kaushikvikram
12-11-2010, 10:51 AM
By Kaushik Ramakrishnan
The day was too sunny. Rafat after a long travel had reached the village. As soon as he entered the village, he felt the cool breeze which could never be felt in the urban. Rafat was begging in the streets of urban. But he had always been supervised there, which he hated. He always wanted to be free and do whatever he wants. He had been begging from very early age as far as he had conscience. He escaped from the hawk eyed supervisor and had reached this village. He went to a nearby temple and started begging for his morning breakfast. He as usual cried in the same way for his alms.
His competition there was an old man who had lost one of his legs and was using a cane to help himself stand on his feet. The old man at first saw him with foxy look but still Rafat was not deterred. Rafat had reduced the old man’s income for the day. The old man was slightly disturbed due to Rafat but he showed nothing on his face and he kept on with his routines. At the end of the day Rafat had earned more than what he needed for his bread.
Rafat was pitied by the old man so he brought the old man some stuff to eat. The old man was taken aback. At first he was shy to get but then he had no other option he got the bread and gave Rafat some money he had. Rafat ignored it and asked him to have it for himself.
Rafat then made his routine same as it was in the urban, but here he was not supervised nor there was anyone to ask a share of his earnings. Life was moving quite happily for Rafat in this village. By days passing he became well known and had regular income.
Rafat and Armeen, the old men were staying in the old shattered house by the temple side. They both shared the space with mutual consent. They had become good friends over time. Armeen made it a habit to save a part of his daily income. Rafat would always laugh at that because as far as he knew Armeen had no one after him, to save for. Armeen was once moving out at midnight from their place and he was back before the aurora. Rafat saw that but he never asked Armeen where he went.
Armeen made it a habit to go somewhere which was unknown for Rafat, always after Rafat had slept. Rafat once noticed this and got doubtful about Armeen. He one night followed Armeen secretly to know where he went and what he was doing. Armeen walked long way down the village lanes. There was a lonely hut situated there outside the village and Armeen entered it. Rafat saw Armeen enter the hut with all his saved money. For a second, Rafat had lots of thought running in his mind. He thought that the old man is visiting the whore house of the village. But he had never heard that one such existed so. He was waiting outside the hut waiting for Armeen to come out. He thought he would ask Armeen himself when he has him.
Armeen was shocked to see Rafat there waiting for him. He started trembling and when he tried to speak he was stammering. Rafat held his hand and asked him to cool down and said it is human to be at such places. Rafat spoke as such with a thought that it was indeed whore house that Armeen was at. But he saw no one following him out. He became inquisitive and started asking Armeen what he was doing in. Armeen thought for a while, being silent.
Armeen decided to tell the truth and he took Rafat inside the hut. It was indeed uninhabited. Rafat saw a bunch of dresses and a cane which was broken and a well closed pitcher. Armeen told him that it was his shelter some time before Rafat had come. But later as he got acquainted with Rafat he started sharing his place there due to their rapport. He also told Rafat that initially he stayed here only to safeguard the pitcher from mischief roaming within the village, which had all his earnings. He also said that as he started sharing the space within village with Rafat, he would come here often to check and ensure the pitcher’s safety.
Rafat was convinced and Rafat was about to scold himself aloud. But then before that he asked Armeen for whom was he saving so cautiously. He thought Armeen had someone far away who would come one day. But then Armeen told him the truth. Armeen said that he is saving this money to deposit with the orphanage, so that he could at least educate one child there and make him learn to earn and live with vanity. Rafat was shocked and taken aback on hearing this. He understood Armeen and he spoke nothing with Armeen then and they both went to their shattered house as usual.
Armeen, the next morning when he woke up he did not see Rafat there. He thought Rafat had moved up earlier to the Temple before him as Armeen had slept few hours extra today. He immediately raised and bathed and got ready and started to the temple. At the temple there was no sign of Rafat. Armeen was surprised; he was also a little confused. Suddenly something flashed in his mind. He thought Rafat could have thought his saving a useless and could have taken that and moved out of village. He started admonishing himself and was walking steadfastly to the hut. While on the way he saw Rafat there in a butcher shop chopping the meat.
Armeen went up to him and saw at him with sense of awe and his eyes were pleading a pardon from Rafat. Rafat came down, said nothing but smiled at Armeen and said to Armeen then ” Lets Live with Vanity.”
