Watering an Artificial Plant
Part 1/3
She went into the kitchen prepared with a broom in her hand, stern face and knowing what kind of mess was lying in there for her. A moment ago she had heard a loud smashing noise of a cricket ball hitting her kitchen window. The ball had hurled itself into the pickle jar and had rolled away under the fridge, leaving a trail of chilly red oil for her to find and scrub. She collected all glass pieces in the dust pan and dumped them in the dust bin when the electric bell on her door screeched, breaking the otherwise silent mood of her home. She ignored and kept cleaning the floor, now wiping with a wet cloth. The bell again screeched after 15 minutes, by which she had finished cleaning the room and cleaned the oily ball as well. The eyehole on the door could not catch the young chap standing beneath its height. As she opened the door, the small kid of 12-14 years of age started begging her to give their ball and pleaded to forgive them. She instantly caught his left ear and squeezed it pulling it hard and scolded, “and then who will refund me for the broken window pane and all pickle that’s lost?” She was furious and he kept pleading, “sorry sorry aunty… it won’t happen again…. We will be careful next time onwards. Please give our ball back.” She knew these rascals would never change and left his ear and threw the ball outside. “Rascals! Don’t you dare play again over here.” The kid ran downstairs with the ball and in a moment she could hear cheers and joyous sounds erupting from the road of all other children.
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#ShortStory
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Part 1/3
She went into the kitchen prepared with a broom in her hand, stern face and knowing what kind of mess was lying in there for her. A moment ago she had heard a loud smashing noise of a cricket ball hitting her kitchen window. The ball had hurled itself into the pickle jar and had rolled away under the fridge, leaving a trail of chilly red oil for her to find and scrub. She collected all glass pieces in the dust pan and dumped them in the dust bin when the electric bell on her door screeched, breaking the otherwise silent mood of her home. She ignored and kept cleaning the floor, now wiping with a wet cloth. The bell again screeched after 15 minutes, by which she had finished cleaning the room and cleaned the oily ball as well. The eyehole on the door could not catch the young chap standing beneath its height. As she opened the door, the small kid of 12-14 years of age started begging her to give their ball and pleaded to forgive them. She instantly caught his left ear and squeezed it pulling it hard and scolded, “and then who will refund me for the broken window pane and all pickle that’s lost?” She was furious and he kept pleading, “sorry sorry aunty… it won’t happen again…. We will be careful next time onwards. Please give our ball back.” She knew these rascals would never change and left his ear and threw the ball outside. “Rascals! Don’t you dare play again over here.” The kid ran downstairs with the ball and in a moment she could hear cheers and joyous sounds erupting from the road of all other children.
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#ShortStory
#aniku
#prompt
Watering an Artificial Plant
Part 2/3
This was the first time when Raghu came in contact with Rubina aunty. Over the years she would constantly be in touch with him. Gradually, the furious stare she kept giving him while crossing the roads became kind and full of care. She came to know about his family that included a drunkard father who worked for construction of buildings, a mother who did household chores in neighbourhood and two more siblings younger than him. Rubina would see Raghu fighting around the street, roaming around meaninglessly and catch him by his ears; scolding and giving him life lessons. His short temper would land him in numerous troubles and she, along with his mother, would coax him several times to stay calm and give up his rowdy regime. His mother hoped that he would grow up and get a decent paying salary which would solve all their family problems. Rubina was moved when they were left bereft upon his father’s death in an accident at the site when the newly erected wall collapsed. The compensation paid to them lasted for few months and then Raghu had to stop his school to start earning bread for his family. His mother’s health kept deteriorating from multiple works and the worries of feeding three children. While Raghu started looking for money making opportunities, Rubina helped him and arranged for him to work in a restaurant, whose owner Batliwala was a family friend of Rubina. Raghu would deliver food in the locality on the cycle provided by the restaurant. He would at times come and visit her and Rubina would kindly fetch some sweets and confectionaries to carry for his siblings and mother. Rubina's husband died within two years of their marriage. She was left alone, but with a good fortune that came from his family. She stayed in a 2BHK apartment in South Bombay and worked as freelance translator of Mandarin; as a hobby to keep herself engaged and continue earning. Her lonely life found some meaning and she looked forward to meet Raghu and made it a point to visit his mother once a month at least. Raghu’s mother took to home as laborious works were beyond her health and kept supporting by ironing clothes. Rubina kept encouraging Raghu to enroll in a night school. She felt that he could still do it and be a good gentleman leading to a respectable life. He followed her advice and took up books again. Though the life was hectic for him, he worked in day hours and in late evening went to school after missing many classes that started quite early. Batliwala would allow him to skip night deliveries to facilitate his education.
