“Wake up Dhannu! Wake up!” shouted the old man as he kicked a youth sprawled on the floor. ”You have to milk the cow, clean the night’s dishes and prepare my breakfast.” he added exasperatedly.
Dhannu opened his eyes to the world he hated living in.
Seeing that Dhannu was finally awake, the man, grandfather as they all called him, went away to indulge in his favorite pastime – a good nap.
“What have I done to deserve this life?” thought Dhannu and stood up to wash his face. He looked down at his reflection in the mirror. His face was black, lined with dirt and grime, and his hair was roughly cut in a short crop. A small cut sat below his right eye, the reward for not doing some job properly, he couldn’t remember which. But his eyes told a different story. They were large, large with dreams, passion and a desire to succeed in life.
“Where the hell have you died Dhannu?” a loud voice called from inside.
“Coming!” replied Dhannu, cleaning his face in a quick motion. He went to his room under the stairs to get a fresh pair of pants. Finding no clean cloth, he went out the way he had gone in, to begin with his strenuous daily routine.
He started with his first priority, the dishes which were now emitting a faint stale smell. Thoughts of his elder brother interrupted him, who was in a similar job, but in Delhi with a nice family.
“How I wish I was born before him, I wouldn’t have been living in this hell - I would have been in Delhi instead!” lamented Dhannu.
He quashed his thoughts and then felt guilty. He was very happy for his elder brother, who had been there for him in his younger days. In the end, all he wanted was a way out of his hell and to be able to quench the passion burning in his eyes.
He was trapped here. He couldn’t think of running away, as this was a very stable job for him - it got him money for his poor family, for the family he loved. He was doing it all for them.
Soon he had cleaned the dishes, prepared the breakfast and milked the cow. Not a drop of sweat fell from him as he was used to his grueling morning routine. He came back inside an hour after the sun was glowing hot amber red in the sky.
The bell rang and he went to answer it. Opening the door, he found a retired army major, an old friend of grandfather.
“Where is your master?” asked the major.
“He is in the balcony waiting for you, sir.” replied Dhannu and led the major to the balcony.
The two old mates sat down to play chess together, just like yesterday, and the day before - like they had been doing since the first time three years ago, when they had played together in the major’s house when his wife had died.
“Go run to the market and get something for the major to eat. Here is the money and come back fast!” ordered the grandfather. Like a dutiful dog, Dhannu ran off to the market.
He returned in ten minutes, and went to serve the old players. As he was about to enter the balcony he heard the major talking about him.
“You are a very lucky man to find a help like this.” said the major.
“Shut up with this nonsense. He is no good. He is a bird brain and a very lazy man.When I was his age, I used to do twice the work twice. All he does is to sleep, sleep and sleep some more. I am paying too much for this man.” grandfather replied sharply.Listening to the cruel words of the grandfather, he thought of running away again, but the thought of his family wouldn’t let him. He went on with his chores.
The major noticed Dhannu’s tearful gaze but didn’t say anything, thinking it to be a play of light.
Dhannu went inside to prepare lunch for the two individuals. In the evening the grandfather gave him two thousand rupees to buy the rations and ordered him to come home quickly.
“I have the perfect opportunity to run away from this hell. This amount is like three months’ salary in advance, and free time to earn more. First I will go home to my family. I will give them part of the amount and will live them for some time. I will get to time spend with my newly born sister and two younger brothers. They will be happy to see me with all this money. The money will take care of food for the next two months. How excited they all will be to finally sleep with a full stomach! They will have the time of their lives. Dad will pay off part of his debt and I am sure his tensions will lessen a lot. I will be a source of pride for him and mom. Then after the time I have spent there, I will go to Delhi to fulfill my dreams and become a rich man. That would be great and the history will know me as a man who beat his destiny to become what all he had always dreamt about.”With these thoughts in mind he went to the grocery store to buy the rations, back to his mundane life and routine and hoping, one day, to break free of the shackles that bound him.
Dhannu opened his eyes to the world he hated living in.
Seeing that Dhannu was finally awake, the man, grandfather as they all called him, went away to indulge in his favorite pastime – a good nap.
“What have I done to deserve this life?” thought Dhannu and stood up to wash his face. He looked down at his reflection in the mirror. His face was black, lined with dirt and grime, and his hair was roughly cut in a short crop. A small cut sat below his right eye, the reward for not doing some job properly, he couldn’t remember which. But his eyes told a different story. They were large, large with dreams, passion and a desire to succeed in life.
“Where the hell have you died Dhannu?” a loud voice called from inside.
“Coming!” replied Dhannu, cleaning his face in a quick motion. He went to his room under the stairs to get a fresh pair of pants. Finding no clean cloth, he went out the way he had gone in, to begin with his strenuous daily routine.
He started with his first priority, the dishes which were now emitting a faint stale smell. Thoughts of his elder brother interrupted him, who was in a similar job, but in Delhi with a nice family.
“How I wish I was born before him, I wouldn’t have been living in this hell - I would have been in Delhi instead!” lamented Dhannu.
He quashed his thoughts and then felt guilty. He was very happy for his elder brother, who had been there for him in his younger days. In the end, all he wanted was a way out of his hell and to be able to quench the passion burning in his eyes.
He was trapped here. He couldn’t think of running away, as this was a very stable job for him - it got him money for his poor family, for the family he loved. He was doing it all for them.
Soon he had cleaned the dishes, prepared the breakfast and milked the cow. Not a drop of sweat fell from him as he was used to his grueling morning routine. He came back inside an hour after the sun was glowing hot amber red in the sky.
The bell rang and he went to answer it. Opening the door, he found a retired army major, an old friend of grandfather.
“Where is your master?” asked the major.
“He is in the balcony waiting for you, sir.” replied Dhannu and led the major to the balcony.
The two old mates sat down to play chess together, just like yesterday, and the day before - like they had been doing since the first time three years ago, when they had played together in the major’s house when his wife had died.
“Go run to the market and get something for the major to eat. Here is the money and come back fast!” ordered the grandfather. Like a dutiful dog, Dhannu ran off to the market.
He returned in ten minutes, and went to serve the old players. As he was about to enter the balcony he heard the major talking about him.
“You are a very lucky man to find a help like this.” said the major.
“Shut up with this nonsense. He is no good. He is a bird brain and a very lazy man.When I was his age, I used to do twice the work twice. All he does is to sleep, sleep and sleep some more. I am paying too much for this man.” grandfather replied sharply.Listening to the cruel words of the grandfather, he thought of running away again, but the thought of his family wouldn’t let him. He went on with his chores.
The major noticed Dhannu’s tearful gaze but didn’t say anything, thinking it to be a play of light.
Dhannu went inside to prepare lunch for the two individuals. In the evening the grandfather gave him two thousand rupees to buy the rations and ordered him to come home quickly.
“I have the perfect opportunity to run away from this hell. This amount is like three months’ salary in advance, and free time to earn more. First I will go home to my family. I will give them part of the amount and will live them for some time. I will get to time spend with my newly born sister and two younger brothers. They will be happy to see me with all this money. The money will take care of food for the next two months. How excited they all will be to finally sleep with a full stomach! They will have the time of their lives. Dad will pay off part of his debt and I am sure his tensions will lessen a lot. I will be a source of pride for him and mom. Then after the time I have spent there, I will go to Delhi to fulfill my dreams and become a rich man. That would be great and the history will know me as a man who beat his destiny to become what all he had always dreamt about.”With these thoughts in mind he went to the grocery store to buy the rations, back to his mundane life and routine and hoping, one day, to break free of the shackles that bound him.
My first ever published article :D
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