A SHORT STORY COLLECTION

||Soulfully Us||

Mr Bharat Kumar climbs down from the last bus ; he is coming from Dharmatala and his stop is Howrah. From last twenty years, he has been working in a clerical post of Techno India Commercial. The salary is well compared to other jobs and being from middle class family he can't ask more. But then also he couldn't afford a personal car and has to use public transport everyday for office. As his family is too big for his earned money. His old parents need medicine every day while his little sister is handicapped and is still unmarried. His brother is unemployed. Upon that he has his own family consisting his wife and two little kids. So in all, the salary is too little before all expenses.

However, with a sigh he starts walking as he has to take another bus to reach his house. His home is in a distant village from Howrah..upon that he gets late today due to continuous rain .. he has been struck in office till 9 pm. So he starts going towards his local bus stop in quick space. In hurry, he hasn't noticed when he gets collided with another person coming from opposite side .. and in all, the man gets hurt with a passing bike.

Mr Bharat gets shocked as the man has been bleeding from his right knee while in collision his black umbrella gets dropped somewhere and he gets total wet. In pain the man will be dropping there when Bharat gets back his senses and runs to him and holds him tightly.

Holding him from shoulder, Mr Bharat tries to take him to nearby Howrah Government Hospital. But the stranger denies to go and tries to stand straight seeing his tall mascular body is too much for that middle aged man.

Bharat gets to know that and to ease him he asks his name. The stranger smiles softly : My name is Mr Vansh Rai Singhania. I work in a jute factory. Bharat nods his head and asks further : And family? The man named Vansh says with a dreamy smile : Well..my family means my wife, Riddhima and our two years old little baby girl Vanya.

From the man's face, Bharat gets to know the man loves his wife and daughter very much. Bharat notices further Vansh's shirt is too old for today's fashion while the bag in his shoulder is torn in some places. He feels sad thinking few minutes before he has been complaining about not able to buy a personal car while look at this man, he is so happy only thinking of his family.

••••

With talking both have come a long way. Though Vansh has asked to go alone but Bharat couldn't leave this man alone when his knee is wounded. Talking about his little baby, Vansh has reached to home without his knowing. Helping Vansh from a side, Bharat waits for the door opening so that he could return his home soon. It's already 11 o'clock. May be he has to hire a cab to reach his home....it's good that from tomorrow pujo holiday is starting so he doesn't have to hurry at morning only.

With a loud knock only, the wooden door gets opened. And soon a beautiful little girl of mid twenties opens the door. From her marrital signs and saree, Bharat gets she must be Riddhima, this man's wife. He minutely looks at her saree to find it's not the type his wife wears rather it's pale and torn too.

He has been too lost in noticing the poverty in this family that he hasn't noticed the baby in the lady's hold. It's Riddhima's voice which brings him to earth : Van..Vansh ji..how..how this thing happened to you? How have you got this wound?

And the baby starts crying loudly : Pa..papa..Vanu baby papa....led(red) led..

The man named Vansh quickly goes forward and the next instance hisses a little in pain ; then also he tries to conceal it : Riddhima..Vanu..look, papa is fine. You are still awake, my princess? And Riddhima..please don't cry look it's a little accident. By God's grace, I'm fine now! Say thanks to Mr Kumar as he has helped me a lot to reach here.