It was a typical spring evening in the sub-continent. A breezy wind and a warm atmosphere made it really pleasant. Some of those kids at the orphanage come here as it was also a boarding school for poor children. This day most were especially happy. For after a long time, their parents and relatives were paying them a visit. It was a rare time, when they were loved and felt really cared for. That then was an evening which was certainly warmer than usual.
At such a merry moment, there entered a man, their teacher. He used to take their language classes. As much as these kids adored him, they despised his coming at such a special time. So much so that just at the very sight of him, almost half of them quickly disappeared.
He was used to this routine and neither did he expect those nine years old kids to be different. Instead he lured them, chased them and finally brought all his class together. As these kids told him about the moments they had just a while ago, he now understood the reason for their unusually upbeat mood. He shared their joy and let those kids soak in their momentary happiness.
He was about to start his class, when he realized that one boy was missing. He asked the others his whereabouts. Nobody had any idea. He told his class to sit where they were, and left the classroom to search for his one missing student.
After a few minutes, he found that boy sitting behind a massive tree alone and quietly sobbing. The teacher silently sat down besides his boy. He gently asked of him. “What’s wrong?”
Looking at the street ahead, the child replied,” Today all those boys met their relatives. They are so lucky. I’m still waiting for my mom. She had told me that she will come to meet me. That is why I am sitting here and waiting for her.”
This teacher tried in vain, to comfort him, “Then why are you crying my dear? She will come within sometime. Come on now, let’s go to our class. We will have some fun and as soon as she comes, I will let you go and meet her. Doesn’t that sound better?”
Boy did not answer for a moment. He finally, for the first time looked at his teacher, with those sad lost and empty eyes.
He slowly spoke, “You know what? It was three years back, when she dropped me here, she promised to come back and meet me!” His teacher, stunned by this, felt completely numb and was searching desperately for some words, of comfort. Finding none, he just sat besides his boy, as the sun sank deep into the west.
………
Somewhere far away, a woman looked at that same red horizon from her ghetto. She was totally lost in her thoughts. As much as she had pleaded for Condonation, however her conscience had never obliged her.
Why did she strand her son? Her reasons were best known to her alone. Did she have any other option? Could she have ever given her son a life without misery and with a father? Probably even she was lost for answers of those questions.
She did it for what she hoped was the best of her son, but the cost of her act was enormous. His silent cries had troubled her for all these three long years. She had tried to ignore them, not to hear them, but only if silence could have ever be unheard.
She had promised him to come back. She knew that she had made a promise and she had reneged. But at the bottom of her heart, she might have just wanted him to forgive her and if he ever could, to forget her.
She had just kept waiting for the day when her son would abandon his wait and the agony would relieve her.
………
Those four eyes remained empty and the wait remained as futile as ever, as the sun sank deep into the west.
Traces 
Hey this story is really very touching. I really liked it. Keeping writing such stories
Thanks a lot Rucha for dropping in here. Glad you liked it…
Nicely done man and pretty touchy, won’t say much as this is a sensitive issue but this was sweet stuff. I hope such stuff can be reduced from the earth! 🙂
I did not do anything here other than just narrating an incident. You are right man, such stuff has to be reduced from this planet.
Chinmay,
This post really touched my heart with quite a lot of feeling. It is a very sad and heart wrenching situation and story. It can be very difficult for a teacher that is so thoughtful, to deal with such a tragedy. Hopefully, caring, warm and understanding role models, can fill the void in the lives of these children and give them peace, love and comfort, that they need.
Thanks a lot Angle for checking in.
Such incidents have to be avoided in the first place. But, it is just a hope. I totally agree with you, hopefully people in their own capacity could fill up such a void.
When first I read the words of your original work, I was so moved that I quickly felt that I needed to offer you, my services, as an editor, Chinmay. The depth of such pure, sheer, raw emotions leapt at me, almost immediately.
There inside my head, it played out so clearly, fully and completely on the screen of my oh too vivid imagination. With delicate, yet diligence attention to detail, I took these precious words , describing those images and attempted to render the clarity hidden within ,what I saw.
Over and over the scenes played out and I knew that it was written with a love and
passion that screamed “help me tell my story, Please! That story needed telling and the author was struggling with the language, as much as the scenes he’d lived as well.
My ability to find those words was sorely tested, my Friend. They came as I poured over the scenes, characters and the emotion packed situation. This was edited by God , Chinmay! He simply used my hands to form the words and present the pictures that you had lived.
In that way He had allowed me to look through your eyes, feel with your heart and be touched by the compassionate needs of all your characters. Thank you Chinmay, for saying “Yes’ to my edit .
Thank you for writing this very poignant, troubling and disturbing episode of a young boy’s heartbreak, a teacher’s heartache and a mother’s presumed struggling with the resulting turmoil, of her difficult choice!
You are truly an artist as this piece bears out, My friend.
Regards Mike Aka The Professor! ;D
Sir, this comment means a lot to me. It means a lot to me that you called me an artist. That’s a big honor. As i said in the acknowledgement, after your polishing, this piece has shinned much more.
I honestly hope this incident never happens to any child. It is a grim reality that i saw happening around me. Though it happened few years back, it remains really vivid in my memory.
Thanks professor once again for this wonderful comment.
That it happen is mind numbingly devastating for the child. That you were the witness to it and felt it so deeply, with such intensity tells me and those who read this piece, volumes about Chinmay, the Man.
You sought to understand the mother’s reasoning and chose to speculate as to her side in this tragedy. That is the part that I saw as so pivotal in the appeal of this story. Chinmay.
It would be so easy to be indignant and to simply condemn the woman. You ,my friend, chose not to do so. Rather you took the high road trying to portray what she could have felt. To me, that speaks of ,your true compassionate nature.
That my friend, shows a humanity seldom seen under such circumstances. That is the reason why I felt so compelled to work with you on this, Chinmay.
I’ve been following your blog since you started. You have made amazing progress. This site is an inspiration for all pursuing a long transition versus the big chop.
– Rob