Shrey sat by the pond watching closely at the surface of water. His eyes caught the sight of a water strider gliding along the surface. A frog surfaced on the water and disappeared as a white brown coloured duck approached.
Besides Shrey was a grocery bag which contained a loaf of bread, a tube of toothpaste and a few packets of glucose biscuits. The slippers he had removed rested beside his bare feet. The evening wind moved some free strands of hair on his forehead.
At this moment Shrey had no particular strong will to return home. This was the very first time he was feeling this way in his life.
Shrey loved almost everything about this village where he was born and had spent all his life until now. He had been to the city more than a few times to visit his aunt, but he failed to find the allure among the buildings that stood there which he found among the trees which stood in his village.
A year and a half back, Shrey’s uncle had arrived from the city bearing among the several gifts, an offer of a job for Shrey’s father Mr Tuli. Mr Tuli agreed to the job and followed his brother back to the city. He called regularly and sent money and now he had finally found the time to visit his family back in the village.
“The city contains a better future. The children there are so smart and capable even at such a young age. A month or two, I will take you all there, we will make a life for ourselves there,” said Mr Tuli when everyone was having lunch
While Mrs Tuli began thinking of the arrangements to be made, Shrey looked at his younger sister who was very happy since the city was where her favourite toys came from.
Shrey could not find any signs that would tell that anyone else was also feeling anything like what he was feeling. Later his father sent him to the grocery store and while returning when the pond came into view, Shrey couldn’t help himself but sit and spend some time there.
Nobody except his class teacher had asked Shrey about what he wanted. Shrey had a future planned in the village. His school did not have a library so Shrey wanted to build a library there and become its librarian.
“Maybe you can come back one day and make that library you speak of,” Shrey’s class teacher Mrs Vaidya said on Shrey’s last day in school, trying her best to not let the tears out in front of the young boy.
“I will,” said Shrey and that day he went back home late. He said his goodbyes to his friends and with some of them he went to all their favourite spots.
“I will be back here one day,” Shrey said as he and his family sat in the bus to leave for the city. The words did not seem to align well with his father’s thought, but he certainly did come back one day and did what he always wanted to.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
A Dream Resolute
Early Morning Memories 