Falling for the Silent

Park

In the evening Aditi and her Grandmother decided to go to the park where Aditi could play by herself with a playground which was meant for kids and also do her grocery shopping while keeping a watch on her grandmother as she would be in her line of vision. Her Parents would stay in the house with her Grandfather and chat the evening with their tea. Aditi went out with her grandmother keeping her small delicate hands into her wrinkled one while walking. When they reached the playground The Grandmother left her hand.

The playground

" Aditi you play here, don't go anywhere and don't talk to any stranger adults." Ordered her grandmother.
" Okay Granny." She replied.

There were other kids in the playground who were from the other neighborhoods. The children mostly were playing roughly with each other and Aditi was a little confused as to how to communicate with these people as they don't seem to understand hindi nor english and seemed to be fluent in Gujarati. Aditi wasn't fluent in Gujarati and knew only a few words as she was new to learning the language.

" Can I play with you guys if you don't mind." Aditi asked in Hindi.

" We don't understand what you are saying. " Replied a girl from the group.

" I think she is not Gujarati and look at her dresses so richly than us her parents would not let us play with her since we are laborers." Said the boy to the group.

" Yes, see we can't play with you." The same boy replied in a dimissive tone.

It was very clear from their tone that the kids didn't wanted to play with her though she could not tell the what the choice of words they were using to her.
Back where she came from there was only two languages people used to speak if they were Indian they talk in hindi and other ethnicity people would mostly would be in English. She didn't knew Gujarati at all though she was a Gujarati by blood and was only learning it from her mother for sometime now and knew very little. So, she left that group and sat on the swing to wait till her grandmother comes to pick her up for the return home.

Meanwhile, in the evening Arjun finished his studying and was feeling quite bored to do anything so, he thought to go to the park to have a breath of fresh air. So, he took permission from his mom to go to the nearby park in the neighborhood .

" Mom I am going to the park nearby I will be back soon." He said.
" Okay Arjun come back soon before dinner and be safe." His mother replied from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner.
"Okay mom bye."

Arjun didn't knew why he wanted to go to the park right now as he thought what good thing will come out of it. The same old kids who were from poor background who go to the government school nearby. The playground was mainly used by them and they didn't allow any other kids who were from a background higher than them to play with them and neither the people with higher background wanted to play with them because the parents too did not wanted their children to play with the laborers kids.

He thought he would just play with the swing which was present. When Arjun spotted the swing he saw that a girl was sitting on the swing all by herself and didn't seem like she was swinging, just seem to sit there. Arjun further observed that she didn't seem like a local and that she might have come from a different place and her clothes seemed good enough to say that she was from a good background like upper middle class. He went towards her and asked in Gujarati
" Hey if you don't mind can you give me the swing to play with after you finished."

But her face was so confused as if she couldn't understand what he was saying so he thought maybe she was new here. So, he asked her the same thing in English and she seemed to understand it.

"Here you go."

She got up from the swing and Arjun sat down. Arjun observed that she had an accent which was somehow similar to the actors in the English movies he had watched.

After Aditi gave the swing she thought if she could play with him since he very well understands what she says she went to him.

" Hey can you play with me?"

Arjun was a little shocked that someone was interested in playing with him where usually people don't like to come near him because everyone thinks he is a little weird and also that he had very poor social skills. But he wouldn't just talk and play with anyone they have to be worthy of it. So, he asked the usual questions which he would usually ask about people before he starts any kind of friendship with them.

" You want to play with me right so just answer me these questions and then we can play." replied Arjun to which Aditi nodded.
" What is your name?"
"Aditi yours?"
"Arjun, Which state did you come from?"
"Australia."
" Are you living in Gujarat for a few days or permanently?"
"For two months I am going to stay here."
" Are you a topper in your class?"
" I get A grades but I don't know if I am the topper our grades are mostly confidential."
" So you mean you don't know if you are topper or not because the teacher keeps the grades confidential? Weird." Aditi just nodded at that.

Arjun was absolutely baffled he thought how the do people even live like that he argued in his mind that how will the student's parents feel proud of if they can't compare it to the others kids. In this case he thought that he will let her play with him since that's how it is and A grade isn't that bad to be rejected.

" Okay we can play what do you want to play?" Arjun asked.
" Maybe Hide and seek." She replied.
" Okay sure." He agreed.

He finally agreed to play with her and Aditi was relieved that she finally got someone whom she can play with. Just when they were about to play Aditi's Grandma came up to them after finishing her grocery shopping. She was watching Aditi and Arjun conversation from a far. She immediately recognized the boy as Arjun Joshi the son of her daughter's best friend Aruna. They lived in the nearby neighborhood and Lata her daughter was going to their house for lunch tomorrow.

" Hi Arjun." Greeted the Grandmother.
" Hi Aunty."

She greeted Arjun and Arjun immediately recognized her as the old lady comes every now and then to their house and Arjun thought she is the most irritating person in the world as she always says the things like he would get a very good looking bride who would give him a huge amount of dowry with his intelligent brain and good looks which would make him shy all the time though he denies it everytime when confronted about it.

" I see that you are playing with my granddaughter. "
" Oh! I didn't know that she was your granddaughter. Sorry. Nice to meet you. "
" Arjun I will take Aditi with me now it's getting late. Don't worry she is going to come for lunch to your house then you can play with her then for now. We have to go."
" Okay sure bye Aditi see you tomorrow. " said Arjun.
" Bye Arjun." Said Aditi.

Then Aditi and her Grandmother went away with hand in hand to their house. Aditi was feeling relieved that she finally had a friend around her age to play with her Whereas, Arjun was too feeling happy and contented in his heart like he achieved something very big. Maybe he liked her as a person He concluded.