DREAMS

We all have dreams, one silent wish and a hope to see that wish fulfilled. But with time we realize that our silent wish was lost unheard, our dream remains a dream and our hope, the tiny ray of hope goes bleaker and meeker until it becomes non existent. We are told not to lose hope at any point in life. But it is better said than done. Who could know it better than Chunnu and Munnu. No. These are not their names. These are their pet names. We don't bother about their original names, which their village itself has long forgotten.

Chunnu was 10 years old and Munnu, his elder brother was 12 years old. Their dad owned agricultural land like all others in the village. But unlike other boys, they were rich. Rich with the treasures of their own kind. Treasures that gave competition to the magpies. They had many shells of different shapes, size and colors. They had their broken teeth buried in the ground waiting to turn into gold some day. They had peacock feathers hidden in their yellowing books which were omens for good wealth. Most important of all, they had shiny wrappers of sweet delicacies gifted by their uncle from abroad. They spent their time piling up their treasures and boasting about them to their friends. They didn't care if their clothes had a patch sewn to cover the tear. They didn't care if their clothes were ragged and rough due to excessive usage. Neither did they bother if their clothes shrunk with time, refusing to grow with them. Carrying their tattered and torn school bags they went to the Zilla Parishad School in the morning and in the evenings, they whiled away their time under or on top of the Neem tree in their farm, watching peacocks eat corn from their land. Their mother toiled during the day, watering the crops, filling water from the well, feeding the bulls, negotiating with the field hands for plucking and sorting out the grains. During nights, she cooked and tended to her family, when not beaten out of shape by her drunk husband. Chunnu and Munnu helped their mother at the farm to compensate for their father's absence at work. They accepted their life with its shortcomings and were happy because they believed they were rich. Their lack of proper clothes, their worn out shoes, torn socks, yellowed books did not dampen their spirits because it was the same with every other student at the Zilla Parishad School.

One day Chitra, their cousin from the city came searching for them in their farm as the lazy lads were swinging their legs sitting on a branch of their Neem tree. Chitra's dad Veman and Chunnu, Munnnu's dad Vijay were brothers whose land lay beside each other without proper demarcation. But their trained and experienced eyes knew where each one’s land ended and where the other's began. Veman and Vijay had one interest in common. Liqour. Cheap Liqour. They boozed together everyday. But the only difference was that unlike Vijay, Veman didn't thrash his wife as she was settled in the city.

Veman was intoxicated by his distant cousin Sindhu when young. He married her when she was 16 and he was 23. She was an enthusiastic girl and was bright at studies. With Veman's encouragement, she completed her graduation post marriage, much to the dismay of her in laws. Veman would toil hard at the farm and would fix dinner for his aged parents and pregnant wife who was intent on completing her graduation. They had Chitra and Veman tended to his daughter while Sindhu busied herself with studies. The couple was happy with each other and their baby. Nothing could possibly go wrong between them with a husband as caring and supportive as Veman. But Alas! Veman's world collapsed when Sindhu got a job. He was proud of his wife for getting the job she deserved. But he was in a fix. He couldn't accompany her to the city as to what decent job could an uneducated man get in a city? Moreover, farming was his only area of expertise and he wanted to stick to it. Veman's parents insisted Sindhu to stay in village. But Veman left the decision to Sindhu. So Sindhu went and also took their daughter with her to provide her with better education at a better school than their village could provide. Chitra missed her father. Her father, who had taken care of her like a mother when her mother was busy with her brains. It broke her heart to leave him every time after her monthly visits. Veman was beyond grief to see the two most precious ladies of his life leave him. His parents died lamenting at their son's bitter fate.

During the toughest phase of Veman's life, Vijay came to his rescue. He showed him light. He made his brother realize how grave a mistake it was to educate his wife when he himself was uneducated. But what was done was done and they couldn't reverse it, but it could be numbed.  Though for a while. He introduced Veman to liquor, the pacifier of all griefs. He taught Veman that heaven could be sought with this 10 rupees bottle. In the beginning Veman would puke after every swig. But eventually, his body accepted the cheap liquor as his mind accepted his fate.

Chitra was happy today as she was on her monthly visit. She was 12 years now and loved her dad as always but couldn't stay longer with him in his village as the city was more comfortable. She wore her new dress. A floral blue gown that swept the floor as she haughtily approached the tree where her cousins were perched. “I have a good news.” she yelled. The boys jumped down crushing the dried leaves under their feet, causing the dust to rise. Chitra crinkled her nose at the raising smoke of dust.

“What is it?” they asked in unison.

“Uncle Vinod…” She paused for the words to take effect on them.

Uncle Vinod worked in Dubai. They didn't know what he did there but he brought them goodies wrapped in shiny papers. Which meant they could grow richer much to the envy of their friends. They were liberal enough to share the candies and chocolates with their friends. But the precious wrappers were kept with them. They gave an ear to ear grin on hearing his name.

“Thats not even the news.” said Chitra.

“Okay. Tell us what it is. We don't have time. We have to feed the bulls. Better be quick.” barked Chunnu angry at Chitra for acting smart.

“It is uncle Vinod's son's birthday next week. He is turning one and uncle Vinod is throwing a party at the city. All of you will come to city for the party.” she said happily because she could be the boss at the city. Her cousins' didn't know what a mall was. They haven't been on an escalator or an elevator. City was her realm and she could avenge them for making fun of her inefficiency at climbing trees, for her fear of feeding the bulls and for everything else she was uncomfortable with at their village.

