1.1 Rocks and waves- “He knew it when he saw her”

The position of “Namaste”

Before going through this it is suggested that you go through the first part of the story Rocks and Waves (Part 1)

“Wake up, Neharika”, mom called from the kitchen.

This was the 4th time she was calling and Niharika knew that she has to get up this time otherwise mom would barge anytime into her room. Groggily, she gets out of the bed and walks towards the window. Somewhere in the distant a koel is heard singing in her melodious voice. Her class teacher, Mrs. John had told her that a koel sings very early in the morning but is now an endangered bird due to the mushrooming of the mobile network towers. She had said something about waves and signals that Neha could not grasp but at that moment she makes a silent vow to herself to never own a mobile phone. Silent vows like these, taken by a child hold immense power. If everyone keeps at least a few of them the world could be a better place. She enters the washroom and places the toothpaste on the toothbrush in exact quantity as the size of a “pea”, as she had seen her mom do the other day.

 “Come on, hurry up! you need to be given a bath too”, mom is at the door and that is a sound of alarm. It also signifies that the clock has hit 6:30 and she has just an hour before the Morning Prayer starts.

“Alright mom”, she screams with the foam still in her mouth.

After 15 minutes she is ready in her school dress with her shirt tucked in and bag on her shoulders.

“Which one is your first class today”, mom asks as she pulls the comb with both of her hands to brush her hair sideways and clips them.

“It’s the writing class mom by Miss Molly. She is going to teach us the cursive writing today”, said Neharika.

“Hope she learns it well, the curved t’s and I’s just don’t run well in the family”, Mrs. Viz tells herself.

“Okay girl you are ready to go to school”, grab your water bottle and come downstairs for your breakfast. It was always milk toast for breakfast. Neharika climbs down the staircase skipping a step as she reached the drawing room of her house located in one of the most fertile countryside of India.

The family resided in a small accommodation provided by the company Mr. Viz worked for. Their colony was nestled in rural backyards . It was a self-sufficient space with its own parks, temple, school and numerous open spaces. Away from the jostling crowd of the metros this was a perfect place for children like Neharika to thrive and learn about life. There were around 600 families and each were give their own quarters. Every house had a similar façade which lent certain uniformity to the appearance and which certainly to the way of life.

Neharika’s school was 5 blocks down the road, “All the best princess,” said her father in his gravelly voice. She smiled at him and ran after her mother who was already at the gate. It was a 10 mins. Walk to school which Neharika usually took with her mother. 7:15 am is an unsually busy hour in the colony, with parents accompanying their kids to school and milkman with his daily visits, the world around seemed to be in a hurry. Neharika rushed after her mother with hurried footsteps. They pass the colony’s Laxmi Narayan temple and she raises her hands to the level of her chest holding the palms of both hands together in the shape of a lotus, in order to do offer “Namaste” to Lord Narayan.

Her mother raises her eyebrows and looks at her daughter disapprovingly “What did I tell you Neharika?”

She rolls her eyes and raises her elbows to bring them in a straight line forming the perfect age old “Namaste”, just like her mother has always told to do.

They walked for about half a mile until they passed the Sports Club where Neharika’s father used to come during weekends for his game of Table Tennis. She looks at the Basketball court where every evening she would longingly stand with a hope to grow as tall as the other players to be able to play the game on the court.

They walk along the road and take a right on the next turn where they could see the school’s gate clearly. The school gate is a hub of commotion with all the parents stopping by to drop their children. Majority of them being mothers who have come in groups after completing their early morning chores, it was the time of 90s when women were expected to chalk out all their daily activities around the schedule of their husband and children. Somehow it does not matter to them as this was a way and their smiles told the rest.

Mrs. Viz kisses Neharika and bids her goodbye at the gate. She could see all the mother’s going till the classroom with their kids but Mrs. Viz wanted Neharika to be independent and if it has to start from here, so be it. Neharika’s spots her friend Gautami and waves her, Gautami runs towards her and whispers something in her ear, they both giggle and run towards there classroom.

