The waves

‘thankfully, atleast you are by my side’ – Laveena looked at the sea waves that dashed the shores on a warm summer evening.

She'd often appreciated the dusky summer evenings than winter and rainy days.

Breathing deeply a breeze of air -  ‘its only You that make me feel….’

‘Romantic ..?’ – Gaurav was watching the shore as well, sitting at a slight distance from her. He thought she was talking to him.

Startled at his reply - ‘oh..I…I think I was…’ after a pause ‘little..lost’ – she covered up with a grin

‘oops…sorry..never mind’ – he apologized; realizing things. He too was kind of... Lost in thoughts!

Both Gaurav and Laveena were strangers to each other. That evening somehow they happened to be in the same state of mind, and were looking for some peace...which they felt, they would find by the sea..

**** 

 Not too late from then, neither too far from Laveena and Gaurav..

‘you hurt me. I don’t want to talk to you’ – cried the girl

‘No. it was You who hurt me! You are a liar’ – came another cry..this time..of a boy

’but I got the game from my brother’ - girl

‘and you ditched me, did not play at all!’ – boy, sounding serious.

‘but you liked the game a lot right, moreover Ishaan and Vikrant were also with you?’ – girl, confused.

‘I wanted to play with you! Just that!’ – he sulked.

‘ but I borrowed from bhaiyaa..just for you..’ – she explained, continuing ‘ and I had a lot of Math assignment to complete – I realized late..i will get a remark from my teacher if I did not complete it’ – she continued getting a tad emotional.

‘I too had my home-work to do. I completed it and came just to play with you!’ – he said, continuing -

‘you are just giving reasons! Anyways, I will buy a game of my own and play with Anup’s gang’

‘okay..do whatever you want. My brother owns the game, I will play with him and his friends..you are not my best friend any more’ – she retaliated.

‘you think without you I cannot do anything! Go..go to your brother and other friends..I don’t want a friend like you....forget being a ‘best friend’’- he revolted back.

.....-  ‘kaheen na kaheen kuch na kuch toh kar hi loonga’ - he grumbled ... as they turned away from each other

 ****

the boy's last line, rather dramatic, made Laveena chuckle..it was too heavy a dialog for a 10-ish year old boy. ‘aaj kal ke bachche’ – she commented - ‘wherever he learnt that dialog from’ - and shrugged

Gaurav, who too was watching silently, did not reply. might be another slip of her thoughts!. He dint want to embarrass himself by responding this time. They continued watching…

****** 

..Near the shore, the little girl involved herself in designing the castle she had planned with her ‘best friend’ – all by herself now. They had almost reached their favourite spot to build this, together, but because they had picked up a row on some old issue, they decided to part ways and build it individually

The boy, never to give up, started digging up sand to build one – of his own..at a distance not too far from the girl.

She had laid a beautiful design for the castle, however her tiny hands struggled to grasp the sand and build it.

  He, on the other hand, managed to dig out enough of the material, but struggled on where to start from for he knew, she knew it better. 

None spoke. Both were determined. They glared a couple of times at each other, and then turned away - pretending to be busy building their own stuff

****

Both Laveena and Gaurav – still silent, considered helping the kids, but then a series of ‘what if’s…?’ held them back. None had enough experience with handling kids. It felt safe to play mute spectators instead, considering the intense mood the kids were in!

****

The little boy and girl gave one more glare at each other, when suddenly out of the blues, a terrible wave gushed in and washed away her design and his heap of sand. She turned to watch in dismay, he shriveled.

‘Damn-it!’ – Gaurav jolted instantly! Laveena could not speak - her own thoughts crossed each other, of course, she was relating to something else – something – rather someone she was on the verge of losing...

*****
The kids looked helplessly at each other for a moment..

Should I go pacify them? A chocolate would do? Or some funny cartoon-story? Or consider patching each other up? – thoughts of the same frequency were now ran in both Gaurav and Laveena’s minds...the silent spectators felt for them..

But before they could come to a decision, a sudden turn of events  –

***** 

‘bas..phir aisa nahi hoga – tu wahaan par design laga.. - announced the boy, clearly determined, pointing to a safer place where waves were not likely to touch –  ‘ye paani apne aapko kya samajhta hai’ - he started digging up the sand once again.

‘haan..aur yeh le’ – as she picked up a broken piece of wood. ‘is par apna mitti daal…koi leher tera kuch nahi bigaad sakta’ – she responded, as they teamed up instantly.

[Engrossed in their task ..]

‘I am very sorry…shaayad meri galti thi..main tujhe thoda pehle bata deti na’ – the girl said meekly.

