Peace according to “Chotu”

Peace according to “Chotu” by CHANDNI MISHRA

Characters name:

Chotu (Main lead)

Ram, shyam, simran, rahul, aditya (Chotu`s friends)

Monjolika (wife)

Sitting in a cabin of an office is not sometimes that boring, you got to observe things which you can’t think while you are in home (may be because of my wife: P). Doing the same thing in the laptop makes me feel bore sometimes, so I thought of seeing what is happening around me and my big infrastructured multinational company.

I had been given a cabin from which I can see what is going around on the traffic light which was near the bus stand connecting the roads , asking the people to wait for some time and take some  time out of your busy life and to see how people are working to survive in this world. Even the small children of small ages between 6-12 years are begging for their survival in this world .I noticed that there are many children about 6-7 all at one place and begging to people and one of them was of 12-year-old approximately and rest all were elder than that child.

Seeing them busy in their work , I also thought of doing my work with some interest and continue the same typing thing again in the laptop .As I started taking interest in my work soon it was time to live for me to leave the office and time to pack up from this work for today .I had to wait for the cab near the same traffic light and the bus stand . while I was waiting , those children came to me and ask for some money , I thought of giving them money and then there was this 12-year-old guy who came to me and then asked me to give food  instead of money . I really liked his thinking and the idea. I asked him:

I asked him “What is your name”??

That 12-year-old children replied back, I am “Chotu”.

And then he started introducing his friends, ram, shyam, simran, rahul and aditya.

I asked them “Do you guys stay here, I mean on the road”??

They replied back “Yes” all of them unanimously said.

I saw Chotu blabbering something in his mind, I asked him “Chotu” and he replied “Yes”.

“I talked to them about how their day went today “.Just to cheer them up so that they will feel better after their one hectic day. After a moment my Office cab came, I said “Bye” to them by showing my waving hand and all of them unanimously said “Bye”.

After coming back , in the night while sleeping I thought of those children and thought of meeting them again because they were not just the slum children but there was something beyond it , which was inspiring me to meet them and talk to them . So I decided to go there every day and have some chit-chat with their struggle for their survival. I switched off the light and let my thoughts also to take some rest.

Next Morning, I did my breakfast which was served by my sweet wife Monjolika. She packed my lunch also. I was all set to go to my office with more excitement as comparison to other days, may be because I will get a chance to meet those children in the evening. I started my work with the excitement and with the spirit that as soon as I will finish, I will meet them sooner. But, the work was the same Boring. Still, somehow I managed to work with the same things on the laptop. Now, it was evening, I started waiting for my cab .Meanwhile I met those children, I noticed that Ram was not there, one of the children.

I asked Chotu “Where is Ram??”

He looked into my eyes and started laughing and replied that “He is happy now, he is living in peace with fun, the place where he doesn’t have to struggle, there was one uncle who came and took him to his house”.

I asked him “So will he come back??”

He replied back “Permanently!! He won’t think of coming back because he is being cared and he got what he deserve”.

We then talked about their day and then it was the day to say sign off for today to them. I said “Bye” and then they replied back “Bye”.

That night, i couldn’t sleep thinking that there are people in this world who help these children and takes care of them. This part of my life, I start enjoying more than my boring office work. I thought of going there tomorrow also.

Next day, I just finished the work of my office and waiting for the evening to meet these children because with them I feel a connection now.

As usual, I was waiting for my cab to come. These children suddenly appeared and I noticed that shyam (one of the children is not there).

I asked to them “Where is shyam”??

Chotu replied “He is sick and been admitted to the nearest government hospital and he will be fine in some days and will enjoy his life”.

I said “Bye” to them.

While travelling to my home, I thought that I should do something for shyam; maybe I could admit him in some private hospital so that he will recover fast. I thought of talking on this issue to Monjolika.

I reached to my house and talked to Monjolika on this issue that I think “We should help shyam and admit him to a private hospital for his fast recovery”, but I was shocked to know Monjolika`s reply.