Gautami was Neharika’s best friend, these childhood friendships have an air of innocence about them, devoid of any motives or agenda childhood friends take solace in each other’s well-being. Keeping their bags on their respective seats Gautami and Neharika are greeted by Komal there neighbour. The three friends go for the assembly prayer.

The atmosphere is serene with kids singing “Vaishnav Jan to” with enthusiasm at the top of their voices. Suddenly, Mrs. John pats Neharika’s back. Neharika opens her eyes and looks at her class teacher. Her teacher was signaling her to go forward to the stage. Neharika trudged towards the stage, with the principal’s eyes glued to her she could sense an air of positivity in her smile. Her graceful eyes signified that it was not a punishment but something more that had prompted them to call her to the stage. As she climbed up the stairs, the principal said “ Stand on the chair and keep your hands folded in prayer just as you were”. Neharika joined her hands in the lotus position and raised her elbows in a straight line. She was still feeling a bit shy to be standing at a 4 feet high stool, she could see all her friends from here. She spotted Gautami who had her eyes half open. She rejoiced in this sudden stardom. Neharika closed her eyes, remembered her mother and started to sing “Vaishnav Jan to” in a low voice.

Unaware of this a small boy of medium height and wheatish complexion was standing at the back of the prayer hall, trying to catch a glimpse of the kid who was standing on the chair on the front. He craned his neck and stood on his toes with all his might until he spotted the fair girl standing in the front. The boy thought of doing it himself and who knows joining his hands in a similar fashion would earn him a place “beside the girl”. He could never do that and the prayer ended. However, the boy remembered the face of the girl and that day, it lived in his memory forever, until………

Yellow Paper Boat

Part1: The Innocence

“Who wants to go for a swim”, said Father.

“I will”, said the boy already down to his blue beach undies.

“But don’t go too far into the sea”, remarked mom passing an order in the guise of a suggestion.

“Yes Mother”, echoed both father and son and ran towards the sea that seemed to welcome them with open arms. The blue waters shone like pearl in the late afternoon sunlight. Somewhere a ship sounded an alarm signifying the return of the fishermen with their catch for the day. Mother spread a bedsheet on the sand and after putting all the eatables on one side she looked at the two enjoying in the sea, she wanted to capture this moment in her eyes, this was priceless, this was uncorrupted. Her daughter sat beside her on the sand in her little frock making castles in the sand. She was quiet as the sea and thoughtful as a mountain. She would do something good thought her mother. With these thoughts in mind she lay down and looked at the cloudy sky. The weather  made her hum a soft tune “If I had a choice, I would”, beautiful lines that defined this moment. She did not know when she slept and by the time she woke up the father son duo was back from the sea. They both were drenched with water and were hungry. But before food she gave them a towel and fresh clothes to put on. Ram sat behind his sister Rita who was looking at the sea, expressionless. Seeing this, father gave them a plastic black ball to play with. Rita took the ball and threw it with all her might towards the sea. The ball fell into the water and danced on the waves as if it was shaking a leg to the melodious song sung by the white foamy waves. They went and picked up the ball. They took turns to throw the ball into the sea as far as they could. Rita laughed everytime the ball danced on the waves before hitting the shore. The entire process of the ball fighting against the waves and ultimately giving up and hitting the shore was enough to make her giggle. Her brother was the storehouse of energy for her the ultimate winner and protector. To see him struggling to throw the ball against the strong winds was surprising and a source of amazement for her. No matter how high or how far he threw the ball always returned back to the shore.

“Bhaiya, Will it always return back to us , no matter how far we throw?” She asks.

“Maybe Rita , it looks like yes”, and shrugged at the silly question.

They went back to their mother who was calling them to eat something. After a fun day at the beach the family retreated back to their abode. Father holding the girl on his shoulders and the mother holding onto the son. The sun was packing to leave the horizon and the waves were dancing to welcome the night.

But that was 20 years back and life had not thrown much at them…….