morning?” .Vijay asked coming out of his room, half asleep and half naked.
“Just going out for shopping “. Suresh replied combing his hair.
“What happened again? You go shopping only when you are extremely upset”.
“What? Am I a girl that shopping would lift up my mood”.
“Just tell me who is responsible for shopkeepers’ happiness today… your parents, brother or Priya?”. Vijay teased Suresh.
“What is the difference, no one treats anyone now a days here as a person but as an investment. Don’t get a good job or marry against your parent’s wish, you become a spoilt cause for parents and society. Don’t buy expensive gifts for brothers and sisters, you become a loser. Don’t have a fat salary and in no time your girlfriend becomes your no-friend “. Suresh’s voice turned serious.
“Keep your philosophy up to you only, I better go and sleep”. Vijay again entered into his room.
“Yes, because you don’t want to hear the truth. Always remember Vijay, no one, not even your parents neither your siblings nor your friends are in nice terms with you just because they love you. Everybody expects return. This is what the world is. People have become so practical now that they stick to each other for anything but love”. Suresh kept yelling until Vijay banged his room’s door on Suresh’s face.
Sitting in the local train, Suresh was watching people’s actions when his eyes stopped at a little girl. She looked around 3 to 3.5 years old. She was holding Saari of a woman next to her. A dark, thin body, brownish hairs and torn clothes was telling her story. Her round face and small eyes were giving impression of a girl from a North-Eastern state.
Soon her eyes also caught Suresh. In effort of impressing her, Suresh started making different facial expressions but she did not pay any attention towards him.
Giving up, Suresh took out a book from his bag and soon lost in a different world. After twenty minutes, realizing his station is coming, he closed his book and stood up. He saw the girl again standing near the door .But the woman with her was nowhere to be seen. He felt uncomfortable. He checked twice in the compartment but didn’t find the woman. The girl was playing with the bangles which she was holding in her hands. His station came and passed but he did not get down. The train reached the destination and everyone got down but still the girl was there. After half an hour when the announcement was made of the train going in yard, he held girl’s hand and got down.
“Where did your mother go?” Suresh asked her in a low voice.
“Where is your home?…Where you coming from?” Suresh kept asking her questions but she remained silent.
Not knowing what to do, he took her to Railway Police Force office.
“Sir, This girl seemed to be lost from her family”. The chubby guy in uniform lifted his head up hearing Suresh’s voice.
“I saw her in train with a woman but after some time I noticed that woman was nowhere”. He continued.
“Did you ask this girl of her whereabout”. He asked Suresh.
“She is not speaking anything at all”.
Finally the Incharge roused from his chair, went near to the girl and asked questions in somewhat rude manner and when he did not get any answer, without any sympathy he pressed her chicks to know the reason of her silence as if he was a doctor.
“She is Dumb, so her parents abandoned her. Look at her, does she look like a lost one “. He told without showing even a pinch of emotion.
“What to do then Sir?”. Suresh asked.
“What to do,just wait here to see if her parents come looking for her. But I know they won’t. Just leave her and go. There are many children like here in this station . Some sell random items, some collect plastic bottles, some sweep in trains hoping to steal some thing if given a chance. When they get money they smoke, drink, take drugs or dendrite and when again they need money, they go to work. Their whole life passes here in station only and girls, they look so innocent but you don’t know what filthy things they do for money.”
Suresh wanted to give a big slap on the officer’s face but knowing his status he remained silent and indeed requested again what to do.
“See, I see many people every day here. Some give food to these children, some will smile sympathetically at them. Some good souls even talk to them and take picture with them and then feel very proud in themselves. But really if you are caring so much, better take her to police station. They will definitely help you”. The officer again settled on his throne.
Without wasting any time, he took the little girl to the police station and explained the episode again. They were also reluctant but after knowing Suresh’s educational qualification and company he worked for, they provided some cooperation.
“The best I can do for her now is to arrange a place in some Orphanage Ashram by evening. Later we will see what we can do. You can leave her here”. Inspector replied.
