Chapter Seven
Friday, Morning 6.45 AM
The man was getting ready to leave for work, wearing his trousers, and looking at his six year old son who was sleeping peacefully. "You are my treasure and my hope." He gently whispered into the son's ears and took the breakfast and lunchbox from his wife and left the house in a hurry. Took the bicycle out, and pedaled along quickly to the street corner, and took the first right, which will lead him to the main road.
As he turned right, he slowed down, and smiled widely. He was still recollecting what his wife had said as he woke up in the morning from the kitchen. "You know what your son said yesterday as he returned from the school?"
As he recollected what his wife said, he couldn't control his emotions, and didn't bother to stop the fluids flowing from his eye. Being the Man of the house, he couldn't let a tear drop, in front of his wife. Even if it was a tear of joy. He felt light, yet he felt heavy.
He repeated to self what his son had said the previous day. "Appa is the world's best appa. Appa is super Appa." And as he realized the significance of what his son did the previous night, he shed a few more tears, with his chest expanding in happiness he could not express. Happiness which made him forget all the miseries around him.
Chapter Six
Thursday Night / Friday Early Morning - Some Time
The kid suddenly woke up from his sleep. He looked around to make a sense of things surrounding him. He was looking for him, his father in that night filled with moon glow spreading light through the holes in window panes. He could hear the frogs croak. He was sleepy. He wanted to sleep. He wanted his father as well. He found the man sleeping, not on his cot, but near it. He found his father sleeping on the floor with his legs on the cot.
He went near his father. Climbed on him. Had his legs on both sides of his father's torso. And rested his head against his father's chest. He could feel his father's palm gently tapping his back, and fingers running through his hair. And he slept peacefully, unmindful of his father's heavy snores, which he usually detests.
Chapter Five
Thursday Night 10.30 PM
As she heard the clatter of a badly maintained cycle, she knew her husband was back. She wanted to share the happiness with her man. She knew her man is back after a rather long day. She wanted to share the news that her son had brought that day. She wanted to share it at the right time. 'When he eats', she decided.
She heard him keep his cycle along the front wall in the outside. She heard the noise of her husband locking his cycle. She knew what would happen next. The customary pull of the lock lever, to double check if the cycle was locked properly. The ruffles of slippers being left outside the door. She then looked at the door, as he came in.
He was drenched in sweat. Thirty odd kilometre of cycling would do that to anybody. The face looked tired. The face had very little happiness. "Has he slept?"
"Yeah. Bit early today. Around 8."
"Did he have his food?" She nodded. "You had your food".
"Kind of." He knew his son wouldn't have eaten everything put on his plate. "Was waiting for you." She added.
"Could you please get me some hot water?"
She realized he has had a very demanding day. Must have had to lift loads of grocery items at the shop he works. As he unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt, and sat directly under the fan, she handed him the portable radio, which he religiously switched on to listen some old melodies. And started humming along to a song that was being played.
As they had their food, they talked. She listened more to his work related chores, and how abusive some of the people had been that day. As he said that the day's ritual will continue for the next three days, she knew, she could not share what she wanted to.
Chapter Four
Thursday Morning 5.00 AM
She woke up to some noise in the kitchen, and found him cooking something. Sensing that she has woken up late, she looked up at the wall clock, it was ticking around the five am mark. 'Why so soon?' was all she could think of.
"You are leaving early today?" She asked him as she stood up and went to the bathroom outside to grab a mug of water.
"Yeah..."
"You could have told me." He could hear her voice from the bathroom. "I would have done something. When should you start?"
"Around 6.00 AM."
"But why so early today? Because you had left your shop early yesterday?" He nodded. "You didn't even sleep properly. Why can't you tell the owner that you'll come a bit late today?"
"Not possible. Lot of deliveries are pending. It was turning a bit ugly yesterday due to lot of customers yelling at the owner. One of the delivery boys seems to have left without informing. I had given my word to Ayya. I should honour it."
"We could have atleast postponed it to some other day."
"I couldn't deny my son as well. I have given my word to him. Poor thing, has been asking me for quite some time. I had to honour my promise to him. And you know we could not have postponed it."
"Honour is the only thing we seem to have." She said to herself. And started making some quick dishes for him to have and carry to work. As he came from bath, and starting for cycle, she handed over the food bags to him. "Go and honour your word. Like you did yesterday. But I am worried about your sleeplessness"
"Just one day. I should be able to make it up before this week." And he pedalled away towards the main road for yet another thirty kilometre ride.
Chapter One
Wednesday Afternoon 3.00 PM
"It has been a very very busy day. I will send it through someone madame. All the delivery boys have gone to deliver the goods. I have packed it and kept ready. Give me half an hour. Thank you." The Grocery Shop Owner placed the receiver on the telephone instrument, and looked at him.
