A SMALL DREAM
Sharad was crying with his head down between his knees. Whenever he had sad moment in his life he came here under the mango tree which was planted by his great grandfather. He felt somewhat relieved and free under this mango tree from worldly, trivial grievances in the society and his family. He was reprimanded and beaten up by his mother. He had quarrel with his school friend. Though on many occasions he had to starve, he had a good physique. One distinct quality about him was that whenever he got enough food he had stomach full of it. Comparatively that friend of his was skinny. One slap on face by Sharad made his friend bleed through nose. His mother did not want his son to be considered ill-mannered by the society. She wanted her son get good education. She looked up to him as her future and had enough confidence that he will make his parents free from the shambles of poverty.
His parents had to toil hard to earn enough money for two time meal. In every summer vacation, Sharad had to go to Jamindar’s farm for some earnings so that once the summer vacation ends he could arrange some money for next standard’s books. Jamindar used to give him some minor work but the condition was that Sharad had to be there at Jamindar’s farm for whole day. The daily salary was also not enough in accordance with the amount of work he used to do. Sharad used to get angry at Jamindar but he had no alternative but to accept the meager amount of money. The money that Sharad earned also added to the family’s income and with that his mother could prepare sweet dishes for her lovely child. Last summer they all had worked on the construction of a dam. This new work had earned Sharad’s family more wages and their standard of living had enhanced in some way. He got his new shirt and shorts. He could walk proudly in his village putting his new shirt and shorts on. His school friends could no more tease him at his tattered shorts. Though he was bright student in his class, other students preferred his friendship from a distance. He had a strong build and more physical strength as compared to other students in his class.
After half an hour he stopped crying and immersed himself in observing the scenery of surrounding. He started humming the songs. He even threw some stones as much high as he could up in the sky. He got bored and rested on the barren land. The sun was setting in and a silver shining had spread all across the sky. Crows, sparrows and cranes were returning to their homes. Cows, buffalos, goats and sheep were on their return journey to village with their shepherds and goatherds. In the afternoon he had run crying from his school to come under mango tree. During the run he was constantly thinking of beating his friend up once again because of whom his mother shouted at him and had to apologize to the teacher for his misbehavior. He was so much angry that he forgot to bring his school-bag. He was not angry over his mother but his friend for telling his teacher an exaggerated story and a clear lie.
Lying on the ground he closed his eyes and thought of a happy moment in his life which made him smile for a moment to forget what had happened. He was deep in his thoughts. A rough land beneath him gave him a sense of tender touch. He pacified with a nature’s soft touch and fragrant breeze. He wanted to cherish on it as long as he could. Though he had come to this place so often he did not get such kind of happiness as he was feeling on that day. He did not want to return home but he had to as by the time he could open his eyes up it was dark all around. He did not frighten but worried that his mother would have been waiting for him to come home. He was completely enthusiastic. He walked towards home and had completely forgotten what had happened in the afternoon.
At home his mother was anxious. She had been to each of his friends’ home to enquire about him but nobody knew his hideouts. Sharad had never told anybody about his heavenly place. She often came out of home while preparing ‘Bhakari’ in hope of his returning home. Because of which most of Bhakaris got burnt. She hurriedly prepared the food, came out and sat in the courtyard looking forward to her son’s arrival. While returning home Sharad had visited temple of Lord ‘Hanuman’. He had some chat with aged priest [Pujari] of that temple. Many times Sharad had given various fresh flowers to priest for prayers. After spending some time at temple he walked towards home. His mother watched him from a distance. She anxiously smiled. He felt elated to see a smile on his mother’s face. He ran and hugged his mother tightly. Tears of happiness rolled down her cheek. Would any child anytime be angry over her mother? Even if a mother scolds at her child, both of them will be reticent for a moment only. Both of them will let that moment pass by. The very next moment mother will come to her child and caress her. A mother can easily comfort her child. That night even a burnt Bhakari tasted delicious to Sharad. He slept besides his mother happily and took a mental oath that henceforth he would never ever hurt his mother. Definitely what he did today had hurt his mother.
The village festival was round the corner. Everybody, especially school children were very happy because they would get 2 days school holidays and a pocket-money from parents to spend it in a fair. It was annual festival.
