“Let him lost here, do not get your emotions flow again.”, this is Mr. Sharma’s conscience continuously poking him for not to fall again for that child, while Mr . Sharma continuously looking at him and remembering his grandson. But the child was busy playing with half Samosa Mr. Sharma gave him to eat. Childhood is just like Marijuana, once you have any of them, you started creating your own beautiful world, full of fun and colours out of anything you have. “Look he is not eating your part, you gave him. And you are seeking respect from him, you fool old man.”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience again warned him. But Mr. Sharma seemed again felling down in trap of love and emotions. “Beta, What is your name?”, he asked so innocently like he himself was a child. “Arjun”, the child replied with a bite of Samosa in his mouth. “Where do you live?”, Mr. Sharma again asked him. But the child seemed unable to understand or may be he didn’t care about what Mr. Sharma was asking. Mr. Sharma again asked same question, “Beta home, where is your home?”. The child focused a bit more and gave Mr. Sharma a look like baby Panda with big eyes started filling with tears. Mr. Sharma quickly analysed the criticality of the situation and pick the paper on which they ate the Samosa and said, “Look Arjun, What is this? I can make a aeroplane with this. You wanna see?”. The child smiled a bit and started snatching the paper from Mr. Sharma. thought he handled the situation and sighed a bit. He was able to made an aeroplane, and surprisingly his hands stopped shivering. The warmth of human companionship is amazing, it can cure better than any medicine or any prayer (mostly in India). And Mr. Sharma’s condition with this kid was the best example in this context. He again asked, “Aryan, where do you live?”. This time Mr. Sharma seems a bit confident and familiar (to kid), hence he answered, “I don’t know?”. Mr. Sharma can feel the carelessness in the voice of the kid. “Kids are like this only, until their belly is full, the world is a playground for them”, Mr. Sharma thought with a broad smile on face and his image of his grandson eyes. “Leave him here and go away…”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience again ordered him. But he was in no mood to listen, as after so many years he got enough confidence for denial. Finally the buried love inside him started taking over his hatred. “Lets go beta”, Mr. Sharma picked up the child’s finger and told him. The child also followed his command like a priest follows God (or his God). Mr. Sharma started hitting possible places where someone could recognise the child. He went to near by parks, near by shops, and even some houses. But no one was able to recognise him. “I can’t walk anymore uncle.”, the child said with cutest voice possible. Mr. Sharma looked those big star like eyes, and smiled again and they sat on a bench nearby.
“Arjun beta, what do your father do. Work I mean”, Mr. Sharma asked the child. “Papa go to office, I go to school and mummy make me lunch”, the child replied in a rhyming sound. “And where do he work, your papa”, he again asked. “And also he play with me every morning and bring chocolates and sweets for me when he get back from office”, the child replied irrelevantly to the question. Mr. Sharma burst in laughter, and suddenly all the pictures of his past start reflecting. “Me too, played with him, bought him sweets, then why”, he murmured but loud enough that child beside him could listen. “Now you got it you fool, they are like this only, heartless. The world has changed, there is no place to love. Leave him behind and walk away. Otherwise he will also left you behind…”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience suddenly raised up but broke in between as the child said, “Uncle, do you lost too?”. Mr. Sharma looked up and replied, “No, my child is lost” and smiled at him. This put Arjun make a face like he is in deep thought and will surely find a solution to Mr. Sharma’s problems.