#review
#ShortStory
#aniku
#prompt
Part 2/3
This was the first time when Raghu came in contact with Rubina aunty. Over the years she would constantly be in touch with him. Gradually, the furious stare she kept giving him while crossing the roads became kind and full of care. She came to know about his family that included a drunkard father who worked for construction of buildings, a mother who did household chores in neighbourhood and two more siblings younger than him. Rubina would see Raghu fighting around the street, roaming around meaninglessly and catch him by his ears; scolding and giving him life lessons. His short temper would land him in numerous troubles and she, along with his mother, would coax him several times to stay calm and give up his rowdy regime. His mother hoped that he would grow up and get a decent paying salary which would solve all their family problems. Rubina was moved when they were left bereft upon his father’s death in an accident at the site when the newly erected wall collapsed. The compensation paid to them lasted for few months and then Raghu had to stop his school to start earning bread for his family. His mother’s health kept deteriorating from multiple works and the worries of feeding three children. While Raghu started looking for money making opportunities, Rubina helped him and arranged for him to work in a restaurant, whose owner Batliwala was a family friend of Rubina. Raghu would deliver food in the locality on the cycle provided by the restaurant. He would at times come and visit her and Rubina would kindly fetch some sweets and confectionaries to carry for his siblings and mother. Rubina's husband died within two years of their marriage. She was left alone, but with a good fortune that came from his family. She stayed in a 2BHK apartment in South Bombay and worked as freelance translator of Mandarin; as a hobby to keep herself engaged and continue earning. Her lonely life found some meaning and she looked forward to meet Raghu and made it a point to visit his mother once a month at least. Raghu’s mother took to home as laborious works were beyond her health and kept supporting by ironing clothes. Rubina kept encouraging Raghu to enroll in a night school. She felt that he could still do it and be a good gentleman leading to a respectable life. He followed her advice and took up books again. Though the life was hectic for him, he worked in day hours and in late evening went to school after missing many classes that started quite early. Batliwala would allow him to skip night deliveries to facilitate his education.
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#ShortStory
#aniku
#prompt
Watering an Artificial Plant
Part 3/3
One night when Raghu was returning home, he heard a brawl of drunkards in the locality. His childhood friends all gathered to see the fun and pulled him along. After seeing the mess they were creating, Raghu tried to stop them and move them apart. However, both the men together started hurling fists and kicks on Raghu. One of them who lived in the back ally and knew Raghu, spat on him, “You swine! Your father was also a drunkard like us…. How dare you interfere in our matters.. huh?”. Raghu got furious, his eyes started reddening and hands started shivering in rage. He picked himself up and got hold of that man and ruthlessly began to hit him. While the man’s face bled, Raghu’s eyes continued to grow red. He picked up a wooden log from the roadside and continued to hammer the poor man’s head breaking his skull and a bulging bloody mass lumped out. The man fell down in the corner and remained the subject of Raghu’s anger and smashes for long time. Unaware and unconscious of his actions, Raghu didn’t even realize when the man stopped moving and lost life. People that had gathered around started dispersing when they realized that the street brawl had now turned into a murder. Some friends of Raghu came and strongly held him back, dragged him out of the street and took him home.
Rubina sat helpless and motionless on the dining table chair when advocate Nambiar finished his talking. The silence he left was immediately filled by sobs of Raghu’s mother that increased to wails. Rubina rested her head on her hands that were supported from the table. Nambiar tried to console the old mother and helped her get up from the chair. The neighbours had gathered in the passage hearing Raghu’s mother who was now being escorted out by Nambiar. Rubina’s eyes rolled out tears and her memories went back to the first day when she had met Raghu more than a decade ago. She had been involved in Raghu’s life since then, trying to shape it and give him a better future. Today, after a very long fight in the court, they had lost the case and Raghu was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. She looked outside her balcony, where she would usually see him on the streets. Her water sprinkler rested there near the crotons she had planted a month ago. All her efforts had been in vain when he lost his self-control that night and she felt as if she had been watering an artificial plant all along.
===================
© All rights reserved
#review
#ShortStory
#aniku
#prompt
Part 3/3
One night when Raghu was returning home, he heard a brawl of drunkards in the locality. His childhood friends all gathered to see the fun and pulled him along. After seeing the mess they were creating, Raghu tried to stop them and move them apart. However, both the men together started hurling fists and kicks on Raghu. One of them who lived in the back ally and knew Raghu, spat on him, “You swine! Your father was also a drunkard like us…. How dare you interfere in our matters.. huh?”. Raghu got furious, his eyes started reddening and hands started shivering in rage. He picked himself up and got hold of that man and ruthlessly began to hit him. While the man’s face bled, Raghu’s eyes continued to grow red. He picked up a wooden log from the roadside and continued to hammer the poor man’s head breaking his skull and a bulging bloody mass lumped out. The man fell down in the corner and remained the subject of Raghu’s anger and smashes for long time. Unaware and unconscious of his actions, Raghu didn’t even realize when the man stopped moving and lost life. People that had gathered around started dispersing when they realized that the street brawl had now turned into a murder. Some friends of Raghu came and strongly held him back, dragged him out of the street and took him home.
Rubina sat helpless and motionless on the dining table chair when advocate Nambiar finished his talking. The silence he left was immediately filled by sobs of Raghu’s mother that increased to wails. Rubina rested her head on her hands that were supported from the table. Nambiar tried to console the old mother and helped her get up from the chair. The neighbours had gathered in the passage hearing Raghu’s mother who was now being escorted out by Nambiar. Rubina’s eyes rolled out tears and her memories went back to the first day when she had met Raghu more than a decade ago. She had been involved in Raghu’s life since then, trying to shape it and give him a better future. Today, after a very long fight in the court, they had lost the case and Raghu was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. She looked outside her balcony, where she would usually see him on the streets. Her water sprinkler rested there near the crotons she had planted a month ago. All her efforts had been in vain when he lost his self-control that night and she felt as if she had been watering an artificial plant all along.
===================
© All rights reserved
#review
#ShortStory
#aniku
#prompt