Lots of people from nearby villages used to come for the fair. The vendors and grocery shop owners would have increased sales. Every person in the village celebrated this festival. Children would have new clothes. Toy vendors from other villages used to come here. The whole village participated in a joy. The young boys and girls would put on fancy clothes to make an impression on others especially in the festival because this 2 day festival was the only chance they could get to make an impression. The whole environment of the festival was so energetic that people automatically forgot their sufferings. This was the festival of all people rich as well as poor. Every house contributed towards making this festival a beautiful moment.
One fine morning Sharad woke up early in the morning and went in the outskirts of village to collect some flowers for prayers. His mother had a fast on that day. Offering five types of different flowers to the God was the tradition in that village. He foraged for distinctly colored flowers from one farm to another farm, from one barren land to another. Many children of his age had to go out in search of flowers but everybody preferred to go in different directions. He collected jasmine and reached the farm of marigold flowers. As soon as he entered the farm to collect flowers he heard some whisper. He moved in the direction of whisper with stealthy footsteps. He saw him, a same boy whom he had slapped the other day. He was hiding behind marigold tree in fear that Sharad would take revenge of his mother’s scolding on that day. Sharad called out for him. He came to him with slow, small and cautious footsteps and stood at a distance. Sharad convinced him that he had forgotten what happened on that day and would not take revenge on a condition that he would be Sharad’s good friend. How could that boy refuse such an offer!
They collected marigold flowers and headed back home. They both were getting hungry by now. They crossed that marigold flower farm and came to a pathway in the barren field. Both were easily immersed in the talk and were laughing loudly as if they had been close friends and did not meet each other since so many years. Suddenly something made him stop. Sharad blinked his eyes and put his hand across his eyes to prevent the light reflecting from a distance. Both went towards that thing out of curiosity. They reached near ‘that’ thing. It was an ‘image’ made of a metal. The metal looked like iron one. The ‘image’ looked like a worn out piece and was full of rust. The reflection came from a small mirror that had been mounted on the ‘image’. Sharad quickly looked into mirror to adjust his hair. It did not look like an idol. Checking the condition of the ‘image’ his friend suggested Sharad to leave that ‘image’ where it was and go home. But something different thought was running through Sharad’s mind. He decided to take this ‘image’ along with him. While returning he thought of selling it in the upcoming festival and earning some money to spend it in the fair.
When he came home he gave all the flowers to mother but did not tell her about the ‘image’. He hid the ‘image’ at back in his shirt. Without his mother’s attention he put that ‘image’ in his school bag, finished a meal and went to school. In class he constantly checked and looked in to the bag for the ‘image’. After returning from school that evening he removed the rust accumulated over ‘image’ with clean cloth. The ‘image’ had no particular shape but appeared bright. His face lightened up. He did not know which metal this ‘image’ made of. But for a child to understand anything bright and colorful had a value. He thought of selling this ‘image’ in the coming festival and buying a gift for his lovely mother. For him nothing is as precious as his mother. They both loved each other very much.
The dawn of the first day of fair had come with a bunch of happiness to Sharad. The morning time was for offering prayers to the almighty in whose name the fair happened. Sharad bathed and offered prayers and flowers to God in home. He went out to village temple, offered prayers and flowers there and circumambulated 11 times to the temple. Later he had chat with his friends but he was eagerly waiting for a fair to start. Though Sharad had a small dream of buying a beautiful gift for his mother he thought who would buy this ‘image’. Everybody would be buying plastic toys and sweets. But he did not lose his courage. He neither showed nor informed anyone including his parents about this ‘image’.
He had carried this ‘image’ in his school-bag all these days without knowing anybody except his new friend. But he did not tell even to his friend about idea of selling this ‘image’ in the fair. Somewhat cautious and careful he arrived at the place where all vendors were putting their stalls up. All over in a fair there were fruit vendors, flower vendors, sweet vendors and toys vendors only. He had walked along every lane and observed each vendor. He had all the way been looking for a place where he can sit and sell his ‘image’. He definitely had no chance to sit besides the stalls and big vendors. They would not even allow him. He could only sit along the lane of small vendors who had sat on the ground cleaning the space they would require for their selling. He sat under a tree on one side of small vendors’ lane. He keenly observed how every toy vendor or fruit vendor was convincing people to buy from him only and not from others, how his product was superior to that of others’. He watched every movement of vendors and had a walk throughout the lane many times. As time passed more and more people kept coming. With more and more crowd, vendors also became more enthusiastic and shouted with more energy. In village fair every product is a quality product but the sale depends upon who attracts more and more crowd, who shouts loudly from belly’s end and with enormous energy.