After getting up from a snap, tired Mr. Sharma started feeling a bit energetic. “Let’s go Arjun, find your parents”, as Mr. Sharma said this he lost all his other words because the child is no where around him. He started shouting, “Arjun, Arjun…”, and his eyes started sweeping each and every coroner of the area. But he was no where to be seen. Mr. Sharma’S eyes started getting wet, and he started running here and there. “And this is all over again, haha”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience mocked him. But with this a flashback started in Mr. Sharma’s eyes, “When he was lost, I lost my 7 worlds but today I am lost, is he looking for me?”. Mr. Sharma asked himself with filled eyes. And he sat down with trembling legs and started crying like a baby. “Thappa”, suddenly a big push, but not enough to move Mr. Sharma, hit him in the back. He turned around and it was Arjun, standing there and laughing loud. Mr. Sharma got so happy to see him, he hugged him tightly and asked, “Where were you?”. “I was hiding behind you, and I win, haha”,Arjun replied and started making fun of him. “Don’t go anywhere beta, you may get lost.”, Mr. Sharma warned the child. But the child’s reply left him awestruck. Arjun replied, “I am already lost, uncle, how could I lost again. You are not smart”. With this Arjun burst into laughter, but unknowingly he answered one of the most critical question asked by Mr. Sharma’s conscience. “Should your child look for you, Sharma?”. Now he knew the answer.
Finally Mr. Sharma decided to go to police station. He asked, “Arjun beta, lets go, we will find your Mummy Papa”. Arjun replied, “No, I can’t walk, my legs hurting”. Mr. Sharma said, “Ok, sit on my shoulder, you want to play sugar sack?”. “Yes, yes, I will be the sack, you will drop me to truck”, Arjun joyfully replied and start jumping. “No you fool, what if you got a slip-disk, or what if you drop that child, or what if…”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience was warning him, but he interrupted and replied, “I will manage”, this is the first reply from Mr. Sharma to his conscience and it was confident enough to stop it talking. He picked him up, and start walking. The love really do not work on logics, the fuel to love is emotions.
“Are these children also lost uncle?”, Arjun asked by looking at some children sitting in a position like they were curiously waiting for someone for years. “No, that’s an Orphanage, beta”, Mr. Sharma replied. “What is an Orphanage?”, Arjun asked curiously. This put Mr. Sharma in a series of thoughts. Arjun again asked, “Uncle, What is Orphanage?”. Mr. Sharma replied, “This is home to those children whose parents are lost”. Arjun seemed satisfied with this answer, but the answer burst a volcano of questions and answers in Mr. Sharma’s mind. Suddenly Arjun, who found Mr. Sharma’s hair very interesting and was playing with them silently, somehow got high entropy. And soon Mr. Sharma found that the catalyst were his parents whom he recognise at the gate of police station. He jumped down and ran to his parents, without even looking back to Mr. Sharma even one time. He ran and hugged them. “I warned you, he will leave you once he got his parents”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience again poked him. He turned back and started walking away. Suddenly he found small Arjun wrapped around his leg, and a voice came, “Thank you sir, I don’t know what else to say, but really we are under your debt”, Arjun’s father said with folded hands. Mr. Sharma smiled and replied, “No it’s ok, Arjun is really a nice child”. Mr. Sharma bent down and told Arjun, “Never lost your parents beta, they are biggest asset you will ever own”. This line is beyond understanding of a 4 year old, but Mr. Sharma knew that he will get it someday. He kissed Arjun and walked away. Arjun was continuously waving his hand and Mr. Sharma continue to walk in opposite direction.
“You fool old man, what you get here, nothing.”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience asked him. “I got Answers my friend. And the best thing I am not lost anymore”. “How?”, conscience again asked. “Because now I have an address to go, the Orphanage”.
From the pen of a 2nd Ranker.
“Arjun beta, what do your father do. Work I mean”, Mr. Sharma asked the child. “Papa go to office, I go to school and mummy make me lunch”, the child replied in a rhyming sound. “And where do he work, your papa”, he again asked. “And also he play with me every morning and bring chocolates and sweets for me when he get back from office”, the child replied irrelevantly to the question. Mr. Sharma burst in laughter, and suddenly all the pictures of his past start reflecting. “Me too, played with him, bought him sweets, then why”, he murmured but loud enough that child beside him could listen. “Now you got it you fool, they are like this only, heartless. The world has changed, there is no place to love. Leave him behind and walk away. Otherwise he will also left you behind…”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience suddenly raised up but broke in between as the child said, “Uncle, do you lost too?”. Mr. Sharma looked up and replied, “No, my child is lost” and smiled at him. This put Arjun make a face like he is in deep thought and will surely find a solution to Mr. Sharma’s problems.
