Short Story about AIDS – Not As It Is!!!
Short Story on AIDS – Not As It Is!!!
Photo credit: nitpix from morguefile.com
When clock starts ruling one’s life, think monotony has crept in. But it was not so with Mayank. His new love would drag him with such force that the moment clock strikes 6:00, Mayank would pack his bag and rush towards railway station. There he would catch the local train at 6:30 PM and reach ‘Anandalay’ at exact 7:00 PM. Children would be anxiously waiting for him. Rani would have learnt the poems; Raju would be ready with all the cricket updates that happened after 9:30 PM yesterday, which was the usual time of Mayank’s departure. In those 2.5 hrs daily, Mayank would be brother, teacher and entertainer, all rolled in one, to the children like Rani and Raju of Anandalay. This was his new love.
Anandalay (abode of happiness) was a small home for AIDS infected children, run by a local NGO. Sachin Sharma was its president and was himself very fond of Mayank. Mayank would help him in planning about Anandalay, donate his salaries intermittently, strategize donation collection and sometimes accompany him for meetings and presentations. Sachin could never thank his luck when he allowed Mayank to visit Anandalay just on the basis of an email from him. It was a mutual admiration club where Sachin never asked Mayank why he chose to work for Anandalay and Mayank never asked Sachin what made him allow him to the children home.
Mayank’s contribution was immense. Donations were now steady. He contacted many nearby organizations and got ‘Anandalay’ registered as one of the benefactors of their CSR initiative. He himself donated large chunk of his salary and savings. He also used to involve himself with the day to day activities of child home whenever time permits; he would spend time with Rutu Ram and his wife, the care takers of Anandalay and even prepare ‘Kheer’ on special days for children.
This had continued the same for last two years and when things go fine, we tend ignore little things. Sachin Sharma had Mayank’s mobile number and mail id which always served the purpose. He never bothered to record his address. It was all going well till that Friday when it rained for two continuous days. City was never like before; it was a city in the river. The whole city was immersed in water, people remained where there were: home, office, station, mall or theatre. Mayank didn’t come to Anandalay for those 2 days, then subsequently for some more days, which became weeks and later when it became a month, Sachin got worried. He had been dialling Mayank’s mobile number which was switched off and had got no reply to his numerous mails. He searched documents to find Mayank’s address. With great difficulty, he could find his address in one of the tax related documents which Mayank had given to him for signature. He sent Rutu Ram to meet Mayank.
Mayank’s door was closed when Rutu Ram reached there. He knocked on a neighbour’s door and inquired about him. The neighbour gave him a surprised look and tried to ignore, but when Rutu Ram insisted, he replied tersely,
“You are the only person who has come to meet Mayank in last 2 years. His family and friends had abandoned him long ago. Even we ignored that part of corridor and never ever went that side”
Bewildered Rutu Ram asked, “Why..Why do you guys do so? He is a good boy, a very nice human being”
“Then why did God punish him if he was a saint. Now please go, I don’t even want to talk about him and let me inform you he was, not is. He is dead now” said the frustrated neighbor.
Rutu Ram was taken aback. He felt breathlessness and started shivering. He was completely blacked out, could not see the neighbor, but somehow pulled his strength and asked ‘what…..is he dead…how?”
“He was suffering from a deadly disease” informed the neighbour and pushed the door forward.
“Which disease” muttered Rutu Ram and tears started flowing throw his eyes.
“AIDS” said the neighbor and slammed the door.
Rutu Ram wondered whether Mayank was giving company to the AIDS infected children of Anandalay or seeking company for himself. He sat at his door wishing Mayank to open it and hug him. However good the world might be, we fail when a person needs us the most. Rutu Ram kept sitting at the door.
__END__
