PHOENIX - The Rebirth Of Hope

Chapter 11 : Recollection Of Memories

Samarth juggled his coins in his hands. He frowned. He had collected at least a dozen. A few more to go and then I will go home, Samarth decided.

Samarth was standing on a railway station near the slum. The station was awfully crowded. People pushed against each other whenever a train came. It was quite a rush. Even worse than a hustle-bustle of city life. As Samarth was pushed here and there in the crowd, breathing was becoming a problem.

It was Sunday. The school was closed. This seemed an opportunity to collect more coins. Sometimes he would find a thrown wallet on the ground and some coins if he was lucky enough.

And also he had an opportunity to amble around the place. These small places were Samarth's hill station. Not a pleasant outing always due to the throngs of sweaty people and the exception of any beauty but still it was one of the places he could go outside the slum.

Samarth stayed at the metro station a little long. In the hustle-bustle of people running to catch trains and in the loud, agitating hubbub of voices, Samarth was lost to the outside world.

Samarth looked at the nearest clock which had a heavy pendulum swinging sideways while the needles of the old, superannuated clock struck 12. It was time to go. The thought was now only of getting out of that place. So, as fast as he could he strutted through the groups of people and emptied out of the station. He then returned to the dump yard where he was once again greeted by the agonizing smell of cow dung and litter. It was the worst place in the world and also, as Samarth reminded himself, a place of possible treasures. Either way, Samarth didn't hate it. He loathed it.

Samarth worked as fast as he could but didn't find any coins. Tired and frustrated, he collected empty plastic bottles. Samarth picked six carrying them awkwardly with two in his hands, two under his armpits and two hugging his chests as he brought forth his hands to secure them against his chest. Worked done, he got away from there and away from the wicked smell that made him feel like puking every time he went there.

Samarth went straight to Nana Ji's as it was the nearest. As soon as he reached, he dumped all the bottles on the porch, with a sigh of relief. As the bundle of bottles fell with a thud, Nana Ji's inspecting face appeared between the partition in the curtains.

"Samarth, my boy.", Nana Ji emerged from behind the curtains and then looked down at the plastic bottles.

"Looks like my boy had quite a hard day today. I will get a glass of cold lemonade."

"May I help?", Samarth asked, panting.

"Of course not. I am not even that old that I can't make two glasses of lemonade. These brittle bones can still do anything.", Nana Ji smiled, lifting his hand in a show of showing how powerful he was. Samarth smiled.

"Oh and also, if I remember correctly, whenever your mother used to make lemonade, she would always unbalance the ratio of water, lemon, and sugar horribly. Too much water and sugar and too little lemon. Horrible.", Nana Ji said shaking his head slighting. Samarth made a face.

"I hope you didn't inherit that characteristic of her." Before Samarth could say anything, he went inside, leaving Samarth gapping.

After a few minutes, Nana Ji appeared with two glasses of lemonade. Both chilling cold as promised.

"The lemon is fresh from the farm. I used the biggest one."

Samarth sipped a small amount and closed his eyes to savor the feeling. Opening them, he beamed at Nana Ji.

"It tastes divine."

Nana Ji laughed. They sipped the rest of their lemonade in silence After they had finished, Nana Ji took the empty glasses inside and returned, sitting beside Samarth. After a moment, he said.

"Your mother invited me for dinner today. How would you like it if I join you?"

Samarth beamed, "It would be wonderful. We hardly have dinners together."

Nana Ji smiled, "OK then. Go now or you will be getting late. I will meet you at dinner."

Samarth nodded and left.

Dinner was wonderful. Everyone was focused on Nana Ji who was telling tales of his childhood. He said that he too 'just like Samarth'(Samarth made a face. There was nothing mischievous about him.) was a mischievous little kid. Nana Ji talked of the time he had caught his first fish. He talked about his school days and how good he was in sports, especially hockey. He talked about his father and mother and his life in his father's house. He said that everyone in his family used to call him 'bijju' and how his friends would make fun of his nickname, calling him 'bichhu'(crab) instead.

He then talked of the time he had met Samarth's Nani Ji (grandmother) and of their engagement to which Samarth's mother listened most attentively. "Nothing fancy", Nana Ji said when asked how the engagement had gone. "We had each other and it was all we needed."

In between Samarth had stopped listening and instead had focused on Nana Ji's face. As Nana Ji recounted everything, he noticed how happy Nana Ji looked. Happier than Samarth had ever seen him.

Mother and father were also quite enjoying themselves, in a way they never had before. Nana Ji really made the house lively. Everything was well and the family was happy.

Samarth's happiness lived in that only.