"You had your food?"
"Not yet Ayya."
"Oh...." He was looking into some distant emptiness and tapping his fingers on the table thinking what to do. "You have your food, and also take care of the shop for thirty minutes. I will go for delivery and be back."
"I will go, Ayya. Why do you need to go when I am here? I will go."
The shop owner smiled at his employee, and said "Thanks. But you have your food first. You have been doing lot of cycling today. Consider it your break. Have your food, and stay fresh. You'll have your share of additional work today."
"Ayya..." He was sheepishly asking for something.
"I know it. I promised you, right? I remember it. You can leave by 4.30 PM. I will take care of the shop with the Podiyan. But be early tomorrow. There are twenty three more deliveries. I don't know if the guys will turn up tomorrow." Saying the Ayya had left to deliver the goods to couple of houses, taking his motor cycle with him.
He had his food as quickly as he could, and started preparing couple of boxes for delivery. He found the list of customer for whom delivery had to be made. He saw that with little deviation in his usual route, he can cover around seven houses. That would result in additional five or six kilometres. 'But I owe ayya atleast this much.'
"Ayya, I will leave at 4.15 and deliver the goods at these addresses, as I go home. They stay in the route to my home."
"It may get delayed. Leave out these two houses. They will not be home when you go. The remaining you deliver."
At 4.15, he had packed the boxes and tied them in his cycle carrier, and was about to leave, when Ayya had called him. "Take this." He gave a fifty rupee note and two biscuit packets.
"Ayya..." He was not expecting this.
"Its not for you. Its for your son. Keep him happy. And he will keep you happy one day."
Chapter Two
Wednesday Evening 6.15 PM
She was waiting outside the house with their son. Even from a distance, he knew that she was angry and his son restless. As he neared the house, he saw her 'Why are you so late look?'.
"Shall we start?" He asked smilingly to his son.
"Yes!" Shouted his son excitedly, and climbed upto the sit on the front bar. As the kid sat, he gave him a biscuit packet for him to munch along till they reach their destination.
She looked at him, and she knew that he has come home rushing. He looked tired. "Shall I borrow a ladies cycle, and pedal along?"
"Why? We can travel by our own cycle. Come on sit. Lets go." As she climbed
As they neared the single screen cinema theatre seven kilometres away from their home, he couldn't control his son's excitement. He was worried about reaching there late. As he entered the main gate to the theatre, his heart sank. The security was placing the "Housefull" board on the gate.
A quick interaction with the security made two things clear - It was not actually houseful. They still had a few tickets in the first class category. The ten rupee ticket, which is what he had in mind, was filled up a good one hour ago. The first class tickets were priced at seventy rupees, was beyond his means.
He saw his wife, and his son, who was still excitedly talking something to his mother. He directed her eyes to the houseful board. His conveyed his helplessness. She looked at her son, and then back at her husband. Seeing his mother's expression change and her signal towards somebody on his back, the son became silent, turned around and looked at his father. He looked beyond his father at the crowd, and he once again got excited. He didn't understand the whiteboard carrying "Housefull".
"Can we try the other theatre?" He asked his wife. The other theatre was four kilometres away, and was playing a different movie than the one, they had come to watch.
"He wanted to watch this movie. You promised him this movie. Not the other one. He will not enjoy the long dialogues or silly romantic stuff. That is not a kid's movie. This one is. Why don't you try getting the cheaper tickets in black?"
"Couldn't find any."
"Then lets go home. We'll come tomorrow or sometime later."
"They are taking this movie off tomorrow. From Friday, it will be something else." To relax his aching legs, he sat on the pavement. His son joined him, and sat beside him. He was still holding the biscuit pack. "You didn't eat it."
"No. I wanted to eat while watching the movie. My friends said they used to have some corn while watching movie. I will have biscuits."
"All your friends have watched this movie?"
"Yes. All of them. Some of them more than two times. Whole class has seen the movie."
"What is so special about the movie? What does your friend say about this movie?"
"They keep on talking about the Lion and the hero." He was explaining lot of things animatedly. "They say it is superb movie. Everybody talks about this movie. Everybody says something new about the movie. Tomorrow I will also say something new."
He saw her, imploring some way out to convince him. She responded asking him to satisfy his son's wishes.
"When are we entering the cinema hall, appa?"
"We will in a short while. Appa will get the tickets for you and mom. We will see this movie tonight."
He walked back to the security, and pointed at his son, and requested to get three ten rupee tickets for the night show, which starts at ten pm.
