It was a silent journey way back home. None of us spoke. Mukti was on a call with someone, I was sitting in the back seat and pretended to be asleep. I was feeling very emotional at that moment.
We reached home after a 30 minute drive.
"Gudiya we are home" Manik said. I got down the car and went to my room directly. I saw my friends sitting on the couch. Manik was calling me, but I still came on my way.
I couldn't understand my feelings. I found myself in every kid there. When they told how much they miss their parents, I could feel it. The saddest part was, few kids don't even know who their parents are. When Maa said that there were few parents who couldn't afford to raise their children and that's why they left them there, I was so angry. When they can't afford kids, why do they even give birth to them?
I had a chat with a few kids there about their ambitions. The way they aimed so high, made me feel so happy. Aasra is doing a great job in nurturing them. How I wish I could meet Nyonika aunty and thank her what she has started. There was a drawing competition for the kids there. I so loved their drawings that I brought a few with me. One of the boys wanted to become an astronaut. He drew imagining himself between the planets, flying in the sky.
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Another girl loves fairies, she drew an angel
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and wrote my name next to it. She said I look like an angel. How sweet! I had all these drawings spread on my bed and I was looking at them again and again.
I didn't even notice, when Manik came in. when I finally looked at him, he was standing across the bed and looking at me, with his hands folded.
"Aise kya dhekh rahe ho?" I asked.
"Tumhe" he replied.
"Wohh mujhe patha hain but why are you staring at me?" I asked again.
"There's a different glow I see on your face, especially in your eyes" he said.
A glow on my face? I thought I was looking pale. I went to the mirror and checked my face, it was normal.
"Manik meine fair and lovely nai lagaaya" I said. He smiled at my answer.
