It was Wednesday evening and there was a commotion in the society. Several people had gathered in the central park. The expression of worry was visible on everyone’s face as they exchanged words with each other. Something had definitely gone wrong.
Sohan and Hargun sat on the two swings in the park watching the adults panic over something. They were two 13 year old boys and had been good friends. Their mothers had also joined the crowd of people.
Sohan and Hargun’s heads moved in sync if anyone moved and although they could hear very less from where they were, they were trying to connect the occasional words which were spoken with a certain level of loudness. The swings had long stopped swinging.
“Did you understand anything?” asked Hargun
“No, I cannot make sense of it, they did say something like ‘how could this happen’ and ‘security guard’,” replied Sohan
“I don’t understand why we were asked to stay away?” asked Hargun
“Maybe it is one of those things, adults don’t want us to know,” replied Sohan
“I think I heard Bakul’s name,” said Hargun
“Bakul? What did he do this time?” said Sohan
Bakul was two years older than Sohan and Hargun, and found some form of joy in bullying kids around. His mother Mrs Hatwal supported her son with a certain blindness to all the complaints about him that came her way, in fact she would respond with aggressiveness if anyone were to come with her with a complaint. Average in studies, Bakul excelled in playing cricket and his mother was sure she would see him on the television one day.
“Maybe he hurt someone badly. Whenever I see him, I just want to punch him,” said Hargun
“You did try to punch him, you missed, he didn’t,” said Sohan
“Just wait and watch what I will do next time,” said Hargun in an angry tone
Sohan recalled how Bakul had once forcibly taken away Sohan’s bicycle and later dumped it near the society gate. When Sohan went to complain, Mrs Hatwal scolded him instead for not studying and roaming around late in the evening. Other times Bakul would just snatch away anything Sohan had, which included Sohan’s favourite laser light keychain which later Sohan’s mother had to get back from Mrs Hatwal.
“You both do know that you are sitting on swings and not on a bench. It is supposed to move in a swinging motion.”
Hargun and Sohan looked at Bharati. Bharati was one year younger than them and was Sohan’s sister Jiya’s friend.
“What is going on there?” asked Sohan
“Bakul is missing,” replied Bharati
“Missing?” responded Sohan
“Yes, that is what they are saying,” said Bharati
“He better come back so that I can beat him up,” said Hargun and Sohan and Bharati stared at him for a second.
“How do you know all this?” Sohan asked Bharati
“I just went there and stood quietly listening to them”
“I didn’t see you there,” said Sohan
“What could have happened to Bakul? I guess he messed with the wrong person,” said Hargun
“Maybe,” Sohan said looking at Bharati who was avoiding Sohan’s gaze.
One day when Sohan was playing video games, Bharati came to meet Sohan’s sister Jiya. Sohan had jokingly offered Bharati to try to play a game with him, it was a fighting game and Sohan lost six rounds straight despite saying she had never played video games before. Since that day Sohan has been conscious of her.
There was an eruption of sound among the adults standing. A sound of relief. Sohan, Hargun and Bharati could see Bakul standing there; drenched in sweat he screamed, “someone had bolted the clubhouse door from outside while I was in. I kept screaming till someone heard me and opened the door.” Then Bakul’s tone lowered as he continued to explain how he was tricked into going there in the first place, which could not be heard by the three of them.
“Ohh… I wonder who could have done it,” said Hargun
“Who knows,” said Bharati, “time for me to go.. see you both later”
Bharati walked away with Sohan watching her till she disappeared at the bend.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
Early Morning Memories 