Wednesday, April 27, 2011

A celebration

He'd been restless ever since the call came that morning. Thrilled, of course, but frustrated that he could do little to celebrate the news. Childishly impatient that he had to work as usual and that the world around him didn't know the fountain of joy bubbling over inside him. He tried calling his only friend in the city, but the friend, also driving a noisy auto-rickshaw through the noisy streets of Mumbai never answered.

He had become a father. A little girl had arrived in his home, hundreds of kilometres away. And it would be 78 days before he could even see her, kiss her, hold her. And here he was - the same roads, the same traffic, the same humidity, and no one he could celebrate with. All he could do was hum loudly and - though he didn't know it - tunelessly, and drive a bit faster than usual.

A man flagged down his auto and he slowed to a halt, allowing the man to beckon to a young woman standing on the pavement. She climbed in, tenderly holding a bundle. As she settled down on the seat, the auto-rickshaw driver heard a thin wail. He saw in his mirror the tiny feet poking out under the cloth. He eased back into mainstream traffic, keeping an occasional eye on the bundle, and beamed each time he glimpsed a little fist thrown up in the air. He took the turns gently and slowed down on each pothole, humming even as impatient traffic honked at him.

They reached the destination. As the passengers got off and peered at the fare chart on his windscreen, the auto-rickshaw driver smiled and said, "Rehne do, aaj mera dil khush hai." He zoomed off, humming, leaving the couple clutching a bundle and two tenners.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

lovely as always!!!
sukanya/suku
ps: for some reason I havent been able to comment. hence anon.

Unknown said...

Oh that's beautiful . You know I wait for these gems - and you never disappoint :)

Thinking Cramps said...

Suku: Thanks for taking the trouble to comment despite tech issues :) Glad this was worth it.

Eve's Lungs: You know, I wait too, for updates on your blog :)

BongMom said...

Lovely. You know you should post more often.

Sukhaloka said...

Lovely!

A Muser said...

Love, love it!

Anonymous said...

You know you write beautifully!

Anjali

dipali said...

So lovely!

Rohini said...

Lovely, lovely post. Put a misty-eyed smile on my face :)

Thinking Cramps said...

Thanks everyone :)

Uma said...

Just happened to visit your blog.. and if the first post that I read (this one) is anythign to go by, I am going be a regular! lovely post. Cheers, Uma

newmumontheblock said...

Lovely post :) Very touching.

the mad momma said...

sigh... lovely, Anna...

Thinking Cramps said...

Uma, thanks :) Saw your comment on my first ever post too, thank you :)

New Mum: Glad you liked it, thanks for stopping by and commenting.

MM: Thanks. All made up. But hopefully true for someone, somewhere.

Nagaraj said...

Absolutely fantastic. Wish I would visit more often to read these gems.

Orange Jammies said...

'Beautiful' was my first response, but I wish to add more: yes, you write well. In addition, it is what you write about that always touches me. Everyday people, emotions I can relate to, the chance to peer into lives typically unrecorded. Love it. Keep writing, girl!