Hope

Rita alighted from her school bus and briskly walked towards her home. Her family had just moved to a new locality on the city outskirts. Her home was nearly 700 mts from the bus stop. While Rita did not mind the walking distance, what did concern her though was the desolate look the street wore around the late afternoons when she returned from school.

Few weeks into the new routine, Rita still found it hard to not get scared about the lonely feeling the street inflicted upon her. Somehow she managed without letting her parents know about it.

Some hope

One day, to Rita’s surprise she saw a middle-aged man sitting on the balcony of his second-floor home. He wore a white shirt and sat almost expressionless and motionless. Until Rita reached her home, she turned back after every few steps to ensure he was still sitting. Such a relief to Rita that she could see the man for as long as she walked until her home.

“She did not know him at all yet his mere presence offered her the much-needed sense of protection and security.”

 The next few weeks rolled by effortlessly. Rita forgot entirely about the otherwise desolate street all thanks to the man on the balcony.

However, one-day things took an ugly turn.

Over dinner, Rita’s parents discussed an important ongoing issue in the city. Child Kidnapping cases had risen rapidly over the last weeks and all the parents of young children were alerted by schools. Rita’s parents asked her if everything was fine and if indeed somebody was following her closely. They encouraged her to be open about anyone who kept a watch on her as that was the most common way kidnappers attacked innocent, helpless children. 

Rita kept quiet although she was dumbfounded by the developments. That night she could hardly manage to sleep. She had not told her parents about the man in the balcony yet. Now that the kidnap crisis had come to her knowledge, Rita began suspecting the man.

The following day and several days later, Rita managed to a brisk walk to her home from the bus stop. Just like in the past. She turned back only one or two times to see if the man was still sitting.

 Well, he was always there! Expressionless and motionless! Each day after school, Rita hoped and prayed that the man disappeared but it just wouldn’t happen.

“Life is strange. For many weeks, Rita feared that the street had abandoned her. Within no time, tables had turned. She felt haunted by the same street. “

 2 weeks later – Some hope?

On just another day as Rita alighted from the bus stop something took her aback. The man had indeed disappeared!

This time Rita sprinted to her home. She was so consumed by fear that the man could be hiding somewhere on the street waiting to kidnap her that she did not stop even to take a breath.

Without taking further chances, Rita explained everything that had happened in the last 3 months to her parents. Her parents consoled her and felt so terribly bad that she chose not to reveal it to them. Rita did not want to trouble her parents when they were back from work but since the matter had literally gone out of control, for her own safety she had finally talked about it.

In search of the mystery man

Rita’s parents began to enquire about the man on the balcony from their new neighbors. That is when they heard about Mrs. Latha and her mentally disturbed brother.

Latha’s family was a much-loved one in the community. They were such a close-knit family and so happy that little did anyone know that one-day destiny would mercilessly rip them apart.

Several years ago, Latha’s parents had died in a brutal car accident and her brother, Madan was severely injured in the same gruesome incident. Latha took care of her brother who was now physically functioning just okay but mentally had not coped one bit. There was only a slight chance that he would be back to normal but Latha and everybody in the neighborhood hoped that he would be back. They prayed for him – all of them.

For a few weeks, Latha’s brother seems to sit on the balcony for hours – his favorite place in his home. This gave immense hope to Latha that her brother may just be back to his normal lively self. He sat there expressionless and motionless! He seemed to like it there.

Until he suddenly collapsed one evening.

Latha rushed him to the hospital.

 Just a little hope

As Rita and her parents heard about Latha and her brother they were in tears. 

Rita shared with her mother how protected and safe she had felt by his mere presence. He almost was like an older brother watching over her except that she knew nothing of him – neither his name nor his face. She became emotional as she expressed her strong guilt for suspecting such an innocent person. Nevertheless, Rita’s mother consoled her saying sometimes; it is the circumstances that lead humans to emote in a certain way.

For days and weeks and months, just like Latha, Rita and her family too checked on her Madan at the hospital. Madan became a part of Rita’s family.

 They prayed to the almighty that they get a chance to see Madan in full life. How they longed to convey their gratitude to a mystery man who became a brother, a savior, and a source of hope albeit without his knowledge. Rita prayed and hoped that she would someday see Madan Bhaiyya (brother) on the same balcony – this time, smiling and waving!

After all, when everything goes out of one’s control, all you can do is hope and sincerely hope.

Poem: Glint of hope

I walked beside a strong woman,

I was in absolute awe of her graceful gait despite the biting cold on a winter morning;

Nay! I did not know her by face or by name,

Yet I longed for her friendship as we hiked mile after mile!

In a loud and a clear voice only slightly trembling, she spoke fondly of all the memorable hikes from her bygone years,

She always forged ahead whether it rained or shined;

She stared at the vast open skies; she had long befriended the twigs and stones along the way; 

Oh! How I endeavored to emulate her spirit!

 Several strenuous hours later we reached atop the mountain,

I was mesmerized by the impeccable beauty around me;

I ran hither wither to find my new friend,

But my heart sank as I realized she was nowhere near me!

Such a free soul, she seemed to be gone on another adventure so soon.

Decades later I still do not know her by face or by name,

Although I long for her companionship each time I set out on a hike.

I can only hope that I find my good old friend someday.