Illusions

4

The car went on and Pijush followed it from a distance. He noticed Kona got out of that ,near two or three stopages away from Swati's residence.

It did not felt odd to him for stopping at the nearby tea stall and stalking on Swati,while she and the man on the steering were getting out of the car. He bought a packet of Beedi( A cheaper suppliment of Cigar; basically tobacco packed in tendu leaf,with a string, mostly found in India) and started his scooty as they entered her home.

It took 20 minutes more for him to reach his rented place. He brought out the keys from his pocket and unloacked his door. It was his first time to buy something from any supermarket. He looked around his place, his mind gloomed remembering his childhood. As far he could remember,he had no father or father figure in his life from the starting. His mother neither mentioned of her native. He went to school much later than other children. He vaguely remembered a woman whom he adressed, " Masi", one day came and took him to the Anganwadi sort of a school nearby. He was given a small packet of chatu( sattu) and gur (jaggery) in exchange of coming and learning in the adjoining school.His mother would meet him while he returned home. She mostly had 3-4 rotis and some pickle/ or jhudivaja or a mixed vegetable along with it. Pijush never ate alone, he tried feeding his mother with his  small hands.Pijush's eyes burnt with tears as he remembered how much he loved the mixed vegetable, the day his mother cooked that, he felt like having a party. Their financial situation had slighty improved when his mother took a work of seeing and taking care of an old paralyzed lady,Mrs.Bose. Her children had left her appointing Pijush's mother Shilpi as her care- giver.Whole the day,Pijush lingered with his mother in  the Bose residence. Mrs. Bose had some connections with the school in the locality. She liked little Pijush. One day she called Shilpi and told her to go to the school.Only then Shilpi was able to get him enrolled in a Government school. In those times, not like today, Government schools too took fees from students.

Shilpi was illiterate, but life taught her many lessons. Shilpi used to show Pijush an old papercut if he would ever cry for his father.So he used to tell his friend that his father had passed away. Being older than his other classmates,gave Pijush neither any close friendship, nor any fights with them. The whole class used to call him 'dada', that saddened him.Pijush clearly remembered, the day when he was promoted to 5th standard at the age of 14, his mother told him about her past.Pijush's ears ringed with her voice,while she stated that she belonged to some rural family ,but never mentioning the name of it. Her family consisted of her 3 brothers and father. They earned their bread by catching fish and selling it to local markets. She was loved and mostly pitied as her mother died after giving birth to her. Young Shilpi had caught the eyes of son of a neighbour of them. He allured her with his charms, and Shilpi being naive fell for it. Soon everyone discovered Shilpi was expecting. Once her brothers came to know about Shilpi's relationship, the Panchayet ordered to get her killed as she might have lured the "innocent" male. Shilpi's brothers were furious, but her father helped her get out of the village on that very evening. Only at the age of 17 Shilpi took a train to Sealdah Station with Pijush and hunger in her womb. She used to live on the platform as she knew no one then. Then Pijush was born and she started doing work in people's household.

Pijush's thoughts came to an halt as he noticed his phone ringing. It was an unknown number. Picking it up,he held it on speaker. It was Swati's voice. She wanted to meet him tomorrow. After school.

After ending the call, Pijush started chopping onions, potatoes for cooking a meal. He wanted to have some khicchdi that day. Soaking the rice and lentils in a steel bowl, he looked for the prices on the packs. He remembered her face,when she heard his budget.

Pijush unmindedly went to his mother's room. Her bed was empty,the old bedsheet uncrinkled,he opened her small almirah. On one side there still were her sarees. He brought those out and put them inside a trunk along with those sarees there was a small brass box. He never opened it after hearing the whole story from his mother. Shilpi kept it with great care.

Eating the Khichdi, Pijush went to sleep.

On the other hand,returning home, Swati found Kastur inside. " You took so long! Where have you been?", Kastur's sweet tone irritated her. Her mother was sitting there too. Mainak was not home. So Moni went out to buy

" Where had you been when I needed you lying in the pool of blood?",her inside cried out.

Saying a 'hi' she excused herself for getting changed.

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