It'S The Real Life

There was a young poor boy named Shyam who worked in a tea stall in the village of Gorakhpur. Although not a literate, yet he was very fond of the worldly knowledge and facts as he used to hear people at the stall very carefully.

He was not only the sole income earner after his parents died in an accident but was also an elder and responsible brother. He was sparing and saving money to educate  his sister Lakshmi, so that she doesn't have to work like him in a tea stall.

One day their neighbour Mr. Harishchandra came and asked Lakshmi to work as a part time babysitter in a well set family. Shyam being elder did not want his younger sister to work and earn.

But Lakshmi, understanding the plight of the elder brother and knowing the struggle he was facing each day, said "Yes" and went with Harishchandraji. However this happened after the prior permission of Shyam that had converted into a heated argument and ended with a consent.

The next day while Shyam was waiting for his sister in the evening, she did not come. She had not reached home although he was told that she would be back by 6O' clock.

After an hour Shyam became restless and frustrated and tensed he started searching for Lakshmi. Harishchandra's home was also locked which tensed him further. After asking other neighbours and hearing their "No" regarding the presence of both, Shyam went to the owner of tea stall in their search.

Disturbed and afraid, Shyam went to police station but they said that no complaint can be filed before 24 hours as it might be a kidnapping case.

Dejected and depressed Shyam while walking out of the police station saw a beggar a young girl who were handicapped and dumb. Her legs were impaired and tongue was cut by a sharp tool. She was trying to cross a muddy road by jumping but unable to do so.Shyam being courteous, decided to help her. He went there, held her hand but suddenly the girl got mad and tried to hold him tight and started crying and tried to tear off his shirt. Her face was blackened with a shoe polish and then he noticed that her right hand was also not there.Disturbed Shyam got afraid by this crazy and absurd behaviour of hers and pushed her and ran away.

Shyam was searching for his sister here and there as a week had lapsed but police were empty handed and clueless about Lakshmi. Harishchandra was missing and so was Lakshmi but Shyam was hopeful of finding his siter . He went to the temple to pray for her and then outside the temple he again saw that absurd crazy girl shabby and mad las he had seen a week ago. She was eating outside the temple and seeing her eating he silently skipped off the temple. Although the temple and police station were 5-6 km away but they had become a routine of this helpless boy.

One morning while thinking about his sister he remebered her smile, her dress, her way of talking, her bag, her hairband but one moment something struck him so hard that he woke up with a shock. That beggar girl had the same hairband! How? Had she seen his sister or stolen her band? Why?

He went back to temple but the girl was not there; He went to the police station but she was not there. Then suddenly he decided to go to Lakshmi's school. He went inside but when he was walking out he saw the same poor girl. He ran towards her.

She again held his shirt and tried to shout. Shyam washed off the black shoe polish out of her face and what he saw was the reality the crude reality of life. His worldly knowledge had failed, his intelligence had failed, his trust on others even on his neighbours was stabbed badly. He was a winner but a worst loser as that girl was his sister Lakshmi.