MINUTES OF MISERY

Ravi looked at the sky above, it looked dark , very dark. The next spell was was sure, but the water log left by the previous rain has  not been drained yet. The schools remained shut due to partial damage and flooding inside the classrooms. There has been several times the people of the village protested in front of the collector office to no avail.

With water up to knee level, Ravi waded through the field looking at his crops which were pathetically damaged. With lot of remorse and sadness he continued his wading until he reached the backdoor of his house.His field was just behind his small hut like home. Ravi entered his home closed the door and filled the gaping hole in the left bottom of the door,as it was the usual way the snakes enter into the house. As he was fitting it they he felt soft feeling creeping up his shoulders, at first he thought it to be snake, but two small feeble palms emerged from his back and closed his eyes. Sridevi.

“Hmm..who shall that be?”.Ravi asks

A small sweet chuckle comes from the behind.

“Is that the two handed serpent demon”, asked the joking Ravi. To which the little girl squeaked and ran to the front of her father and hugged him tightly.

‘Papa, i’m afraid”, said the little Sridevi with her face deeply buried inside her father’s chest.

“I told you ,right, there is nothing such as the serpent demon”.

“Then why speak of it” , echoed a woman’s voice from the tiniest kitchen, one could build.

“That’s something between father and daughter ,don’t interfere”,Ravi let a naughty look at his daughter.

“Bring up the food fast ,lets eat and sleep soon”,shouted ravi to his wife,” there is going to be a heavy downpour tonight, so let us wind up and sleep before our roof starts crying”.

Yes, Ravi had roof that was leaking, but he thought he could manage it, as it was just a bit. Ravi and his daughter both sat down in a position to eat .

“What you want to become,when you grow up Sri”,asked Ravi.
“Doctor papa”.

“Why,Sri”.

“I will protect everyone and save them from dying”.

Ravi laughed seeing his daughters innocence and the sense of goodness which has been instilled by him on her in this very young age.

“Hmm…who do you wan to protect first ,Sri”.

everybody,at the same time

so injections to everybody and save them ,right?

Sridevi’s eyes grew with shock.

“No papa,only tablets” , i don’t want to hurt them.
Ravi laughed again heartily now smelling the aroma of sambhar which was being brought by his wife to the hall are were they were sitting. The wife served both of them with rice first and then with sambar . The three of them now settled themselves and joined their hands for a prayer.

Now start it loud Sri”,said Ravi.

But before she could start , Ravi’s basic model phone started buzzing. Ravi motioned her to wait and picked his call.

hello

“Hello,Ravi?”,a bewildered voice spoke.

“Yes,Shankar ,tell me”.

Before Shankar could reply the phone line was disconnected.

Ravi looked at his signal strength which was just above weak .He steadily goes outside ,now with the rain hitting the ground mildly,ravi called back.

Shankar took his phone ,but there was only a hello and then it was followeed by wails and shrieks.Then the phone went dead.

what was that,thought ravi ,becoming worried .Ravi gets back into the house, with the daughter and wife still waiting , he prefers not to tell them anything.

you better start eating. i think i have work.

what now,it already raining .

“No its urgent”.
Ravi instantaneously leaves the house only to stop at the doorway with a horrific look in his face. He soon turns and closes the door and huddles close to the wife and daughter and tells them to start praying. Now becoming worried the daughter starts crying.

“Now pray and ask god, to let you alone survive and help you become a doctor”.

The wife understands and gestures her husband with a tearful look to which Ravi replies positive

WHOOOOOOSH…within seconds the whole place was gone.

…………

the next day newspaper read..
DEATH TOLL REACHES FORTY FIVE AS THE RESCUE WORKERS RETRIEVE BODIES CONTINUOUSLY AFTER THE DAM BREAKAGE AND FAILURE.

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Dedicated to all flood victims.