The White Gown And Chocolate

It was a Sunday...a lazy Sunday. I woke very late by 11 in the morning. Put my slippers, rubbing my eyes and trying to open them fully. No, I'm not able to do it easily because of the party I had overnight, in all means. I opened the front door. Oh! It's heavily raining outside. The playground is empty and silent unusually. The only sound is the drops of rain hitting the leaves and frogs crying. I looked around sitting in my chair in the veranda; named my wife twice, no answer. I too had no more energy to call her again. Just relaxed sitting back at chair, arms over the back of the head, newspaper over my lap. How beauty is this rain...I even can smell the soil with wetness.

I saw in distance, at another end of the ground, a small girl maybe around 5-8, running round in the rain. I watched her innocence. I dont know what struck me, I remembered Gitu, the little daughter of same age of an iron man in the street where I lived 5 years back. I just dropped my head back, kept my spectacle near the window side, closed my eyes. The music of rain started moving away from me. The laughter of Gitu, around my ears with her milky teeth all visible. The girl who waited every eve in front of my quarters holding her father's arm. Both had a reason for that. Bola, Gitu's father used to iron my clothes and give to me everyday; she waits for the chocolate. At those days of singleness, the only thing I remembered strictly to do was buying chocolate for her.

At the age of 6 itself, she had more than maturity a kid can have. Near to my quarters, a number of families used to live. Most of the children around her had cycles to roam around, new toys to play with. But she never had asked her father to bring something like that. She had a torn old teddy bear, which was her only companion whom she spoke, shared and played with. Bola used to say that every day "Saabji, I'm so happy to have Gitu as my daughter. She never cried to me for anything. She understands what her father cant do for her. I have taken care of Gitu from her birth. She never had the warmness of her mother who passed away after giving birth to her. Her grandparents used to hurt her all the time they can since they lost their daughter after giving birth to Gitu. So for last 5 years, we are staying in that 1 room understanding and caring for each other. I'm so lucky to have a daughter like her...:" He never used to complete his emotions. Before that tear rolls out from his tired eyes, words feared to come out of the mouth.

Gitu, she is a sweet little girl with chubby cheeks, heavenly innocent smile with fair color. She pinned her hair to 2 sides which I used to catch as the handle of the bike and we used to play as she was my bike and I the rider. She will stay back in my room till the time Bola finishes his work. I also noticed that she never used to open the chocolate till the time her father come to call her. I asked her once "Why?" She had a beautiful answer to that "My papa never eat anything without me. Then how can I uncle? He's so good". I just had a smile on that answer with a pat over her head.

One day, when I was entering my quarters, I looked her around but can't see. I slowly moved to Bola and asked "Gitu...??". he answered in a tempered voice "Girl has learned new unwanted lessons. She saw the girl of neighborhood in a beautiful white gown one day. Yesterday, they came to me for ironing the same. When she saw that, she started crying to have it for her. How can I Saabji.." He continued his work. I told him "How much did it cost, I'll give you or I will take her to the shop and have it.." Before the stoppage, he crossed "Saabji, you are a good man by heart. But I wish to live with what I can and I'm teaching my daughter too the same. I have already decided to save some amount every day separately to have one. Till the time, let she cry".

Days passed. We all forgot the incident, even Gitu. As normal she came to me every day and we had good time around.

One Sunday, after having a party with my college friends who used to stay nearby, I entered the colony, Gitu's house was at the start of colony itself. I saw a crowd, all silent surrounding her house. I parked my bike near to a wall. It was heavily raining with thunder. I was all wet. I cant see clearly what was going around there. I whipped out water from face, moved towards the crowd. My heart was beating than normal. I felt the shivering inside me.

Oh no.....Gitu laid down covered with a white cloth, candles around her. I kept my hands on my head, tears rolled out of my eyes, I even didn't move from where I saw it. I was breathing deep & deeper. Bola was sliding at his coat looking at Gitu's body with no emotions at all. He saw me. He started crying louder and shouted from there looking at me "Saabji, look at her, our Gitu. She's no more to wait at your gate to have chocolates. She's gone to her mother. I have no one in this world to live for..." I can't stop myself. I cried like anything. I hugged him tightly...He suddenly stopped crying and stood up, walked to one corner of that small leaking room. He took a cover from there and came to me, opened it. A b'ful white gown...

Crying with half words, he completed " Saabji, I went to the market to have a surprise to Gitu on her b'day tomorrow with this one. I forgot to wash off the coal fire in the iron box kept at the table. I dont know Saabji, that box which gave me earnings to take care of Gitu ...took her...It fell over her and hit over her heart with all the weight and heat of it. She failed to move it out Saabji..."He leaned over my shoulders. Then Bola went to Gitu's body and started "Daughter, wake up wake up, we have to try this dress...wake up". Scenes became uncontrollable. As his wish, she was taken for her last rest in the white gown she wished to have. I placed the last chocolate to her, near that little body.

As soon as she was taken away, I moved out of that house. Rain was having its hard dance with thunder around. It tried to hide the tears and cries under it. I started my bike. Ride for hours unknowingly where to, in the heavy rain...had a hard drink somewhere I saw...slept in a seashore, that night. 

I didn't stay for long there in that quarters, moved out. I visited Bola for the last time in my life on my last day in that quarters. With wetness in his eyes "Saabji, she loved you a lot. I know how much you too but see what God did with my little Gitu..." I just tightened his grips with mine and quickly, without looking back, moved away from him.

Suddenly a hand over my shoulders woke me up. I looked around. Clouds have cleared off, saw children playing in the garden, rainbow on the horizon. Heard songs of birds from infinity. The strong wind stole my tears. Butterflies with multiple colors all around. My wife as usual with gentle voice "You were thinking about Gitu, right? It's past now, you have to move on dear"

Hearing to that, I took my spectacle, put it on my eyes, handed over newspaper from lap to her, then slowly stepped to the garden, to the children..."Yes, that is life. That's what time is powerful of...Healing all wounds as it passes through us"