‘nahi re…tera Maths weak hai na..its okay’ – he smiled back assuring her there was no war between them.

‘tu Anup ki gang ke saath khelne jaayega?’

‘areey pagli..main kyun jaaun..hum dono ko Anup pasand nahi hai na ' .. keeping her engaged...mai tere ghar hi aaunga..Sunday ko khelenge..Vikrant aur Ishaan bhi hai na.’ – as they continued their Sunday plans until a beautiful castle was built up – no wave could touch it...the kids jumped out of sheer excitement at their task accomplished

‘humne iske liye kitni planning ki thi na..Finally ban gaya’ – there was joy twinkling in their eyes. There was joy in two other pair of eyes too…

‘agar hum phir se friends nahi bante toh ye kabhi nahi banta na’ – the girl realized.

‘aise kaise nahi banne deta..hum dono humesha se best friends the’ – finally declaring ‘I am also sorry na’... adding rather precociously  - 'humaara dream-castle zyada important tha, ladaai nahi' - not realizing he had struck 2 chords directly, unbeknown to him

'ab chal ...bigaad humara ghar' - the boy mocked at the sea waves that was far from touching their dream-house.

****

…. the fight? – seemed like they had never happened. It was just the castle and the gut to confront the wave, together,  that had mattered, above all.

 ‘kaash koi camera ya mobile hota humare paas..ek photo le lete’ – as they still stood admiring their creation.

At this, both Gaurav and Laveena, not giving a second thought, sprang up, caught hold of a tourist photographer who was wandering around, and fulfilled the kids wish - ‘is photo ke peeche apna naam aur aaj ki date likh dena, theek hai na?’ – Gaurav instructed to the kids, and they nodded obediently.

The elders’ presence was felt for a short time – for the kids were still in the amazement of fulfilling their dream.

****

It grew little darker. The kids were returning happy..holding each others hands..

Laveena had found her answer – and turned to Gaurav – who somehow shared the same frequency with her that evening. They exchanged a brief smile, and Laveena, parted her way...

For one last time she turned back to look at the happy kids, with a gratitude on her face – ‘aaj kal ke bachche’ and walked towards her car to return to where she had packed her bags from – picking out the separation papers, and crushing them - this was not the solution. a small wave of brawl did not mean the end!

All she wanted to do, was just hug her husband, and remind him of the dreams they had shared together...she knew he was still waiting for her...

 ***

After some time…

****

With the kids and the young lady gone, Gaurav, who was playing his cool all the while, instantly dialled – 

‘Puja....listen. ..i know kuch dinon se humaare beech, kuch galat ho raha hai.. lekin i have realized..it was never about me against you..it's about us, facing it together..shaayad galti meri bhi thi...but I just wanted you to know…’ his voice shivered..’i still..'- he gulped a lump in his throat.. 'i..am waiting for you...please call me back..’ – and he hung his voice message.

He sat staring at the waves waiting... letting only the darkness watch his tears roll down from his eyes...

The phone rang..

The castle the little girl and the boy had built, together,  faced the sea-waves in glory..untouched...

just a short story

11 year old Ayesha was sitting on a bench of a park. It was a breezy weekend evening and the children from the nearby locality had come out to play. Ayesha did not belong to this locality, her aunt had just brought her along for company.

[Aunt had to pay a short visit to someone in the apartment. On the way, Ayesha was fascinated by the park bubbling with energy, and chose to wait there, while her aunt finished her visit. This wasn’t a big deal for her aunt – she let her do so]

Ayesha was thoroughly enjoying the aura of the place – that of the children chirping around merrily in groups, the cool breeze of the wind and the leaves swaying in glory along the wind. ‘how I wish I could play with them’ – she wanted to! But nobody here knew her, and it was supposed to be too short a visit to go introduce and play. She sat back.

Just then, she heard cute little sighs from her right. A child sitting on the same bench, was whimpering and mumbling over something. He seemed to be a 5-6 years old kid.

She turned to the child and lovingly enquired – ‘Whats your name? why are you crying?’

Child – ‘daddy gave me only 20 rupees. I wanted to buy the new chocolate. It costs 35 rupees. He refused it’..and then suddenly remembering…’my name is Rohan. What is your name?’

‘Ayesha. But you can still buy another chocolate right. You get many good ones with 20rupees too’

‘nooo. that Nishan was showing it off yesterday. He ate away the entire chocolate without giving it to me. I too want one. I also want to show him’ – he cried.

Ayesha smiled to herself. This was something new she was experiencing this day.

