I luv U PAPA

Dear friends

 I am posting my first creation which is a story. I hope you will like it. Please leave a comment even if you don’t like it.  It is your comments on which I thrive.  I am waiting for your reactions.  So please, please post your views about the story.

 

                       Shailesh felt very depressed knowing that Smiti had a broken arm which may become a lifelong problem or may not give her a very happy situation in future. Although the doctor had tried to comfort him telling that children recover pretty fast negative thoughts kept nagging him. He also felt very tired after the afternoon’s ordeal of rushing to the hospital, the doctor’s belittling talk and the sense of deep guilt inside. He missed Meena terribly and wanted her to be at his side now.  He kept on telling himself that had she been there probably such situation would not arise. It was easier talking to her about the accident on phone but he did not know how to face her on her return and she will be here any moment now. He glanced at Smiti sleeping on the couch nearby with a small chocolate clutched in the left hand and her plastered right arm resting on her side.  Her face was swollen and cheeks were stained with the marks of tears that had run down her face along with her shrieks of pain.  Except for a few grimaces that her face made she seemed to have forgotten her grief at the moment.  Shailesh remembered that soon after her birth she had given him an angelic smile when he had held her in his arms for the first time. The smile had filled his heart with a  strange lightness and he felt as if the whole world had been illuminated and was glowing with happiness. Many a times while playing with Smiti he would mimic like joker or walk on his toes like a kangaroo just to see her laugh. He could die for the smile that would light up her face on getting a toffee or a small chocolate.  He had decided to name her “Smiti” that is smile in Hindi and Meena had agreed to it very easily.  The memory made him smile too and he thanked god that children are able to forget their grief so fast.

Smiti now aged more than five was learning to write and would mostly try to doodle everywhere with her pastel colors. None of the walls were spared by her art and the alphabet of the English language whichever letter took her fancy. He had admonished her to not to soil everything that comes into her sight. 

Even though it was a Sunday today Shailesh was very busy in a time bound project and with great effort had prepared designs which were a result of many months hard work. He was stressed because the deadline for submission of the designs to his boss for presentation to the clients was just the next day. While he was engrossed in finalizing a proposal to accompany the designs were resting beside him on the table.  Smiti kept pulling at his trousers to draw his attention and wanted to say something but he just could not leave the work at that moment. he was at a very important point of his proposal and he required to concentrate. He had asked her several times not to bother him and go in the other room to play, but she was adamant. He was already irritated by her disturbing interruptions. Without looking up he just nodded to something she was mumbling oblivious to what she said. But she kept urging him to get up and come with her. Then he saw the lids of the red and green permanent markers lying on the floor and Smiti using the marker pen on the drawings he had kept aside a few minutes ago. He was highly angered his valuable work was being spoiled by a kid’s folly.  Months of labour gone in a few minutes. In his rage, he just pulled her arm shouting as to what she was up to whereas Smiti very proudly tried to display him her beautiful work catching it in both the hands.  This further enraged shailesh and in a fit of frenzy pulling her arm he just thrashed her aside. The great thrust made Smiti collide with the wall and with a big shriek she collapsed.  Scenes of making frantic calls, carrying her in his arms, rushing her to the hospital, waiting for her to come through in the hospital just flashed through his mind like a nightmare and he shuddered at the thought that Smiti might lose the arm.

Shailesh stooped to pick up the permanent marker which would now be useless and replaced its lid.  He started collecting the drawings scattered on the floor and there he saw a little heart drawn which he had taught Smiti to make into a perfect shape. It danced before his eyes mockingly between the words “I U PAPA” the heart shape meaning love and the writer was proud to be able to write PAPA! A word!  An achievement for the little one! Shailesh just sat there on the ground staring at the words tears streaming down his cheeks feeling devastated.

Manisha