Paper-boats

Looking at the sun the child fervently hoped for a bright and sunny day. His eyes looked skyward for a while and then with steady steps he trod on the country road which went down to his village school.

Going to school was fun because it had two periods for games. He happily capered all the way. He was cheerful and happy because he was convinced that he would get a sunny afternoon and with his schoolmates he would have plenty of time to play.

But from the mid-day everything turned upside down. The sky blackened and the sun hid its face under thick black clouds. The crisp day vanished and a heavy shower of rain washed away all the pleasant and tender wishes of the boy. The school playground became so muddy and wet that all the students had to drop the idea of playing.

The harsh nature robbed the boy of innocent pleasure. But innocence and a clear heart is always a fountain head of unspeakable joy.

The rain was raining with all its might and the group of children now floated paper-boats on the running streams. They were giggling and enjoying their innocence to the fullest even when the atmosphere was most adverse.

To them life gave sour lemons but they prepared lemonade with it.

The lineman

Life became lifeless because there was no electric power supply in the town from morning. Failure in power supply had pushed life into hibernation mood. All day long people complained and got impatient. They complained about the department, about the lineman and about the Government because they were good at complaining.

Time ticked off. The evening approached and simultaneously darkness thickened. But soon the darkness vanished. The evening market glittered with neon lights. Everybody felt fresh and active while buying and selling things in the town market. The A/C showrooms and colossal glow signboards suddenly filled the atmosphere with dream qualities. The evening became pleasant and everybody started enjoying the pleasant evening.

At a distance from the hustle and bustle of the town life there was a small asbestos roofed house, which belonged to the lineman of that locality. That evening he was dog tired. All day long hard work had consumed every atom of his strength. He flung himself onto the bed.

That day he had worked very hard to find the electrical fault and at last he had been successful to make the power supply stand. By the evening his face had become pale and colorless out of over-tiredness but the town was smiling and looked colorful.

The lineman was fast asleep. He was so tired that he could not even utter his evening prayers. He had switched on neither the fan nor the TV nor the CFL bulb. But he slept in a deep dream of peace. In his dream he saw someone lighting a splendid candle in his room which was hitherto dark. With the rays of that candle he saw his Lord smiling at him and lighting the candle to full bloom.

The poor child cried pointing at the mango.

Like every ordinary day the greengrocer opened his shop and wiped his fruits and vegetables with a wet cloth to give them an extra-shine. That was a Tuesday, the weekly market day and the shop keeper had 3 baskets full of luscious mangoes as the piece de resistance of his shop.

Many wayfarers and buyers were enchanted by the vibrant colour and freshness of those tropical fruit. They would stop at the shop for a while to pick some luscious mangoes. Among the many buyers, there stood a poor woman with her three children. In her right hand she had a crumpled 10 rupee note. When the other buyers left the shop, she asked the shop keeper in a low voice to give her a mango. And her 3 children were greedily looking at those shinning fruit.

The shop keeper did not give her a mango but told the woman that a single mango would cost her 25 rupees. She now got convinced that the mango was beyond her reach. She left the shop silently and sorrowfully but the young one among her children gave a cry pointing at the fruit.

The poor child cried because he did not know that India was the largest producer of mangoes in the world but INFLATION and FOREIGN EXPORT had made the fruit only for the rich.

N.B. The Photo is downloaded from the blog   Lefts and Rights of  Suzhou

Perhaps you changed your SIM with a change of heart.

I have been waiting for you in the park everyday at 5 pm for the last 3 days. Today is the fourth day but you do not turn up.
It has been more than a week since we last met.
I clearly remember how you waved your hands at me last time.
That day somebody phoned you and you waved your hands at me.

You have became more and more busy these days.
Now you have no time for me.
But we are always close to each other.
Because by pressing your numbers I can ring your heart.
I love your sweet "helloes".

Now I have learnt to substitute your physical presence with your mobile presence
And I think you are always with me.
But from yesterday evening my calls are responded with a voice that says
“The number you are trying is either switched off or out of coverage area”
Perhaps you changed your SIM with a change of heart.

The Joy Of Strings

The musician plucked the strings and a beautiful melody swept across the world. The music spread through the naughty wind and the musician dedicated his song to the divine creator who held everybody’s strings in his hands. The musician’s eyes were closed but the strings deeply felt the vibes of a truly thankful human heart. Through the strings a human heart spoke to God the language of eternal gratitude.

A lover was near his beloved. The night approached and the love between them thickened into deep intimacy. The lover admiringly pulled the strings of the lady’s top and planted a hot kiss on the half-open breasts. The strings were let loose and deeply felt how the breaths of two human beings mingled. 

That was a birthday. A boy gave a piece of cake to his friend and his friend gave him a packed with golden colored strings tied to it. The birthday was over and in the stillness of night when the birthday boy opened the golden strings he found a loving heart that gently whispered, “In your friend’s chest I continuously beat for you.” The golden strings listened to the nice words and really felt fortunate to wrap such invaluable human sentiments in a packet.

It was Raksyabandhan; a sister condensed all her love for his brother in a piece of string and tied it on his brother’s wrist wishing him a long prosperous life. Neither the brother nor the sister spoke anything. The sister was also holding a lamp and it was emanating its sacred light. Both the brother and sister smiled and the strings could keenly feel that how closely they tied two human hearts for all times to come.