"I don't think this is a good idea. He has school tomorrow. By the time movie gets over, and we reach home, it will be two am. Cycling through those roads in the night isn't safe. He may not even watch the movie in full."
"Yeah. I know. I can't come tomorrow. And the day after, the movie wouldn't be screened. This one time we will watch a night show. For him."
"What if he sleeps?"
"I won't sleep. I promise. I want to watch night show." The kid said interrupting the parent's conversation.
"What about food?" She asked.
"We will eat somewhere here. Ayya gave me fifty rupees." He turned to his son, "To keep him happy, along with those two biscuit packets. Let us keep him happy."
Chapter Three
Wednesday Night 9.45 PM
They entered the cinema hall after having their food and waiting in the cinema premises. The small play area with one swing had saved the evening for the kid. In between, he had slept for an hour. They had to wake him up to get into the cinema hall. The cinema hall was relatively less crowded than the evening. As they entered the hall, the kid couldn't control his happiness. He was making small dance steps and making happy noises. The Air Conditioner had him in awe. He really felt cool. "Super Appa." They went past the first class seats, past the second class seats, and sat in the second row, part of the third class seats. "Wow!" The kid screamed. "We will sit this close?!" He was excited. He was happy. He was still holding on to his biscuit packet.
As they were travelling back home, some four hours later, the son was all teeth. He kept on giving commentary on how the hero had fought against lot of animals, and bad guys. "I will also fight the bad guys when I grow up". He was asking about the magic done in the movie. Every now and then he was yawning, and wanted to sleep. But couldn't control his urge to talk more about the movie.
"See, he has seen the entire movie. He didn't sleep. The ticket cost didn't go bad."
"He didn't sleep. But you did." She responded.
"As if you didn't."
"I didn't. I don't know when we will watch another movie. Do you think I will let go this opportunity?". As they entered to house, the kid was fully asleep. She lifted him and handed over the keys to her husband. He opened the door, and prepared the bed for the son, over which she placed the kid. He was sleeping very peacefully. And in another ten minutes, all of them were asleep.
Epilogue (Chapter Eight)
Thursday, Morning 11.00 AM
All the kids of his class were surrounding him. He was showing them the tickets, and the remains of a biscuit packet that he had taken along the previous evening. It was their turn to listen, and his turn to talk on the movie. He repeated lot of things his mother and father said of the movie the previous night. He corrected lot of points made by the other kids in the class. And they realized this chap had infact seen the movie better.
And as he made concluding remarks, the entire class wow'ed in unison. "You know, I watched the movie this close." He was making some gestures. "The lion was so big. That paw, wow... It was amazing. Did you guys see all those? Actually I could see lot of things from so close."
"Really?! You are so lucky." One of the other kids said.
"And know what? I watched the movie in a night show." He was pointing to the "Night Show" printed in the ticket.
The other one joined, "Wow! My father never takes me for a night show. He says it is only for big boys."
"He has become a big boy, now". Another one added. "Yeah." There were murmurs of concurrence.
"Yeah. I am a big boy now."
"Hey, your parents are really cool." His benchmate added.
"Yeah. They are. They will do anything to keep me happy."
"And will you?"
"Of course, Yes."
THE END
Friday, Morning 6.45 AM
The man was getting ready to leave for work, wearing his trousers, and looking at his six year old son who was sleeping peacefully. "You are my treasure and my hope." He gently whispered into the son's ears and took the breakfast and lunchbox from his wife and left the house in a hurry. Took the bicycle out, and pedaled along quickly to the street corner, and took the first right, which will lead him to the main road.
As he turned right, he slowed down, and smiled widely. He was still recollecting what his wife had said as he woke up in the morning from the kitchen. "You know what your son said yesterday as he returned from the school?"
As he recollected what his wife said, he couldn't control his emotions, and didn't bother to stop the fluids flowing from his eye. Being the Man of the house, he couldn't let a tear drop, in front of his wife. Even if it was a tear of joy. He felt light, yet he felt heavy.
He repeated to self what his son had said the previous day. "Appa is the world's best appa. Appa is super Appa." And as he realized the significance of what his son did the previous night, he shed a few more tears, with his chest expanding in happiness he could not express. Happiness which made him forget all the miseries around him.
Chapter Six
Thursday Night / Friday Early Morning - Some Time
He went near his father. Climbed on him. Had his legs on both sides of his father's torso. And rested his head against his father's chest. He could feel his father's palm gently tapping his back, and fingers running through his hair. And he slept peacefully, unmindful of his father's heavy snores, which he usually detests.