After getting up from a snap, tired Mr. Sharma started feeling a bit energetic. “Let’s go Arjun, find your parents”, as Mr. Sharma said this he lost all his other words because the child is no where around him. He started shouting, “Arjun, Arjun…”, and his eyes started sweeping each and every coroner of the area. But he was no where to be seen. Mr. Sharma’S eyes started getting wet, and he started running here and there. “And this is all over again, haha”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience mocked him. But with this a flashback started in Mr. Sharma’s eyes, “When he was lost, I lost my 7 worlds but today I am lost, is he looking for me?”. Mr. Sharma asked himself with filled eyes. And he sat down with trembling legs and started crying like a baby. “Thappa”, suddenly a big push, but not enough to move Mr. Sharma, hit him in the back. He turned around and it was Arjun, standing there and laughing loud. Mr. Sharma got so happy to see him, he hugged him tightly and asked, “Where were you?”. “I was hiding behind you, and I win, haha”,Arjun replied and started making fun of him. “Don’t go anywhere beta, you may get lost.”, Mr. Sharma warned the child. But the child’s reply left him awestruck. Arjun replied, “I am already lost, uncle, how could I lost again. You are not smart”. With this Arjun burst into laughter, but unknowingly he answered one of the most critical question asked by Mr. Sharma’s conscience. “Should your child look for you, Sharma?”. Now he knew the answer.
Finally Mr. Sharma decided to go to police station. He asked, “Arjun beta, lets go, we will find your Mummy Papa”. Arjun replied, “No, I can’t walk, my legs hurting”. Mr. Sharma said, “Ok, sit on my shoulder, you want to play sugar sack?”. “Yes, yes, I will be the sack, you will drop me to truck”, Arjun joyfully replied and start jumping. “No you fool, what if you got a slip-disk, or what if you drop that child, or what if…”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience was warning him, but he interrupted and replied, “I will manage”, this is the first reply from Mr. Sharma to his conscience and it was confident enough to stop it talking. He picked him up, and start walking. The love really do not work on logics, the fuel to love is emotions.
“Are these children also lost uncle?”, Arjun asked by looking at some children sitting in a position like they were curiously waiting for someone for years. “No, that’s an Orphanage, beta”, Mr. Sharma replied. “What is an Orphanage?”, Arjun asked curiously. This put Mr. Sharma in a series of thoughts. Arjun again asked, “Uncle, What is Orphanage?”. Mr. Sharma replied, “This is home to those children whose parents are lost”. Arjun seemed satisfied with this answer, but the answer burst a volcano of questions and answers in Mr. Sharma’s mind. Suddenly Arjun, who found Mr. Sharma’s hair very interesting and was playing with them silently, somehow got high entropy. And soon Mr. Sharma found that the catalyst were his parents whom he recognise at the gate of police station. He jumped down and ran to his parents, without even looking back to Mr. Sharma even one time. He ran and hugged them. “I warned you, he will leave you once he got his parents”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience again poked him. He turned back and started walking away. Suddenly he found small Arjun wrapped around his leg, and a voice came, “Thank you sir, I don’t know what else to say, but really we are under your debt”, Arjun’s father said with folded hands. Mr. Sharma smiled and replied, “No it’s ok, Arjun is really a nice child”. Mr. Sharma bent down and told Arjun, “Never lost your parents beta, they are biggest asset you will ever own”. This line is beyond understanding of a 4 year old, but Mr. Sharma knew that he will get it someday. He kissed Arjun and walked away. Arjun was continuously waving his hand and Mr. Sharma continue to walk in opposite direction.
“You fool old man, what you get here, nothing.”, Mr. Sharma’s conscience asked him. “I got Answers my friend. And the best thing I am not lost anymore”. “How?”, conscience again asked. “Because now I have an address to go, the Orphanage”.
From the pen of a 2nd Ranker.