Just For Amma!

Raja was running as fast as he could. The people of the city, including the policeman with his trained police dog, the rich and prestigious Mr. Raichand, the much-respected doctor Atul and the wise lady lawyer Mrs. Aruna Das. Raja ran with all his strength and quickly reached his ‘Basti’. For all those rich and elite class people, this slum area was like a hell.

“Ewww…” Mrs. Das said, covering her nose with a tissue.

“This Basti is like a maze. Finding that crook boy here is not possible” The policeman stated.

“It is better if we leave,” The Doctor added.

They left, this is what Raja knew is going to happen at last. For world whatever the Basti maybe, but for Raja and thousands of other poor and low working class people this slum was their home.

Raja sat down in near small drainage, his nostrils were familiar with and used to the pungent smell of the decaying matter in the drainage. He started thinking about the events of today.

Firstly when he was playing with the other kids of his locality, they all decided to visit the main city for garbage collection. He also went with them. They all were busy collecting the garbage but Raja did something else, he mugged up all the smelly decaying stuff from the dustbin, in his bag and threw it in front of the house of the much known and respected doctor Atul Agnihotri. Dr. Atul’s maid saw him doing so and immediately told her master.

Next he stopped in front of another house called “The Raichand Palace” which belonged to Mr. Raichand; the richest man in the town, with businesses in various countries Mr. Raichand’s driver was cleaning the big Mercedes Benz, he took a huge piece of rock and with his all strength threw it aiming right on the front glass of the car, it strikes and the glass was into pieces in fraction of second. Mr. Raichand was enjoying his cigarette in the balcony of his twelve story house, he saw the event happening and was red with anger. He took his big gun from the display and moved outside to take the revenge from the mischievous boy.

 On way to home, he did to more deeds. First, he stole food from the kitchen of Mrs. Aruna Das, who had just prepared the meal, and whose kids saw Raja stealing the food. Obviously they the lady. And second he saw that the policeman was sleeping in the small police station, so he quietly took his wallet lying on the table, but was caught easily as the police dog sitting out barked at his action. The policeman woke up and took his stick out to beat Raja.

Raja knew they all are going to run behind him to beat him, but all his actions gave him some sort of satisfaction.

All the people on their way back to their elite houses labeled Raja as a criminal, but everyone failed to notice the reasons behind what he did.

Raja’s mother Kaashi is a part-time morning sweeper, sometimes Raja also comes with her. Raja usually notices that Doctor throws garbage from his house on the road directly instead of using the dustbins. Kaashi always has to sweep the area she had already swept just because Doctor threw the garbage again.

This redundancy in her work makes her late for her next workplace which is the Raichand Palace. Kaashi is a housemaid in that house, who is often scolded due to being late. One day Raja saw Mr. Raichand trying to touch Kaashi abusively. Kaashi somehow saved herself that day. He remembers Kaashi crying at home. He told her to leave the job, but Kaashi claimed that Mr. Raichand comes to India for only a few months, rest of the time he stays in foreign countries for his businesses. Besides that, this job is the sole means of their livelihood. His father Mandaar doesn’t work at all. All he does is losing money in fake lotteries and gambling, at nights he drinks and sometimes beat Kaashi. Kaashi still works at Raichand’s house somehow saving herself from the creepy claws of Raichand.

 Last night Raja saw Kaashi was ill, but they didn’t have money to buy medicines for her. Today Kaashi didn’t go for work; she was so worried her wages that surely are going to cut due to her uninformed leave. She wasn’t even able to cook food today due to which Mandaar scolded her badly. Raja knew Kaashi needs money and food.

Sitting near the drainage he realized that what he had stolen has been lost while he was running. He knew what he did, is wrong. This is not a way to seek revenge for his mother or bring things that his mother needed. But being a teenager his blood was boiling with anger towards the situation of his mother, all he wanted was her mother to smile. He knew Kaashi will be very angry if she gets to know what all he has done, still he decided to tell her.

A slight thought of his mother made Raja ran to home. It was getting dark and cold. Raja reached his home and was relaxed seeing Kaashi fine and sitting outside the small house that they had. Kaashi has lighted a small bonfire with some sticks and kerosene. Raja sat in front of her, the bonfire between them.

“How are you Amma?” he asked.

“Much better. This fire is working as a medicine for my cold.” Kaashi said with her wrinkled face.

Raja smiled feeling the warmth of the fire and his mother’s love.