Chapter Five
Thursday Night 10.30 PM
As she heard the clatter of a badly maintained cycle, she knew her husband was back. She wanted to share the happiness with her man. She knew her man is back after a rather long day. She wanted to share the news that her son had brought that day. She wanted to share it at the right time. 'When he eats', she decided.
She heard him keep his cycle along the front wall in the outside. She heard the noise of her husband locking his cycle. She knew what would happen next. The customary pull of the lock lever, to double check if the cycle was locked properly. The ruffles of slippers being left outside the door. She then looked at the door, as he came in.
He was drenched in sweat. Thirty odd kilometre of cycling would do that to anybody. The face looked tired. The face had very little happiness. "Has he slept?"
"Yeah. Bit early today. Around 8."
"Did he have his food?" She nodded. "You had your food".
"Kind of." He knew his son wouldn't have eaten everything put on his plate. "Was waiting for you." She added.
"Could you please get me some hot water?"
She realized he has had a very demanding day. Must have had to lift loads of grocery items at the shop he works. As he unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt, and sat directly under the fan, she handed him the portable radio, which he religiously switched on to listen some old melodies. And started humming along to a song that was being played.
As they had their food, they talked. She listened more to his work related chores, and how abusive some of the people had been that day. As he said that the day's ritual will continue for the next three days, she knew, she could not share what she wanted to.
Chapter Four
Thursday Morning 5.00 AM
She woke up to some noise in the kitchen, and found him cooking something. Sensing that she has woken up late, she looked up at the wall clock, it was ticking around the five am mark. 'Why so soon?' was all she could think of.
"You are leaving early today?" She asked him as she stood up and went to the bathroom outside to grab a mug of water.
"Yeah..."
"You could have told me." He could hear her voice from the bathroom. "I would have done something. When should you start?"
"Around 6.00 AM."
"But why so early today? Because you had left your shop early yesterday?" He nodded. "You didn't even sleep properly. Why can't you tell the owner that you'll come a bit late today?"
"We could have atleast postponed it to some other day."
"I couldn't deny my son as well. I have given my word to him. Poor thing, has been asking me for quite some time. I had to honour my promise to him. And you know we could not have postponed it."
"Honour is the only thing we seem to have." She said to herself. And started making some quick dishes for him to have and carry to work. As he came from bath, and starting for cycle, she handed over the food bags to him. "Go and honour your word. Like you did yesterday. But I am worried about your sleeplessness"
"Just one day. I should be able to make it up before this week." And he pedalled away towards the main road for yet another thirty kilometre ride.
Chapter One
Wednesday Afternoon 3.00 PM
"It has been a very very busy day. I will send it through someone madame. All the delivery boys have gone to deliver the goods. I have packed it and kept ready. Give me half an hour. Thank you." The Grocery Shop Owner placed the receiver on the telephone instrument, and looked at him.
"You had your food?"
"Not yet Ayya."
"Oh...." He was looking into some distant emptiness and tapping his fingers on the table thinking what to do. "You have your food, and also take care of the shop for thirty minutes. I will go for delivery and be back."
"I will go, Ayya. Why do you need to go when I am here? I will go."
The shop owner smiled at his employee, and said "Thanks. But you have your food first. You have been doing lot of cycling today. Consider it your break. Have your food, and stay fresh. You'll have your share of additional work today."
"Ayya..." He was sheepishly asking for something.
"I know it. I promised you, right? I remember it. You can leave by 4.30 PM. I will take care of the shop with the Podiyan. But be early tomorrow. There are twenty three more deliveries. I don't know if the guys will turn up tomorrow." Saying the Ayya had left to deliver the goods to couple of houses, taking his motor cycle with him.
He had his food as quickly as he could, and started preparing couple of boxes for delivery. He found the list of customer for whom delivery had to be made. He saw that with little deviation in his usual route, he can cover around seven houses. That would result in additional five or six kilometres. 'But I owe ayya atleast this much.'
"Ayya, I will leave at 4.15 and deliver the goods at these addresses, as I go home. They stay in the route to my home."
"It may get delayed. Leave out these two houses. They will not be home when you go. The remaining you deliver."
At 4.15, he had packed the boxes and tied them in his cycle carrier, and was about to leave, when Ayya had called him. "Take this." He gave a fifty rupee note and two biscuit packets.
"Ayya..." He was not expecting this.
"Its not for you. Its for your son. Keep him happy. And he will keep you happy one day."
Chapter Two
Wednesday Evening 6.15 PM
She was waiting outside the house with their son. Even from a distance, he knew that she was angry and his son restless. As he neared the house, he saw her 'Why are you so late look?'.
"Shall we start?" He asked smilingly to his son.