‘so you want the chocolate only to show him? I thought you wanted the chocolate to enjoy it!’

‘ummm..i want to enjoy it and then show to Nishan’

Poor little Ayesha still couldnot clearly figure out what was running in the child’s mind. Nevertheless..

*** 

She extended her hand and showed few coins that she had held, to the child.

‘will you be able to count the total amount of money these coins will make up’ – she smiled.

The child nodded – ‘yes’ – he meekly answered.

‘its totally 15 rupees’ – the child tried to hand over the coins to Ayesha.

‘keep it with you. 15 added to 20 rupees will make 35. You can buy the chocolate now’ – she glowed.

‘..and  show to your friend now’ – she mimicked smilingly

The child was dumb struck – ‘then what will you do? You don’t want to buy anything?’

‘not exactly. My school teacher says you should help everyone who is crying or is needy, and then God will help you’

‘huh? But my daddy told you should not take money from strangers’ – the child innocently blurted out.

‘Oh..okay..then you can leave the coins beside me..on the bench itself’ – she smiled and again went into the aura of the park.

 ***

Half-heartedly, the child left the coins on the bench and started moving towards his apartment. 

Just then – ‘Hey kiddo, why is your nose so red. What happened’.  It was Riya didi. Rohan’s neighbor.

‘nothing..i want to buy a choco….’  Riya happened to drop a print out from her hand that she was taking out from her bag. this distracted tiny Rohan.

‘what’s that didi?’

‘that’s a list of people and the amount of money people have given to me’

‘Money? But why did people give you money?’ – innocently.

‘ah.. let me explain you in brief. There’s this little girl who cannot see, she is blind. She can regain her eyesight, but her operation demands a lot of money. Her parents did not have sufficient money, and so they reached out to my school for help’

With mouth and eyes wide open – ‘haaa…and then?’ curiously.

‘My school chose few students from my high school, who need to collect money from our locality for this purpose. I am one of the selected volunteers. Remember the other day I had come to your place and your mumma gave me some money….?’ – she explained proudly.

He nodded assertingly - ‘So you will give this money to them?’ – curiosity increasing.

‘Yes. She needs it very badly, right? We felt we must help her’ – explaining further –‘I need to give a copy of this list to her guardian. She had come to visit us, she is talking to my mom. She will be coming down in few minutes’

The minute Riya finished explaining this, Rohan ran hastily towards the bench, crying out – ‘Riya didi. Don’t go away until I return’

Riya was puzzled. Nevertheless, she waited.

‘Ayeshaaaa’ – he gave a hasty cry. The coins still lay beside her on the bench. ‘I am taking all of your money’.

‘Okay. So finally you decided to buy your chocolate’ – she smiled. The kid had already fled towards Riya didi, Ayesha’s words were unnoticed.

***

‘Here is the list, aunty. The school will hand over the cheque to you’ – Riya was talking to the blind girl’s guardian.

‘Wait' - cried Rohan. 'Here it is.  Take these. 15 rupees added to 20 will make 35’ - repeating Ayesha's words

Riya was surprised - where did you get this money from?

'15 rupees is my friend's. She wanted to help others. 20 are mine. i too want to help'

Riya affectionately – ‘awwww..that’s so sweet of you kiddie. I will add your name too in the list…and will not forget to tell your mummy papa about it’ [but mummy-papa would have already known about it before she could have informed them. Rohan was already jumping towards his house excitedly to narrate the turn of events..]

The aunt took the list, and thanked Riya. After bidding a good bye to the lady, Riya turned towards her apartment [in the same direction where Rohan ran]. The lady walked towards the bench…

***

‘Ayesha, beta? Shall we go?’

Turning towards her aunt’s voice and smiling – ‘jee chachi’

‘your stick is fallen down, beta. Guess you did not notice it. You did not stroll around anywhere?’

‘no chachi. I was enjoying the park from here itself. Did not feel the need’

‘Don’t worry, we will not need them much longer’ – the aunt handed over the supporting stick to Ayesha.

 

Aunt remembered something suddenly, and confessed – ‘So sorry, beta. I was in a bit hurry, I forgot to tell you that the number of coins I gave you was totally 15 rupees. Did you come across any vendor? Was the money sufficient? Hope you had something to eat’

‘No’ – as she directed her way through the stick, head held up high and smiling.

‘I helped a little boy, to buy his favourite chocolate…by now he must have got it.’

unaware that her money, alongwith the child's, had travelled back to her; she gleamed as she imagined the happiness the boy would have felt after buying the chocolate...

what goes around, comes around...

…