The School on the mountain
© Anupam Jaiswal
He was sitting on the last
bench of the platform and was shivering like anything but the bathing in the
moon light is something which he never missed, if he could. He was sitting
there facing up and spreading his arms leaning against the back of the bench.
The train was late and he missed the last bus to the mountains, the place,
where he belonged to.
He was completely lost in the memories of the
mountain and moonlight, someone shook him from his left shoulder, and he turned
his head, the chauffeur reached there.
Vicky Sir, please let me
carry your bag, the car is parked outside, we have to move now, it’s too late
and you must be feeling cold.
They both left in a jiffy,
he dumped his bag in the trunk, but carried his camera bag on his lap, the roaring
car in that dead misty silence, started climbing on the snaky roads, it was a
full moon night and he was almost enjoying it. After spending 3 important years
in US, it was a night he was longing for, his biological clock was not adjusted
yet and may take few more days.
He was eagerly waiting for
the spot where he used to come with his friends at night to see the silver line
appearing over the mountain snow due to the reflection of the moonlight, across
250 kilometres long Himalayan range clearly visible from there. His father introduced him with the silver
line. He came with his father; to that spot and for the first time he realized
the beauty of the mountain, his father taught him that how to listen the sound
of the silence, they both sat there for hours and left when it was dawn.
He was thrilled seeing that silver
line, he shared that incidence with his friends but their primitive minds ware
unable to get the Idea he was talking about. The reason being they were from
the planes.
The car approached the spot
he was trying to find, suddenly he shook please stop the car here!
The chauffeur had no idea
hat why to stop here in the jungle!!
Here in the jungle?
Yes!
He managed to find a place
to park the car.
Vicky came out of the car,
the hundreds of kilometres long silver line was just appearing in front of his
eyes. He was mesmerized, he had been longing for the moment, this time he had a
camera which was able to pierce the darkness of the night and could click the silver
line so he could show to few of his friends that this is what he was trying to
tell them but they could not imagined.
He sat there.
Vicky sir it’s dangerous to
sit here in the open, leopards roam here and there!
Ok you just go and sit in
the car, I am coming in a moment, and he got busy with his camera.
It was almost dawn; he
returned to the car, driver was sleeping.
Open the door; he knocked on
the driver’s window.
Soon they moved towards home.
It was a very beautiful bungalow with the beautiful garden, that bungalow
was famous for a twin oak tree which has the same base trunk, but divided into
two as indicating body and soul.
The house was not very
maintained, but it was evident enough that there must be living a King and Her
queen.
Vicky’s grandfather and
grandmother, they were just waiting for him and could not sleep at the night.
Oh son! Where were you, what
were you doing in the Jungle at night, the place is full of wild creatures, we
were worried like anything! Grandma took his camera bag from his hands.
“You are not different from
your father; he is also fond of mountains and snow”. She kept that camera bag
with her.
“Just go and join us on
dining table for breakfast.” Asked Grand pa.
Vicky went to his room, and
they both didn’t blink their eyes, as they just wanted to see him every moment.
They were waiting for him
eagerly on the dining table, Grand pa drank two coffees till he joined them.
“How are you my son? how
were the days in US? Did you remember us?
“Ya! Grand ma, I missed you
both so much, that’s why I am here, there was no moment when I have not missed
you all.” He took a pause.
“Even dad also wanted to
come with me but some emergency occurred so he had to be there.”
“Yes son we can understand;
he must be busy with something important, otherwise who can get his ticket to
meet his parents after 3 years long time, cancelled.
Vicky could not face his
Grand pa’s, he just kept his eyes on the bowl and kept eating his breakfast.
After the breakfast they sat
in the garden, and enjoying sunbath. They were just listening him like music
from the soul.
He was sharing with them his
experiences in US, his routine, how he missed them, the moments when he wanted
them to be with him, he was just playing his orchestra and his Grand pa and
Grand Ma were the world’s best audiences at that moment.
The orchestra last long and
finished when he got slept there in the couch.
Grand pa left for the market
and Grand ma preferred to sat there with him.
The pain she suffered when
his sun migrated to US still runs down to her spine some times.
At night on the dining table
he blasted a bomb.
I will live with you, I will
not return to US!
What? They both reacted.
We could not get whatever
you are saying, do you live here with us, what about your parents, what you
will do here?
“I have some plans and very
soon I will let you both know about that, but for now one thing is clear that I
am not going to leave India”. He looked determined.
“Which plan you are talking
about”? is it about that school, you tried to build in the past? Grand pa asked
in amazement.
Vicky said nothing; he just
looked at the Grand ma’s face and left the table.
They both were looking at
the faces of each other. Storm of emotions are quite visible on their faces.
That night Vicky met the
author, Sam there in the town that have been living there since time immemorial
as per his own perspective. Vicky used to sit with him when he lived there in
the town, and they both were working on something and outcome of that meetings
about to come when Vicky had to leave India. He wanted to build an orphan
school on the back yard donated by Sam but rooftop work was unfinished when he
had to leave India as his parents decided to settle in US due to his dad’s job
and he was told that he will have a better career there in US that the deeds he
was trying to do in India.
The school for the orphans was
his honest effort to give back to the society, from he has been continuously
imbibing the Oxygen an offering carbon dioxide in return.
Sam had been his mentor and
the guide to him; they both used to discuss mundane affairs as well as the core
concept of a purposeful life. He got the purpose of his life in the form of
that school.
All things were settled but
he had no sufficient funds for that project. He tried to make it in all
possible manners but couldn’t succeed.
That night He made a call to
Biswajeet, his father that night and told him that he has started working for
completion of that school and may not return to US. Biswajeet tried to convince
him to not to take such a harsh decision in so hastily but the talk ended in a
fiasco from Biswa’s Pont of view.
Within few days the
construction was on its boom, the roof has to be constructed everyone he knew
in the town has helped him in his noble deed, except his father.
They were all sat under the
twin tree, Grand pa, Grand ma and the author, and they were all silent; only
bonfire was cracking.
Tomorrow is the day when the
warming ceremony will have to be performed and finally the school will be
delivered for the orphans. The management and teachers team was selected and
admission process will begin from tomorrow.
They saw a car coming
towards the bungalow, the headlight was so sharp that they got blind struck for
a moment; it was stopped at the gate.
Biswajeet and his mother
came out of the car and headed to them in the garden.
“Sir, shall I bring the
luggage to here, Driver asked?
“Yes” Bishwajeet replied.
Soon they were all sitting
around the bonfire,
I could not realise that
what I was leaving here, thank God, my son has made me realise that.
“I wish I could turn back the clock and bring the wheels of time
to a stop.”
Said Bishwajeet.
Their faces were glowing in
the bonfire warm light, the Rituals at the school had to be performed tomorrow,
Vicky was just looking at the face of his father, the bonfire was cracking
again…a good omen…..
The
End
Anupam Jaiswal
09839224658
acs.anupam@gmail.com