“Sir, if it is ok for you then can I buy food and some clothes for her, it is very cold outside”. Suresh requested.
“No problem..Good for poor girl. Just bring her before evening”. Inspector smiled and said.
“One more request sir, she is looking untidy. If you can arrange someplace so that she can bath and freshen up”.
Listening to Suresh’s weird request, Inspector asked his constable to call Usha whose tea shop was next to police station and she used to supply tea and snacks to Police Station.
“ Usha, this young girl was lost .This sir will take her to buy some clothes and food for her. Your home is here only. Could you just bath this girl and give her some old cloth to wear?” Inspector requested her in his best manner.
“Sir I am alone in the shop with my son. He doesn’t know anything, if I go home it will affect my business. Ask him if he will give some money, I will do”. Inspector told Suresh her condition and he agreed.
While following the woman, Suresh thought how could she ask money for helping a poor little child and that also a girl who too someday will become like her? How some girls who have witnessed problems of her parents in marrying her when become a mother supports demands of her family for money, gold and other materials and how some girls who all in her life faced partiality in her family, when becomes mother loves her son more than her daughter. It is too difficult to know woman, some one has said well.
He was waiting outside when the lady came out with the girl. After shower, girl was looking very fresh and neat. The lady had also given her old cloth to wear. Suresh took out a 100 rupee note and gave it to Usha.
“No Sir, I said so because had I agreed easily they would have made this a habit and also this little poor girl can’t speak, how I can take money”. Suresh felt stupid listening this from usha after what he was thinking sometimes ago about women. He thanked her and forcefully made her to accept 100 rupees note as a sign of gratitude.
“Ok dear we will first go and eat a lot then we will go market and buy many things for you. All you have to do is to hold my finger for all the time where ever we go”. He told girl pointing his hand towards her.
She held his hand and they started walking but just after few steps, she released his finger from her hand’s grasp. He again gave her his hand to hold but she again released it. After two-three times, Suresh gave up and held her hand himself and they went to a restaurant. He bought her three set of dresses, many toys and two pairs of shoes. After spending few hours, they left the market to reach station.
“Your hair is totally messed up. I don’t think that you had a hair cut since you were born”. Suresh said to girl while noticing a saloon on their way. He took her to the station for a haircut.
He was sitting on one side of the saloon and looking at her reflection in the mirror where she was getting her haircut. He again started making different facial expressions and unlike in train, this time she was also showing him same expressions through her innocent face and smiling continuously.
“Excuse me?”. A lady voice interrupted him.
“My daughter is having hair cut. I have some urgent work here, can you see her for a while before I return back”.
“Yes sure “. The lady went back to her daughter and signalled her towards Suresh.
Soon the lady’s daughter had her hair cut and she came and sit next to him. Soon the girl also joined them.
“Did you show her toys which you bought today?”. Suresh asked the girl when lady’s daughter started asking him again and again that why she is not speaking.
“Sneha, you finished? “. The same lady called as she entered the saloon again.
“Mama see, uncle has bought so many toys and clothes for her”. Sneha dragged her mother to see toys and clothes that Suresh bought for the girl.
“Your daughter is lucky to have such a loving father. My husband feels tiresome to take her even to playground, leave alone going market and buy her something”. Lady said after watching toys and clothes.
Though Suresh wanted to tell her the truth but something inside stopped him to do so. He had heard many adjective in his life; ‘irresponsible son’ from parents, ‘possessive brother’ from siblings and ‘careless’ from friends but loving father, he never expected and somewhere inside, he liked it.
It was already evening, he asked her again to hold his hand and again she followed her tradition and they both returned to police station.
As Suresh reached Police station, Inspector gave him contact card of Asha Ashram. He told him the way to go to that place and also asked him to call once he settled the girl there. Thanking Inspector, he left for Ashram with girl.
“Just fill your name, address, phone number, where you find the girl etc. as mentioned here”. Caretaker of Ashram told Suresh handing him the register.