For more stories Pl visit
http://myshortstories-kaushik.blogspot.com/
The day was too sunny. Rafat after a long travel had reached the village. As soon as he entered the village, he felt the cool breeze which could never be felt in the urban. Rafat was begging in the streets of urban. But he had always been supervised there, which he hated. He always wanted to be free and do whatever he wants. He had been begging from very early age as far as he had conscience. He escaped from the hawk eyed supervisor and had reached this village. He went to a nearby temple and started begging for his morning breakfast. He as usual cried in the same way for his alms.
His competition there was an old man who had lost one of his legs and was using a cane to help himself stand on his feet. The old man at first saw him with foxy look but still Rafat was not deterred. Rafat had reduced the old man’s income for the day. The old man was slightly disturbed due to Rafat but he showed nothing on his face and he kept on with his routines. At the end of the day Rafat had earned more than what he needed for his bread.
Rafat was pitied by the old man so he brought the old man some stuff to eat. The old man was taken aback. At first he was shy to get but then he had no other option he got the bread and gave Rafat some money he had. Rafat ignored it and asked him to have it for himself.
Rafat then made his routine same as it was in the urban, but here he was not supervised nor there was anyone to ask a share of his earnings. Life was moving quite happily for Rafat in this village. By days passing he became well known and had regular income.
Rafat and Armeen, the old men were staying in the old shattered house by the temple side. They both shared the space with mutual consent. They had become good friends over time. Armeen made it a habit to save a part of his daily income. Rafat would always laugh at that because as far as he knew Armeen had no one after him, to save for. Armeen was once moving out at midnight from their place and he was back before the aurora. Rafat saw that but he never asked Armeen where he went.
Armeen made it a habit to go somewhere which was unknown for Rafat, always after Rafat had slept. Rafat once noticed this and got doubtful about Armeen. He one night followed Armeen secretly to know where he went and what he was doing. Armeen walked long way down the village lanes. There was a lonely hut situated there outside the village and Armeen entered it. Rafat saw Armeen enter the hut with all his saved money. For a second, Rafat had lots of thought running in his mind. He thought that the old man is visiting the whore house of the village. But he had never heard that one such existed so. He was waiting outside the hut waiting for Armeen to come out. He thought he would ask Armeen himself when he has him.
Armeen was shocked to see Rafat there waiting for him. He started trembling and when he tried to speak he was stammering. Rafat held his hand and asked him to cool down and said it is human to be at such places. Rafat spoke as such with a thought that it was indeed whore house that Armeen was at. But he saw no one following him out. He became inquisitive and started asking Armeen what he was doing in. Armeen thought for a while, being silent.
Armeen decided to tell the truth and he took Rafat inside the hut. It was indeed uninhabited. Rafat saw a bunch of dresses and a cane which was broken and a well closed pitcher. Armeen told him that it was his shelter some time before Rafat had come. But later as he got acquainted with Rafat he started sharing his place there due to their rapport. He also told Rafat that initially he stayed here only to safeguard the pitcher from mischief roaming within the village, which had all his earnings. He also said that as he started sharing the space within village with Rafat, he would come here often to check and ensure the pitcher’s safety.
Rafat was convinced and Rafat was about to scold himself aloud. But then before that he asked Armeen for whom was he saving so cautiously. He thought Armeen had someone far away who would come one day. But then Armeen told him the truth. Armeen said that he is saving this money to deposit with the orphanage, so that he could at least educate one child there and make him learn to earn and live with vanity. Rafat was shocked and taken aback on hearing this. He understood Armeen and he spoke nothing with Armeen then and they both went to their shattered house as usual.
Armeen, the next morning when he woke up he did not see Rafat there. He thought Rafat had moved up earlier to the Temple before him as Armeen had slept few hours extra today. He immediately raised and bathed and got ready and started to the temple. At the temple there was no sign of Rafat. Armeen was surprised; he was also a little confused. Suddenly something flashed in his mind. He thought Rafat could have thought his saving a useless and could have taken that and moved out of village. He started admonishing himself and was walking steadfastly to the hut. While on the way he saw Rafat there in a butcher shop chopping the meat.
Armeen went up to him and saw at him with sense of awe and his eyes were pleading a pardon from Rafat. Rafat came down, said nothing but smiled at Armeen and said to Armeen then ” Lets Live with Vanity.”
For more stories Pl visit
http://myshortstories-kaushik.blogspot.com/