"Yes!" Shouted his son excitedly, and climbed upto the sit on the front bar. As the kid sat, he gave him a biscuit packet for him to munch along till they reach their destination.
She looked at him, and she knew that he has come home rushing. He looked tired. "Shall I borrow a ladies cycle, and pedal along?"
"Why? We can travel by our own cycle. Come on sit. Lets go." As she climbed
As they neared the single screen cinema theatre seven kilometres away from their home, he couldn't control his son's excitement. He was worried about reaching there late. As he entered the main gate to the theatre, his heart sank. The security was placing the "Housefull" board on the gate.
He saw his wife, and his son, who was still excitedly talking something to his mother. He directed her eyes to the houseful board. His conveyed his helplessness. She looked at her son, and then back at her husband. Seeing his mother's expression change and her signal towards somebody on his back, the son became silent, turned around and looked at his father. He looked beyond his father at the crowd, and he once again got excited. He didn't understand the whiteboard carrying "Housefull".
"Can we try the other theatre?" He asked his wife. The other theatre was four kilometres away, and was playing a different movie than the one, they had come to watch.
"He wanted to watch this movie. You promised him this movie. Not the other one. He will not enjoy the long dialogues or silly romantic stuff. That is not a kid's movie. This one is. Why don't you try getting the cheaper tickets in black?"
"Couldn't find any."
"Then lets go home. We'll come tomorrow or sometime later."
"They are taking this movie off tomorrow. From Friday, it will be something else." To relax his aching legs, he sat on the pavement. His son joined him, and sat beside him. He was still holding the biscuit pack. "You didn't eat it."
"No. I wanted to eat while watching the movie. My friends said they used to have some corn while watching movie. I will have biscuits."
"All your friends have watched this movie?"
"Yes. All of them. Some of them more than two times. Whole class has seen the movie."
"What is so special about the movie? What does your friend say about this movie?"
"They keep on talking about the Lion and the hero." He was explaining lot of things animatedly. "They say it is superb movie. Everybody talks about this movie. Everybody says something new about the movie. Tomorrow I will also say something new."
He saw her, imploring some way out to convince him. She responded asking him to satisfy his son's wishes.
"When are we entering the cinema hall, appa?"
"We will in a short while. Appa will get the tickets for you and mom. We will see this movie tonight."
He walked back to the security, and pointed at his son, and requested to get three ten rupee tickets for the night show, which starts at ten pm.
"I don't think this is a good idea. He has school tomorrow. By the time movie gets over, and we reach home, it will be two am. Cycling through those roads in the night isn't safe. He may not even watch the movie in full."
"Yeah. I know. I can't come tomorrow. And the day after, the movie wouldn't be screened. This one time we will watch a night show. For him."
"What if he sleeps?"
"I won't sleep. I promise. I want to watch night show." The kid said interrupting the parent's conversation.
"What about food?" She asked.
"We will eat somewhere here. Ayya gave me fifty rupees." He turned to his son, "To keep him happy, along with those two biscuit packets. Let us keep him happy."
Chapter Three
Wednesday Night 9.45 PM
As they were travelling back home, some four hours later, the son was all teeth. He kept on giving commentary on how the hero had fought against lot of animals, and bad guys. "I will also fight the bad guys when I grow up". He was asking about the magic done in the movie. Every now and then he was yawning, and wanted to sleep. But couldn't control his urge to talk more about the movie.
"See, he has seen the entire movie. He didn't sleep. The ticket cost didn't go bad."
"He didn't sleep. But you did." She responded.
"As if you didn't."
"I didn't. I don't know when we will watch another movie. Do you think I will let go this opportunity?". As they entered to house, the kid was fully asleep. She lifted him and handed over the keys to her husband. He opened the door, and prepared the bed for the son, over which she placed the kid. He was sleeping very peacefully. And in another ten minutes, all of them were asleep.
Epilogue (Chapter Eight)
Thursday, Morning 11.00 AM
And as he made concluding remarks, the entire class wow'ed in unison. "You know, I watched the movie this close." He was making some gestures. "The lion was so big. That paw, wow... It was amazing. Did you guys see all those? Actually I could see lot of things from so close."
"Really?! You are so lucky." One of the other kids said.
"And know what? I watched the movie in a night show." He was pointing to the "Night Show" printed in the ticket.
The other one joined, "Wow! My father never takes me for a night show. He says it is only for big boys."
"He has become a big boy, now". Another one added. "Yeah." There were murmurs of concurrence.
"Yeah. I am a big boy now."
"Hey, your parents are really cool." His benchmate added.
"Yeah. They are. They will do anything to keep me happy."
"And will you?"
"Of course, Yes."
THE END
Comments