The Mishap

               The Holi Festival

Little Lila was very happy. She was looking forward to the Holi Festival. She was studying in St. Joseph Convent, where the studies for the students seemed to be “All work and no Play.” As soon as she went home after eight hours of school, her mother Sapna would rush her through the regular routine of bath, lunch, and compulsory sleep. Then after she was up at four in the evening, with clock-like precision, her private tutors would arrive. Each one seemed to being very conscientious, for they would grill her for two continuous hours, compelling her to understand, and grasp every word imparted, which her fagged out brain revolted to absorb.

               How she hated to sit down to study in the evenings, when she could hear the children from the Play Ground, enjoying, and having fun. Her composure would snap, when she heard the bell ring to announce the arrival of her teachers. She felt like dashing out of the flat, just bang the door shut, and run, and run, and run-----run down the winding tarred road, to a beautiful park. Then it would be wonderful to just flop down on the velvety lawn, and roll on the soft textured carpet, looking up at the limitless, blue, azure sky. She would listen awe-stuck to the chirping of the birds in unison, announcing their bed-time. She needed space, time to relax, time which she could call her own.

            The Mathematics Teacher would usher in first, with his grim face, a permanent scowl, and an impatient mannerism. He would look so foreboding, that she would be always tensed up, forgetting in the bargain, what she already knew. She would get her sums wrong, and he would fume with displeasure.

          The lady who took her for Bengali was a shade better. She also had a stern, unfriendly demeanor, as if she were cross with the world, after having a heavy break-fast which she could not digest. The first task she would set, would be a dry topic for essay –writing, which kept Lila occupied, but she  had the time to relax. When with all the effort Lila could muster, she would try and put her thoughts together, the unfortunate student would be constantly distracted by Mrs. Nandi’s Watt’s App- messages. It was the time for her teacher to renew all her past contacts. The English teacher too was so boring, as if all her knowledge had been wrung out completely dry, in a very efficient washing machine, rendering her explanations absolutely devoid of interest. She spoke in a high-pitched monotonous tone, which became very jarring.

              Her parents did not understand her needs, or appreciate her innate desires. All they wanted was that she should excel in her studies, and become a famous Doctor one day. If she got one mark less than the target set for her by them, they were very disappointed, and she got her share of scolding.

             Lila longed to be able to bake a cake like her friend Arpita. Susan used to tell her how much she enjoyed her swimming lessons, and her friend Sheila could play the synthesizer so well. Lila longed to all these, like other small girls of her age. She felt betrayed and frustrated, but for her, there was no remedy.

              Now that Holi was in the offing, she looked to the opportunity to have fun at last.

            Little Lila was just ten years old—not yet a lady. But since she was three, she loved to dress up like her mother Sapna, and would use her Mother’s lipstick lavishly, and smudge it all over her face. Her Mother had presented her with a sari for her tenth birthday. Lila would drape it round her small waist, and try to copy her mother. In a nut shell, she was a sweet duplicate of her mother. She had two prominent dimples on her cheeks. Her head was covered with soft, black, curly hair, which she constantly tried to push back from her face.

             Lila had planned to go down, and play with colors in the open space below her tower. There were nine towers in the premises, and she had made many friends from all of them. Her parents had bought dried floral colors for her, as well as a pump to spray liquid color on her friends. She was ready with a small bucket too in which she was going to mix the colors. When the day arrived, she was all excited! She put on a shabby dress which she could discard later on. Then she hopped, skipped, and almost ran down.

                  Ravi and Sapna were very happy because from the squeals and laughter, they could make out that their little daughter was having a whale- of- a- time. But all of a sudden the peals of laughter turned into shrieks, and sky- piercing cries. They rushed downstairs to find out what was happening.

               The children were jumping up and down with intense discomfort. Their hands and legs had broken out into  hives—there were inflamed red blotches all over their body, where ever the colurs had been sprayed. Evidently the colors had been adulterated with some chemicals which were toxic. Quickly the parents rushed them to the hospitals in bewilderment, and panic.

                Lila had both her hand pressed to her eyes, and she was screaming in pain. When her parents took her in their arms, she clung to them. Her body was covered with blisters. The color had got into her eyes, causing burning and pain. They immediately took her to the Emergency Department in A.M.R.I Hospital. Lila was not able to open her eyes, which had become swollen and red. The Doctor took great pains over examining her. Then with great hesitation, and a grim face, the doctor announced that the cornea in both eyes had got affected.   Though he was giving her eye drops to ease her pain, perhaps she would never get back her vision.

           Sapna and Ravi on hearing the verdict were shocked. They could not imagine their most precious darling being blind all her life. Sapna nearly collapsed on hearing this. Even Ravi went through intense emotional stress .They brought Lila home. She was panic-stricken. The darkness was extremely terrifying for her. However much she tried to see, she could not. She clung on to her parents, and gave herself up to relentless crying.

              Lila’s parents tried to do everything possible to put her at ease. They sat with her all the time. They turned on the music system for her to listen to her favorite songs. But she became irritated, and told them to turn it off. Her mother read out stories, but Lila did not want to listen to stories. Sapna prepared all the favorite dishes which Lila would love to eat before, but she pushed them away saying that she did not have an appetite. She refused to take a bath. She would start sobbing every now and then. Another problem that cropped up was that Lila did not know how to spend her time, and what she was to do. She was getting bored. At this point, Sapna and Ravi had no idea how to keep her occupied.

                      On an experimental basis, they got her admitted in a Blind School. But the report came in, that all the time she was crying. They then took her out from there.

                After that they started making the rounds of all the Hospitals; If by chance a Specialist in the field could give some suggestions. The information that they garnered was that the only way out was Corneal Transplant. But the information was neither- here- nor- there, as the hospitals also let them know that as there was a long waiting list, they might be lucky to get a donor only after five or six years. It had become very difficult for the girl to live a day in her pathetic condition. How were they to manage for such a long   time! As it was, she had already become a psychological case.

      It was at this juncture that Sapna got a workable idea. Lila had been looked after by her grandmother, since she was a baby when Sapna had to go to office. The little girl used to be very fond of her. So now Sapna asked her Mother to come and stay with them as Lila needed her.

                  Her Mother arrived. The meeting between granny and the grand child brought tears to Sapna’s eyes. The change in the girl was astounding. Her granny would enfold Lila in her arms, and there the little girl sat like an angel, composed, and chatting softly to the old lady. Invariably she was also heard laughing at their little jokes.

               Granny had a wonderful way with the girl. She told Lila very confidently, over and over again, that she would get back her vision. She had prayed to God, and He would do the needful. Lila with renewed hope stopped being difficult and tried to cooperate. Granny and Lila developed a close friendship, and the situation seemed to improve.

            But then the unexpected happened! What no one could have predicted, Granny fell ill, and seriously so. What would happen to Lila now! The little ray of sunshine was cruelly being taken away from her. Lila still sat at her Granny’s bed-side holding her hand—her comfort, her strength, her hope! Then the cloud thickened and blackened. Granny’s pneumonia did not seem to get better despite the strong Antibiotics.

            Then one evening she called her family to her bedside, and with a look of great tenderness, she told everyone that she was taking leave forever. But she would like Lila to be the benefactor of her inheritance which she was handing over to her by her Will.  She was leaving her eyes for Lila. Though Granny would be closing her eyes in death, Lila would be able to see the world through her eyes. She would not have to wait for years or be dependent on any other donor for the Corneal Transplant. Immediately the Doctors could do the surgery, and soon Lila would be able to see. She wrapped Lila within the warmth of her arms, smiled, and closed her eyes forever, with a radiant and a peaceful expression.