After a while he went back home, had a lunch and came back with the ‘image’ in a small bag. He looked for a small place in the small vendors’ lane and sat on the ground putting the ‘image’ on the bag before him. He kept silent. He did not shout. Though he had only one piece to sell, few people had come to him asking what he was selling but he could not tell what feature this ‘image’ had. He was confused. He could not even figure out as what would be the appropriate price of it. He again looked at other vendors. The vendor next to him did encourage him. Still he did not gather enough courage to shout and put what he had across people. He packed up, put the ‘image’ in his bag and vanished from that place. He once again had a walk round the fair arena. After a while with strong determination he came back to same spot. He opened his bag and pulled out his ‘image’ and put up on sale. He had now thought of the distinct feature the ‘image’ which he could tell to people. He could bargain with customer on the price. But he had to tell something different about this ‘image’ so that people at least come to see it. He had heard from his parents and adults in the village that long time ago there was habitation where he found this ‘image’. The people used to stay there but an earthquake had hit and demolished every home killing so many people. He started telling people that he had found this ‘image’ in the outskirts of village where many years ago human used to live. This piece was antique and of ancient times. People could use this as a showpiece in their homes. Some people noticed his voice and came up to him but they were not satisfied to see the ‘image’ because it had no face or attractive shape. It resembled like a shattered piece of something. He shouted and convinced people to buy it but to his disappointment none bought it. As the Sun was setting in he felt as if a big, dark cloud had been covering up his dream of buying a gift for his mother. He returned home with despair and told his mother about the ‘image’ and whatever had happened in the fair. His mother caressed and told him not to lose hopes.
Next day he came to same spot and put the ‘image’ up for sale. He did not discourage with what happened the day before. But today he had a confidence that he would definitely sell this ‘image’. He inspired to see lots of people buying more and more on the final day of fair. It was past noon and he still did not find his buyer. He already had skipped his lunch. He did not want to waste any moment as he did not know when his Godly customer would turn up and buy his ‘image’. The scorching heat of sun could not deter him from seating at same place for hours. His throat dried up. Everyone came, enquired, and went ahead without purchasing his ‘image’. But every time he explained every customer with same vigor. The vendor sat beside him was set to pack up as all his items sold out. Sharad looked at him and wanted to urge him to buy the ‘image’ and give Sharad some money. But he restrained himself as he thought this could be nothing less than a begging. The nearby vendor left the place happily. Sharad was still there. He could see children of his age buying various toys and enjoying. After some time a lady had come up to him and enquired about the ‘image’. He told her the uniqueness of this ‘image’ and where he found it. The lady was impressed and asked him for a price. He thought that price could be the barrier that people were not buying from him. So many people had asked him but no one bought it. He might have been quoting more price than what this ‘image’ was worth of. He told her four rupee price, a rupee less than what he had been telling. The lady immediately agreed without any bargain and paid the money. He was happy and thanked the lady. Now he could buy the gift for his mother. He went to ‘Hanuman’ temple, thanked God. He again circumambulated the temple eleven times. He came out of temple and looked for a nice gift for his mother. So many vendors were there. At the end of the lane a vendor was selling the idols of various Gods and Goddesses. His mother was a great disciple of God ‘Ganesha’. He thought ‘Ganesha’ idol would be the ideal gift for his mother. He bought the ‘Ganesha’ idol, roamed in a fair till evening, tasted some sweets, and purchased a toy car with the money he had left.
He returned home. His mother had cleaned up the courtyard and was watering the plants. She had already been to temple. Reaching the courtyard, he drew out the ‘Ganesha’ idol from his pocket. He presented it to his mother. She pulled him close and looked into his eyes. She kissed him. Tears rolled down her cheek. She astonished. Children of his age demand money from parents and look at this boy who did not ask for money but instead brought an idol for his mother. She felt proud of his son.
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