The Anklet's Lost Rhythm #Wattys2017

CHAPTER 3

SIDDHARTHA

Ever since childhood, my brother and I were close to my mother. None of us shared a good equation with Baba. She tortured Maa alot. Especially when his business would not make profits, he would blame my mother for his misfortune. Unfortunately he could not pounce on my mother for not giving him a son. That infact angered him more. He was never happy with Ronodeep, my brother who is seven years younger to me or me. Everytime I got full marks in a subject, he would be upset, as he would lose another chance to harrass my mother. One would think there is a reason behind his arrogance. But not really. He just disliked Maa. And Rono or me, none of us were okay with it.

My mother was from North Kolkata. Born and brought up in the midst of books and a vicinity of Alen's Kitchen and Mitra Café, she was by birth a foodie and a voracious reader. Maa always encouraged us to read. She never denied my requests of buying Tintin comics. She was not a working woman, as grandpa did not approve of her working. Later when grandpa passed away, it was too late for her to do something about her career. So, her relationship with books was limited to my text books and story books. Since I was young, I always wanted to become a writer. That feel attracted me, typewriters, rusty papers, the smell of pages and ink and the fat spectacles which most writers have on the top of their nose. Ananya said I was too handsome to become a writer, but I hardly paid heed. She is always talking. But my life would be incomplete without these people - Maa, Rono, Ananya and Ishan.

Ishan is, was and always will be my only best friend. We are of the same age, born in the same vicinity of South Kolkata, studied in the same school and fell in love at the same time. I can't recall how I met Ishan first. But I remember our first day at Patha Bhavan when we were in Class 3.

We went to school in the same route together. I cycled as fast as possible towards Ishan's house which was two blocks away from mine. I spotted Ishan standing at the gateway.

"I did not eat breakfast." Ishan groaned. I nodded sympathetically. We were 10 minutes late for school. Ishan quickly sat behind me on the cycle and held on to me.

"Chol" he said. I cycled. My stomach was grumbling. I didn't eat anything either. We reached school almost fifteen minutes after the bell rang. I skipped down and parked my cycle. We held hands and ran in. The students had all gone for assembly. We entered our classroom. It was empty.

"I am hungry" Ishan said.

"So am I." I replied.

"Did you bring tiffin?" Ishan asked.

"No. Money." I took out a ten rupee note from my pocket. Ishan made a sad pout and sat on one of the chairs swinging legs and singing an Amitabh Bachchan song. I whistled along.
Suddenly he stopped and looked at me. I looked back. "Ki?" I asked. Ishan pointed at a small yellow box jutting out of a school bag. I grinned understanding his plan.

"What if he complains?" I asked. Ishan did not care. He quickly took out the tiffin box. There were sandwiches inside. And a piece of chocolate pastry. Ishan took one piece and gave me another. "Cheese inside" he grinned. I took one and munched onto it with fear. "Why do you look like you just watched Amitabh Bachchan die a tragic death?" Ishan asked. I giggled. "He will know." I said. "So when did I say he should not know?" Ishan shrugged. After we finished the sandwiches, we cut the pastry into half using a ruler. Then I gobbled up one piece and he another. "Its from Kedar's Pastries." I said. "Yeah. Maa got me two last week." he said.

The bell rang for the assembly period. Approaching footsteps were heard. We quickly sat down in our seats and pretended to study. The students came back soon.
"Oye. Again late?" asked Rajesh. I stuck out my tongue. Ishan and I gave each other looks when the boy who owner the tiffin box came in. Akash.
"Good morning Sky." Ishan snorted.

Akash made a face and looked away. Typical first bencher. I fiddled in the last row thinking of Ananya. Ishu was making a sketch of Akash with horns and a tail. I giggled as I observed.
We were saved that day. Akash hardly knew we were in school earlier and hence had nobody to complain about. He just sulked in one corner of the classroom the rest of the day, occasionally showing his hatred for his classmates by making faces. Ishan and I giggled to each other. Such mischiefs were part of my daily life as a school boy.

I still remember how Ishan and I danced in the rain and made paper boats to put in mud water. Maa twisted my ears everytime I stained my clothes with mud. But she never stopped me. Through the window, she would observe us dancing in the rain. "Jwar badhash na abar" she would warn us. Though we never listened.
Time flew past ruthlessly.

I managed to top my board exams. 97. Baba and maa were proud of me. We planned a trip to Digha. But time had something else in store for us. Just a couple of days before we were to leave for Digha, Rono fell down the stairs and hurt his neck terribly. He bled from his forehead. He was down with a bad pain in his neck. Baba hospitalized him. Maa held onto me and cried. I tried to console her. Digha trip was cancelled. Not that I was much into regret, as I was too tensed for my little brother. I just thought Maa would have smiled a little had she went for that trip. Rono had to go through a minor surgery. Baba did not miss an opportunity to make Maa feel guilty by blaming her misfortune and unable to take care of her children for Rono's fate. Well I knew the reason. Money. He was at a financial loss. But he managed. Own son after all. Rono had difficulty standing and looking straight for a few days. He still has a weak bone there. He is a doctor now. The day Rono was discharged, Maa hugged him and cried bitterly. I was at a loss of words. Ishan clutched my hand. Rono smiled and wiped away her tears with her little hands.

Since then, Maa stopped going out completely. If we went out for films and asked her to come along, she refused. She never went to any marriage function. Last Durga Puja, I saw her weeping to herself in the balcony.

"Maa" I approached her. "It's Ashtami. Let's go to the pandal for Anjali." I pleeded. Maa shook her head.

"Devi will bless you Babai. You go with Anu. Go." she smiled.

"Maa come na. You don't even go for Sindur Khela." I complained.

"My sindur is being played with all my life darling. Those ceremonies don't please me anymore." she pressed my cheeks and left. I looked down. Rono was chatting with his friends near the stairs.

"Baba kothay?" I asked him. Rono looked at me and looked down. He shrugged. I knew what he meant. I knew where he was. I went back to my room and sat to myself, listening to the dhaak and dhunuchhi outside. Little did I know this was just the beginning. I had more pain to face. But for now, munching on to kochuris seemed more important.

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