A Little Things - Priyadharshana

THIRSTY OLD LADY

Hey papa, I am feeling thirsty, give me some water dear, an old lady asked Rathi.

The bottle of water was emptied, she replied with hesitation in her voice.

Rathi was a college student, her college was out of her native town. And it takes four or five hours to reach college. So, she stayed in the hostel to attend the classes.

Rathi was travelling in a bus from her college to home. Rathi was sitting in the front portion of the bus. Her seat was behind the driver seat. And she sits near the window of it. And the old lady seated next to her.

As the bus moves, silence prevails in Rathi's heart. The bus driver applied the sudden -break due to the lorry in front of the bus on the road. The bottle present in her bag shakes with little sound, it symbolizes as it contains full of water. Rathi’s bag was placed in her tigh, she holds it tightly with some sort of guilt. And she notices the old lady.

The old lady wore a sungadi cotton type of saree. The saree was neither new nor old. She was black in colour and her hair tied in a low bun. She wore a round type of stone-filled earing and one red stone nose pin sparks her beauty. She seems to be like a village woman, who used to do a lot of physical work in fields.

Rathi didn’t give water to the old lady had two reasons. Firstly, she feels dislike among that lady. Secondly, the sense of distaste in her forced her to think, that she cannot drink from the same bottle after the old lady drinks.

Rathi had guiltiness, so she notices that old lady every few minutes. The old lady moved out from the bus at the upcoming third stop. Rathi feels that her pressure about guiltiness had reduced.

Then, after three hours of travelling, she reached home. The members of her family asked few formal questions of care to Rathi. Rathi answered all questions, she also enquired about their wellness. After dinner, she rested in bed.

’Did you not change your habit of not drinking water for a long time, isn’t it?’, Rathi's mother shouted at her, as she cleans her bag.

At present Rathi envisages the thirsty old lady on the bus. She thinks ‘what sort of an ugly mindset, I had?’.

Guiltiness hiked in her heart, but she convinced herself that it was normal in society.

PROTEST

All colleges in Tamilnadu were declared as holiday for one week due to jallikattu protest. As Rathi was a hosteller, she reached home due to her college and hostels are shut down for a short period of time.

The phone ringed, Rathi picked up the call, it was her friend in her town.

Hey Rathi, would you like to join me in the protest near the Gandhi statue? , the voice on the other side asked.

Rathi gets excited and she replied ‘okay ’ with hesitation in her voice.

Amma, I would like to participate in the protest along with my friend, please allow me, Rathi asked her mother.

No Rathi, dad dislikes your decision about participation in the protest, she replied.

Rathi argued with her mother that ‘saving native breeds of cow and protecting our culture is important, So as a Tamilian identity, I want to participate in the protest.'

Rathi’s mother, I know about the importance and reason for the protest. But remember we are not living in a city, it was a small town. If you participate in the protest, our relatives blame us for allowing you.

Rathi gets angry with her mother, but somehow she accepted the decision of her mother.

Even then, Rathi's curiosity about the protest didn’t stop. Rathi eagerly watches the television news and she was active on social media all time to get updates about the protest. she acted as if like a leader, who was in the house arrest. Rathi used to think about ‘ what has to be done in upcoming events?’. But she cannot do anything at present was the reality.

Rathi’s mother, ‘Rathi I have got fever today, so please help along with me in the household chores dear’

No amma, you have not allowed me to participate in the protest, Please leave me alone. I was watching updates about protest and posting my comments on social media, so I have heavy works to do, Rathi yelled at her mother.

Her mother was done all the household chores alone. As a usual thing, she rested in bed only at night.

Rathi cared more about cows protection than her mother.

‘we have won the judgement ‘, Rathi shouted with excitement.

‘Why are you shouting Rathi?’, her mother asked Rathi with anger on her face.

Jallikattu sport has been approved by Tamilnadu government amma, she replied

Oh! The outcome of the protest had been positive, it was great news. But, please keep quiet, I want to sleep then, her mother said in a lower tone.

REALIZATION

The jallikattu issue had been solved and colleges in Tamilnadu were reopened. Rathi went back to the hostel to attend the classes.

‘Rathi, wake up dear, get ready for the class’, her friend named Renu shouted.

I have got a fever today, so I cannot attend the classes, Rathi replied with her voice lowered.

Whether you can stay alone in the room? , Renu asked Rathi.

Yes. I can, she replied.

At 9.00 am the hostel bell ranged, all students in the hostel went to college to attend the classes. Rathi stayed in the room, which was on the first floor.

Rathi got permission from her class-in charge for leave. And she knocked on the warden's room door, which was on the underground floor. She informed about her illness to the warden.

‘Rathi, swallow this paracetamol pill after breakfast and sleep well ', the warden said to her. She also added that, even then, if it is not cured, inform me, I will take you to the nearby hospital.

Okay, warden, Rathi replied

Rathi did things as instructed by the warden. And she started to sleep well. Two hours passed, Rathi woke up and she feels like the thirst for water and also dizziness. Her face went pale and she looked outside, whether anybody present on their floor to help her. She sees a sweeper lady, Rathi was hesitant and she doesn’t have words in her mind to speak.

But the sweeper lady notices her pale face and asked ‘ hey papa, do you feel tired, what do you want ma? , as she made Rathi sit in her bed.

I feel like fainting, so, I want some water, Rathi replied.

The Sweeper lady hurried out and brought water along with some candies from her bag. She gave it to Rathi, she consumed both water and candies. Within few minutes, Rathi get backs to normal.

‘Everything will be okay, relax dear ‘, the sweeper lady said to Rathi, as she was standing near the Rathi's bed.

Tears enrolled in Rathi's eyes, she visualizes her feverish mother and the thirsty old lady. Rathi realizes that “ little things around us, matters a lot”.

Hey papa, ‘why are you crying dear?’ and she also added that ‘ Are you feel better now ?’, a sweeper lady enquired to Rathi.

Rathi came back to reality with the words of the sweeper lady, she then stopped her crying and thanked the sweeper lady. Her eyes glowed as if she had against her own deception, which she had indulged till now.