Chunnu and Munnu didn't seem to be excited about the birthday party until their uncle came the next day to invite the relatives in person. He was loved by the villagers for his humility. Vinod was Vijay and Veman's brother in law. He was married to their sister, Radha almost a decade ago and was blessed with a baby boy after a long wait. The couple rejoiced and decided to throw a party on the occasion of his first birthday, as was the custom amongst the rich. They flew to India and stayed at the city to host the party, as their village wasn't comfortable enough for their baby. Vinod went to the village with invitations. He not only brought the sweet delicacies wrapped in shiny papers for his magpies but also brought new pair of clothes to wear for the occasion. He not only arranged a bus for the villagers to commute to the city but also bought them new clothes to wear. The villagers were happy to see how rich Vinod had become over the years and were happier to see how liberal he was with giveaways and gifts whenever he visited them.

Chunnu and Munnu were jubilant. Not for the shiny wrappers this time but for the clothes they got. They had never worn such fine clothes all their lives. Like all other villagers, their mother bought them clothes from a merchant who sold clothes on his bicycle with overstuffed bags. He sold sarees, shirts, pants and frocks for various age groups. New clothes from this man on the cycle were no objects of excitement or joy as they were not as fine in making as the ones given by uncle Vinod. They lost their new look after first wash. Moreover, the boys of the entire village wore similar clothes as they were all bought from the same man. The clothes given by uncle Vinod were different. White shirts with black pants and straps that went around their shoulders. Two similar pairs of different size for the magpies. What was magical about the dress was that the straps were detachable. They carefully folded and placed their clothes in their respective boxes. They couldn't wait for their baby cousin's birthday.

Chitra too was excited about her baby cousin's birthday. But for a different reason. She had gone to many birthday parties in the city but rarely attended a function with her dad. All the functions of her relatives were held at the village because all her relatives hailed from there. On very few occasions when her monthly visits coincided with the functions at the village, she attended them with her dad. But her dad had never seen a party at a hotel in the city. He never saw the theme based decorations and the myriads of balloons floating in the air with curly ribbons hanging down. She bought a new red frock with frills that stood like an umbrella from her waist to knees. She had told her dad on her previous vist that he ought to wear a red shirt for the party and that her mom would also wear same color saree for the party. By now Chitra knew that she couldn't show her cousins the elevator, escalator, malls or the tall buildings as they would come for a couple of hours and confine their stay to the hotel where the party was being held.

Finally, on the much awaited day's most awaited party, Chitra and Sindhu waited for Veman outside the hotel. Sindhu wore a red shimmery saree with matching lipstick, bangles and sandals. She was the most polished lady of the village. She loved her husband for all he had done to protect her interests post marriage and baby. Both the ladies of Veman were fidgety until the bus from village arrived. As Veman got down the bus, Chitra ran into his arms. Veman came in a red shirt as promised and was clean shaved. Though he did not drink when with his wife or daughter, Sindhu knew about his drinking problem. His bodily changes made it obvious. She insisted Veman to live with them in the city as she was earning enough for all of them. But Veman preferred his village over the city. It was his comfort zone. Sindhu went up to her husband and led him inside. Chitra was too occupied to ask for her cousins.

Earlier that day, Chunnu and Munnu woke up before dawn. They got dressed for the occasion and combed their hair making a clean partition at the left. They couldn't wait to flaunt their clothes at the party. They were excited about being filmed in their new clothes, dreaming about posing for photographs at the party. They were too excited to have their breakfast. Their mother, a tanned, thin, slender yet tough woman was happy to see her children dressed up like princes. To her, they looked like movie stars by the country side. She wore the saree given by Vinod. A green crepe saree with thin silver border. She couldn't see her sons starving until the party and was chasing them in an attempt to shove some food into their mouths, when they heard him arrive. He saw the three of them, all decked up in new clothes in a festive mood. His eyes showed he was drunk. He slapped her and she fell down with a thud, her ear bleeding. He kicked her in the ribs. “You wore this saree? Accepting gifts from other man! You think he is a man. Do you? You whore!” he yelled as he raised his leg to kick her. Chunnu dashed at him and caught his foot making Vijay to stagger and fall.

“Don't hit her.” commanded Munnu. Vijay got up and smacked his sons on the back of their heads.

“These clothes have made you heros. Eh? I am the head of the family. Bow to me. BOW TO ME!” he yelled, the words slurring from his drunken mouth. Chunnu and Munnu were seething with rage. Their dad hit their mother very often. But how could he hit her today? How could he spoil this special day? He pulled them by their shirts as they began to run away from him. “What rags have you chosen to wear? Clothes that are not given by your dad?” His tugging at their clothes and their resistance to move closer to him, caused their shirts to tear. PRRRRRR..... And a bomb exploded in their hearts, shattering their dream. The dream of trotting to the city in their fine clothes. The dream of looking rich and polished at a party in the city. The dream of being filmed and photographed. What followed next was not registered by them. The blows they got, the cuts she bled from were none of their concerns now.

The bus came and left and with it left their last ray of hope. Chunnu and Munnu lay on either side of their mom with their heads buried in her lap as they wept. The slender yet tough woman sobbed, not for her aching ribs or bleeding ears, but for her weeping darlings whose clothes were torn, hair was pulled and cheeks were puffed. They wept until their tears were exhausted and remained as silent and still as a stone, gazing into nothingness where their dream lay shattered refusing to mend, finally accepting the fact that they were not as rich as they had thought and neither as lucky as the family in red that was rejoicing its reunion at the party.