Happiness is all the same, its pain that gives your life
shades of grey.
No matter how ignorant you are about your family but there
always comes a moment when you could die for them.
On a usual day, not so usual for her. Nivrita just got out
of her sick bed after a month suffering from dengue. She planned her day well with her flooded
to-do list. Meeting friends, visiting teachers, hanging out and attend her
classes.
It was 4 pm in evening when she was walking to her physics
class. The route passes through her dad’s work place. By now it has become a
custom for both Nivrita and her dad to wave at each other from two different
ends of road. But today what she saw was not at all usual and even it didn’t
give any positive vibe to her.
Her dad’s office was shut at 4 in the evening, so early! She
didn’t seem to remember a day since she gained her senses when the office was
shut before time. She called up her dad- NO RESPONSE. Her heart began to sink.
Next, she called up her mom, “Maa,
has dad gone somewhere?”
From other side of phone, “no, what happen? Why are you
asking so?”
“The shop is closed, shutters are down and there is no one
around.”
“WHAT?” her mother panicked, “You don’t worry. I l see to
it. May be he got some urgent work. You go and attend your class.”
“OK. I l finish my class and then come home. Bye take care.”
That one hour at physics class that was supposed to be a
cheerful comeback and friendly reunion turned into a silent trauma. All kinds
of unpleasant thoughts started flooding Nivrita’s mind but not once occurred
what actually happened. Meanwhile she kept consoling herself with false hopes
of everything being all right, that she would soon leave class and at the way
back home she would wave at her father as always.
As I told you it was just a false hope, her class got over
Nivrita headed back to home but no signof her dad this time as well.
AT HOME
Nivrita lives in a joint family with her grandparents and
two uncles and their families.
Ladies of the house often sit together and gossip in
evenings but today the air was heavy, something was not right, something was
missing. The sound of giggles was not there, everybody was so silent and the
faces were pale.
Nivrita straight away headed towards her mom in the kitchen
who was pretending to cook something but was actually preoccupied with some
thoughts.
“What’s the matter Maa?”
she asked softly.
A tear rolled down on her mother’s cheek when she told her.
“Your dad is in police custody. They have arrested him for keeping pirated
materials.”
Nivrita’s heart skipped a beat, she trembled. Out of all
three children she was the one most intimate with her dad. The bonding she
shared with her dad was evident on her face when she got this terrifying news
which shook her world.
Everybody was eagerly waiting for her dadu and uncles to come back with her DAD.
At 9 in night the doorbell ranged. Nivrita was the first to
rush towards door. She opened it and stood still fixing her eyes on each person
passing in. everyone got in but she still stood there unmoved her eyes were
searching for someone, someone who did not get it, someone for whom she was
waiting all the time. Her dad did not come. They didn’t get him back with them.
She felt betrayed and lied to.
Her grandfather cried like a baby and kept repeating his
apology to her and her mother that he could not bring her father back home. He
told them that he even asked the policeman to take him in custody instead and
release her dad but the policeman just didn’t listen.
The night that followed was dark and long. No one could
sleep. All stayed up with a hope that this dark night will end soon with a
brighter and happier day. But its life and life doesn’t always give you what
you wish for.
That deadly night lasted long. Time passed but the clouds of
darkness didn’t let the sun shine, they only rained pain and sadness over the
house. Soon the house began to overflow with all types of relatives and
acquaintances but the only person who didn’t show up was Nivrita’s dad.
Police arrested him on Friday, the next two days was weekend
so no bail appeal could be made. The days followed with lawyers and court
strike it all lasted for 10 fucking days. After 10 days, by bribing everybody
from clerk to Judge, bail papers were arranged and her dad came back home.
Even after 10 days he came back but he would never be the
same man the police took away. He came back as just a piece of flesh and blood
with a little strength to breathe. He left all his strength, smile, emotions
behind those iron bars. Those cells are hungry beasts that snatch away whatever
you take with you when you enter them and gives back nothing while you leave.
Those days without her dad were the worst phase of her life
but what made her stood strong was the strength and faith of her mother. Even
at the time of such a difficulty she did not shed a tear in front of anyone. No
matter she didn’t sleep all those dark nights but she didn’t let her children
break down. The most commendable deed she did was she didn’t let her youngest
son know where his dad was all those days. He yet doesn’t know that his dad has
ever been behind bars and he never will.
Years have passed nobody talks about the incident but deep
inside everybody there is one corner where the screams are still loud and clear
that keep echoing their mind at a time or other.
