An Old Man

The dew drops were melting from the blades of grasses. The birds chirped out of their nest into the saffron sky. The cluttering of the small stream behind his small hut was Shankar's morning melody to finish his morning rituals. He would hum to it, walking over the tiny stoned in his cracked feet to his love, his paddy field. September was coming to an end, and this time mother earth had been really kind to him. The rain was good for the crops and was blooming healthy. He sat kneeling, filling his heart with the sight of his children dancing to the golden sun touching them.

Shankar had devoted most of his life to his small village, Shankarapur, the land unknown, unaware, untouched by the world outside. The people on this land only knew to crave of their stomachs and reaped only what they needed. But the new seeds which sprouted were different. They wanted more than they needed.

Shankar didn't get married again after the death of his 1st wife died while giving birth to their only son. Villagers and his mother bought is proposals in bulk saying

"It had only been one year! How will u live all your life?!" "What about your son!"

But Shankar dint wanted his four walls to become his limit! He wanted the open sky.

In a few years he some grew and after 10th migrated to a big city nearby for further studies. Shankar secretly thanked his god Shankar for making him a bright student or else how else would he have paid his fees.

From the big city, he moved on to an even bigger city. Now Anand sends postcards with beautiful pictures which would fill your eyes with glitter. 'Maybe that's why he doesn't want to come back.' He would often think. But now he has crossed oceans he tells. He flew over them." why would u want to!?" He would tell under his breath.

He would often lie in my cot looking at the starry sky winking to him, thinking about the big world that his son described. It would sound unreal to him. 

'maybe if I have a tv I would understand but where do I have time for that. My children will become weak if I dont pay attention to them. And then I have to listen to stream also.' He would think. Anand would ask him to come with him and see the world which is so much more beautiful but Shanker life is beautiful here only, his small land, his friends, his village. He doesn't want anything else.

His father passed away when he was a kid. His mother single-handedly raised him. He was a single son and grew up pampered with love and attention. They dint have money to buy a lot of things but his mother would tell him a new story every night, she will make him delicious meals and he would go around the village with his friends in the evening.

His father was a brave man. When he used to come back from his army camps in December he used to bring so many stories. But one December he sends his story but dint come. A letter lay on the floor and his mom sat as if she has passed on to another world. But he dint leave only the story of a brave for them be left the money which came every month making the life of mother and son easier.

One day, a letter came for Shankar to join the army.

" How can I leave my old mother and go?"

Was his only reply when someone asked about it. Though the villagers agreed with him, his mother stopped talking to him. But even he knew. Soon her heart will melt. 'Might take time but i will wait.' He told himself.

The next phase of his life started when proposals started coming. When Shankar found fault in every girl, that even the stray dog passing the house also was stated to be a bad omen, his mother understood that Shankar doesn't like the cup of responsibility. And then poured the death wishes and daily flights. And his mother won and came to his beautiful wife Radha. Her smile used to light up his evenings and her touch relive her from the day of pain. 

'We will meet soon.!' He whispered into her ears before leaving the place. He dint attend any of her last rites and roamed around villages for a month. Villagers thought he has gone mad, some told him he has become a sanyasi. But soon he returned and his mother held him close to her chest without questioning anything.

Now he is old, his hairs have turned white, his small pokey beard has turned white, and some hairs on his eyebrows are also becoming white. Colouring them was a nuisance. The black patchy stain on the skin would itch and burn. So shankar never bothered to dye after the first experience, which credit he gave his mother. So now when someone asks his age he would happily say

" who remembers, see my eyebrows are also becoming white!" And no one would ask anything further.

One by one his friends also crossed the bridge to heaven leaving him still on the lap of Mother Earth.

Nowadays people come to him to take blessings on auspicious occasions. Thus he has officially become the oldest man in the village even without his knowledge. But nothing seemed to bother him. He always had a thin line of happiness across his face no matter what. When someone would ask his secret he would just laugh.

His body never left his side but one fine day he got cold. He waited for the 2nd day and then on the 3rd decided to go to a nearby doctor sahab. For the first time in so many years, he would be going beyond his paddy field and his small hut. He took a cloth bag, filled with an umbrella and water, took a stick in hand, and started walking towards his destination. On the way when people asked where he is going, he said,

" to give blessings."

And that was the last time anyone saw him. He was searched everywhere possible from the hospital, to the places near the road, to the stream of water. It was like the sky opened and took him. People started telling

" he was an incarnation. And now left." 

Police soon gave up the search and his son in Australia was intimidated. But it didnt come for the next few years.