“How many children are here”? He enquired.
“60, 37 boys and 23 girls. All of them are below 15”.
“What about the lodging and food facilities? “. Suresh enquired again.
“We give them three times a day meal and there are two big rooms, one in ground floor for boys and second in first for girls”. Care taker told in some irritating way.
“Please, can I see the room once just for curiosity?”. Suresh requested him.
Though Caretaker was already irritated with Suresh but he just asked him to follow. As they started going upstairs, a peculiar smell reached him. It reminded him the Government hospitals where he always used to get admitted in childhood due to Malaria. After growing up, he managed to keep away from hospital but that day suddenly the smell reminded him of those days and again made him weak and he felt like vomiting.
The girls’ room was worse than he imagined. It was hardly 1000 sq. ft. There were only two 100W bulbs glowing timidly and the room had only four fans on the ceiling. He looked towards the children. Every one was staring at him. He looked down at her little companion, she too was scanning the room.
“Sir, Please its getting late”. Caretaker told him.
Hearing caretaker, he resumed from his sea of thoughts. He nodded and asked the girl to come down.
“Sir, let her be here, we will come again with her bedding”. Caretaker said. Suresh wanted to say something but remained silent.
He left the room and came down. The caretaker went inside to bring bedding.Suresh was filling register when he felt a familiar sound. The sound of her little companion shoes which he bought for her today. Without saying anything, she came and held his index finger. Whole day he asked her to do so but she didn’t but now suddenly she came and grasped his hand. She was also like lakhs of children of his country who either have no family or who are abandoned by their family due to poverty. Every one in that Orphanage must have the same story as her. There are many like her but he did not know why his mind and heart were battling so much for her. He suddenly became confused and undecided.
“I won’t let her stay here”. He told Caretaker as soon as he came with bedding.
“What?”.
“Just I am not feeling appropriate to leave her”. Suresh starting cutting the details he wrote down on register.
“So many children are staying here like her”.
I don’t know why but I would not let her stay here.
“See man, I don‘t know your problem. It’s upon you to leave her here or take her anywhere else but just inform Sir (inspector)”
Next fifteen minutes it took Suresh to convince the Inspector. Seeing the adamance of Suresh who was willing to submit his entire educational documents to police station if needed, on that very night Inspector allowed him to take her home.
“Did you inform your parents?”. Vijay asked him while giving a bowl of maggi to the girl sitting on sofa in Suresh’s house.
“As expected they have gone mad hearing this all and asked me to take her to some Ashram but when their word had no affect on me, they told they are coming here by the morning train tomorrow”.
“So what you exactly want?”
“I want to adopt her.”
“What….adopt her..What do you know about it? Be practical. It is not just about giving her shelter, it means becoming a father, taking care of her life, her education, her marriage. You are a bachelor. Your parents are going mad over you for just keeping her in home. Think how they will react if you tell them this and do you think any girl will want to marry you knowing you have adopted a child..Be practical”. Vijay tried to convince him.
“What practical Vijay, Don’t you see how people go gaga over charity. How they proudly tell us their NGOs is changing the lives of millions and ask money. I never gave a single penny because I was never convinced with it. I know there are thousands like her in our country, may be lakhs but one thing I believe that I can give her a better life and I want to. I don’t know how I will convince my parents but I will and if any girl doesn’t want to marry me just because I have adopted her, I will be only lucky to not have such wife who doesn’t have even a bit of humanity in her”. They both became silence.
“Remembered what you said in the morning that no one in this world stick to you just because of Love and you yourself are ready to go against everyone for a girl whose name also you don’t know…don’t you find anything but love behind it? I don’t know what will happen but let me tell I feel proud of you Suresh”.
“Thanks Vijay…this girl has changed me without saying any word”.
“By the way what will you call this little angel? Rubi , Nidhi, priya or ….”. Vijay asked to break the serious environment.
“I am not that selfish to call her with my ex-crushes names…but yes I decided we will call her Sneha…”.
****************************** The End ***********************************
