One Happy Meal (Kindly comment)
One Happy Meal
Happiness, for once (at least) had found its way into their small hut, thought the woman. Their life had never been easy, from the dusty streets of the old orthodox village to the newer, and unfortunately another conventional one which also complied with the old beliefs. But, at least, her daughter had survived here. And not only survived, but had grown so big that she was to get married the next day. Had she not left that doomed village……oh, how she shivered at the very thought!
She was in labour that night and expected a child at any moment. Her husband, had went out to summon the neighboring ladies and the elderly ‘aaya’. The pain was getting unbearable. With toilsome efforts, she had got up and just managed to look out of the grilled window.
The back of their hut saw a gargantuan and forlorn forest. Under the gleam of moon, a sharp flash caught her eye. She turned in the direction of disturbance and her eyes soon caught the culprit. A huge metallic cauldron rested neatly on a bunch of wood logs. A few elderly men had clustered around it. A big moustache adorning their faces and a long wooden staff was analogous to the group.
But one man’s appearance struck differently from the rest. He was quite young comparatively, and instead of a staff, had what seemed like a bunch of clothes in his hands. He had dark circles under his eyes and if she wasn’t mistaken, he had been crying.
Moments later, one from the group stooped and had set the logs ablaze. White fumes danced, slowly ascending towards the heaven. In the light of the flame, as eyes and ears began to draw shape out of the darkness, she recognized the young man. It was Hariya, their neighbour, whose wife had given birth to a girl just two days ago. And in his hands, she realized with a colossal attack of fear, was not a heap of clothes, but his daughter!
In an instant, she spotted the approaching mishap. She had wanted to shout, she had wanted to scream, but the pain had drained out every inch of energy from her and she stood their helpless. One of the elder men stretched out his hands towards Hariya but he did not pay heed.
The eldest of the lot snatched away the girl from him, held her high in the air and gave a ruthless laugh, laugh of the butcher who was just about to slaughter his prey. Slowly, very slowly those hands descended…..towards hell.
Out of shock and fear she had collapsed and fainted, the last thing she had heard was a wail from the distant.
When she had regained her senses, a sharp pain entangled her body and yet, she felt much lighter. She perhaps heard low sobs, but her sufferings did not want her attention diverted. Suddenly, with a mixed feeling of joy and worry, she realized, that under anesthetic, she had brought a new life into this world.
Now, those sobs meant a great deal to her. Picking up courage, she opened her lips in hope, ‘Boy?’
The “aaya” responded in hysterical sobs. The obvious was apparent. She had given birth not to a girl, but to a meal which would be butchered and savoured by the stewards of old whimsical beliefs. Why is it that those people wanted to wipe out the reason of their own existence? Why? She could not understand.
But one thing that she understood and was clear-headed about was that she wouldn’t give those wastrels the right to write her daughter’s fate. His husband, fortunately, thought the same. They had discussed the matter beforehand and with the help of pre-made arrangements, they would escape from the village before dawn. And they did escape….. to another village with just some more sense if not enough.
Their new village had not exactly extended long arms towards them. They were left even poorer after their escape. The termites of social evils had eaten away the base upon which a healthy locality is built. But they had lived, and their daughter had lived. And now she was young, more than young. It was their responsibility to fulfill the duty with which they were entrusted, to get her married.
Twice, her daughter was rejected.
“50,000….not a penny less, and more if you can!” they had said.
But finally, happiness had found the way to a home where it would be greatly welcomed. Her daughter would get married the next day and their would-be in-laws had settled for 20,000, which they could afford. Two rejections had shaken his husband more than his daughter. Her husband had taken each rejection as a stamp on his incapability as a father. Each no had stirred him from the inside. Thankfully, it did not happen the third time.
It took a knock on the door to bring her back from the world of thoughts. She suddenly realized that it was already night and it was time when his husband would be back.
***
If someone had cared to observe Vijay, they would have seen an exhausted man, drained of all joys and burdened by the obligations of running a family with minimal funds. But the fact was that no one cared to observe him…. He was one of those thousands who roamed in every street. Perhaps there was one different fact about him; he had ran away from his older village with his wife and a two-day old daughter. But apart from that, he was an ordinary poor man.
Vijay proceeded towards his small hut. Had Vijay been literate or had known that his name meant ‘victory’, he would have had a hard time believing it. Because from the moment he had learned to distinguish between a cat and a dog, he had had meetings only with defeat. He did not have education, nor could he give any of it to his daughter and (as sometimes, he hated to think) he did not have a son.
But tonight, it was special. Yes, it certainly was, Vijay thought as his wife opened the door to let him in.
She fetched him a glass of water and said, ‘I’ll just bring you food. You must be tired.’
Vijay pointed towards the packets that he had brought with him, ‘See this? We’ll have a feast tonight. After all, it’s the last night with our daughter.’ He smiled… it was a different smile, his wife noticed.
