The Hum

The whistle of the kettle could hardly be heard above the peculiar horn of the local train. Unperturbed by this daily regularity, Raghav continued to pour chai into the empty glasses. The hot driiink was a bane for everyone's stress and Raghav fulfilled this need. His employer on the other hand was not unlike any other businessman working in Mumbai. He never lost sleep over the fact that a fifteen year old boy served at his small shop or that the boy lived there too.

The innocence in Raghav never made him complain. He lived happily yet in poverty. Doing his daily chores, he never felt that God had done wrong to him, neither had the fates. Each day he would get up; open the shop; make some tea; serve the customers' and then make some more tea. At around three in the afternoon he would take a break. This story starts on one such afternoon on one such particular break.

He shut down the shutters precisely at three to roam about the majestic city. Sometimes the overflowing vehicles on the street, sometimes the tall building, and today, the roaring seashores.

Munching on his favourite bhel puri he proceeded towards a long walk along Marine Drive. The roar of the approaching waves minifying the the descending ones reminded Raghav of the static on his radio. An instrument that starts when his day starts and ends when his day ends; the radio, is a vital piece of technology in our boy's life. It was his connection with the outside world.

The roars that he enjoys so much have been conquered today by some other beauty that has bewitched Raghav immensely. Desperately trying to find the source Raghav scans his surrounding and sticks his eyes on an oddly shaped instrument and its player.

A young man was playing, which is popularly known as, the violin. Raghav's virgin eyes delighted on the feast more than his experienced ears. To him the violin was just a fancy name but the instrument was a strange sight. A rod of some kind polishing against strings set on a wooden handle. To him, music was just something that came from a metal box in his shop. He wondered, how these tiny strings could produce such melodious sounds. Raghav proceeded forward to sit in front of the musician. The sun shone directly in his eyes but that alone was not the reason for the intense gleam they portrayed.

Pedestrians did see the boy and the musician, but they did not notice such unimportant delicacies of life. They tossed a few coins in the case and walked away in perfect rhythm. Raghav glanced at them, then at the musician, then at the money dropping and then at them leaving.

He sat there on the road listening to the soothing music which the miracle man played for him. After an hour of soulful melody, Raghav returned to his home but only after the musician had finished playing everything. It was time to reopen his shop for the evening and he was filled with more zest than ever.

The next day he followed the same routine. The musician was playing a new piece today but the same emotions welled up in him.

This had become a habit for Raghav. Every day during his break, he would run towards this magician, and find himself lost in the music.

One unfortunate day arrived when Raghav was unable to take his break. The reason remains unimportant but the repercussions were grave. That night he tossed and turned on his bed. His physical state perfectly resembled his mental one. The black sky and the dim stars, unable to understand this precariousness, kept staring at him awkwardly.

All the time he spent started flashing across his mind. The music affected his brain like a drug. A thought started emerging in his neural network. Making its way towards his mouth. Raghav had no control over his cognitive senses now, but a last moment motor reflex led to an inaudible hum. The force continued in his mind. Finally he had to open his mouth. The vibrations in his larynx set forth a melodious sound never heard by mankind. Today, for the first time, only the dark sky and bright stars were there to play the role of audience to the budding musician. Raghav on his part was only happy to have them play that important role.

He lay straight on his bed, staring at his distant audience while his throat sent forth forces of vibrations which reached his own ears filling him with more joy than ever. He continued his humming till he was out of breath, and some after that. A new world had opened up for him and he grabbed the portal hard. Stepping into the black abyss, he hummed himself to sleep.