She replied “it’s their life, why are we interfering in this??”

I didn’t say anything to her because I was really worried about that children, so I decided to go there tomorrow also.

I finished my work early next evening, and I reached there, I saw every child except Chotu and simran.

I asked “Where is Chotu and simran to the rest of the children”??

I heard a sound coming from the back

It was Chotu; he said “I am here”.

I asked him “Where is simran”??

He replied back with a smile and said “She and I were having a race and I won .she was tired so she is drinking water. I Came.”

My cab came and I said “Bye” to them. I reached to my home  and thought of talking to Monjolika but she told “if you want to talk about those children again, Sorry to say but I am not interested” but I felt that there is something wrong and thought of going there tomorrow and find it out what is that??

Next morning, I went there in the afternoon and noticed that there is only one child. I felt that something is wrong, meanwhile Chotu came running.

I asked “Where are others??”

He was a bit shocked and suddenly started laughing and looked into my eyes “All are enjoying in their peaceful life, now they don’t have to fight for all care and love. They don’t have to experience the humiliation of other people. They don’t have to cry for their parents. They don’t have to be sad whenever they see a happy child with their parents. They don’t have to through the sad phase of the life. They are in peace where they will get everything parents, their love, their care , their attention ,joy,happiness,food,no begging , no humiliation, no abuse, no pain, no crying, no sadness, nothing”.

I was really shocked by his response and by his this behavior, I asked what happen and he started laughing and tearing off his hair. I saw a police van there and police came near to Chotu and took him with them.

I asked “Officer, what`s the issue??”.

Policeman replied “Sir, this boy has killed three children and he was about to kill this boy also. He is a Psycho and he has murdered three more children till now.”

I was shocked and asked which boy??

They replied back “Rahul (One of the child) who was missing”. Policeman arrested Chotu.

That day was a heart breaking day; I remembered each and every sentence of Chotu, the hidden meaning in his cleared and explicit statements. The trauma through he was going but he is a murderer and a psycho. My whole world has changed in these few days.

Somehow I reached to my home and saw Monjolika. By seeing my afraid, fearful, shocked face she asked “What happen” and I started crying like a small child , she again asked “What happen, is everything all right ?? Honey, tell me, I am worried now …please baby tell me …please???”.

I told that. That boy “Chotu” is a psycho and he has killed 3 child .Policeman arrested him and Monjolika also started crying”My baccha, my shona, how could he do this, It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have done that, It’s all because of me, I am not a good mother, i should have died, i made his life hell, I made him psycho…I …How could i”.

I was even more shocked that what is going around… She suddenly asked “which police station??” I told “I don’t know”. She replied “Let’s go and find it out… he needs me…I can’t do the same mistake again…which I have done 12 years ago”. I didn’t asked her anything at that time but I wanted to know this 12 years ago story and this murder story.

By taking so much of help from people, we somehow reached to the police station where Chotu was full in his psychotic behavior…

He was laughing and constantly saying “Every one is happy now. No one will be crying. Every one is in peace .Now they don’t have to work or beg in front of people. They won’t cry for the love and care. They deserved the happiness, I have helped them to achieve them the peace they wanted. They will be happy without their parent who didn’t care for them. A small injection and all of them are happy now. They don’t cry for anything. They are that much happy that they don’t even want to open their eyes also. They don’t want to see this fake world.”

All of a sudden, Monjolika started crying in the police station and “no …no…my baccha…you have your parents…you are not alone…I am your mother…you are not at all alone…I am accepting my mistake of not taking you to my house because of this cruel society…it’s all my mistake…you are not a murderer or a psycho…you are my baby..My small Chotu…I come every day to see you but I couldn’t tell you that your mother is alive.”Then I realized that Chotu was Monjolika`s child.

There was a minute of silence………

I and Monjolika were crying….

Chotu was just looking into Monjolika`s eyes but I could understand that the Chotu psycho is broken and asking why me??

Why me??

What was my mistake??

Why me ???

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