‘But….money?’, his wife sounded suspicious.
Vijay held out his hands and held her wife’s hand in his. ‘You trust me?’ He asked with a solemn look on his face.
‘Obviously.’
‘Then, call Rashi’.
In a few minutes, his daughter entered. A fine specimen, he thought. Perfect embodiment of grace.
Vijay out of the packets, drew out a silk saree. He handed it out to his wife, ‘You always wanted this, didn’t you? Oh, you never said that….you never asked for anything. You have been the loveliest wife I could have ever had. Infact, you deserved better.’ His voice quivered with emotion. ‘Take this.’
It was expensive. It must have been. The wife thought. She wanted to ask something but refrained herself.
Next he drew out a magnificent necklace. His wife gulped. It must have been very costly.
‘I remember the day you stopped by the shop looking at this. The gleam in your eyes! I could not give it to you then. A father felt powerless that day. But today he’s proud and now that you are going….’ He handed the necklace to his daughter.
‘And now, the magnificent feast awaits us!’ He rubbed his hands in excitement. ‘Serve this.’ He implored his wife.
Fascination jumped into her eyes every now and again as she drew out the most brilliant of dishes. She had so often fantasized eating in those big sparkling hotels. Well, today, his husband had brought the hotel to their hut. Her excitement had overpowered her suspicions.
Vijay enjoyed the blissful look on his wife’s and his daughter’s face. How had he always wanted to see that. Obviously, they had always smiled and feigned to be happy. But deep inside, he knew, how quick that look evaporated into thin air when he was not with them. But today, as he had told himself earlier, was different.
‘This is brilliant, Papa! I love you so very much.’ His daughter said. She had a certain pride in her eyes.
‘You are finally getting married, my lovely little angel!’ His wife exclaimed to his daughter. ‘Isn’t it too fantastic to be true?’ she asked him.
That one little remark that his wife had just made. It was too fantastic. His daughter was certainly getting married till yesterday. But today…..
Memories raced in his mind.
He was summoned by his would-have-been in-law. Seth Tewari, in his pompous and haughty manner, said, ‘Welcome, my dear friend, welcome! Preparations are complete?’
‘Oh yes!’ Vijay bowed his head as was customary for a girl’s father, ‘20,000 pure cash!’
Seth Tewari raised an eyebrow, ‘20? Are you saying 20,000?’
Vijay was petrified, his voice shook, ‘Y-yes! That’s what we had agreed on.’
‘Maybe, but now, I have changed my mind. 50,000 is what we want.’
Vijay was on his feet, he begged, ‘Please have mercy. All the arrangements are done. Everyone’s invited. From where am I supposed to arrange such a huge amount?’
‘That’s your problem! 50,000 or dream about your daughter’s wedding.’
Vijay rubbed his nose at the Seth’s feet, he begged, he pleaded but to no avail. What exited Seth’s house was a defeated father.
‘Can you believe it? It’s finally happening, isn’t it?’ His wife asked bringing him back to the present.
‘Yes.’ Vijay lied.
After some time, when they were filled with delicious food, Rashi said, ‘This is the happiest meal we’ve ever had.’
Vijay couldn’t have agreed more. It was indeed the happiest meal they ever had.
‘There’s more’. Vijay said taking out a tasty looking ice-cream.
‘But I’m full.’ His wife said.
‘Please.’ Vijay insisted.
The two women took the ice creams from his hand.
‘But before you eat this, what about one last family hug?’
The women were surprised but they gladly accepted it. Vijay hugged them tightly, tears running down his eyes. The warmth of the embrace would go with him to his grave.
***
Vijay saw two glad women in front of him. Smiles those were long due. The smiles spread wider with each spoon of dessert. It seemed as if god had saved all the delight in his little pot of gold and decided to spill it all over their house in one night.
With each spoon, Vijay thought that the time drew nearer to tell them. He did so.
‘I’m sorry.’ Vijay suddenly spoke. Emotions swam their way out in form of tears
The two women were puzzled and it showed.
‘You’d soon know.’ He said answering an unasked question.
And they did soon know, a weird sensation gripped all the occupants of the small hut. The two women caught hold of their throats simultaneously and coughed. They realized what must have happened. They endeavored to smile.
‘It would be painless. Do not think evil of me. I do love you so both so much. You mean the world to me. You-’
But there was no need to say anything anymore because there was no one to hear him. Two smiling faces lay on the floor…. Dead.
His life was spent in fighting the social evils and his own fears. Until today, he hadn’t really seen satisfaction. The two women had never complained but they had been unhappy all their lives. All their life they lived on stale chapattis but today they had a happy meal. They couldn’t lead a happy life but they met a happy death.
Now, it was his turn. He had seen all he had wanted to. Vijay ate the dessert.
The End.
