The Evil Twin

Chapter 3

I had just escaped from the orphanage and was searching for a place to live.But with the amount of money I had with me, there wasn't any place I could afford living in.I was sitting on a sidewalk thinking about what I could do next when I saw a family sitting near me.The kid was running to and fro hitting a tyre with a stick.He seemed elated whenever the tyre travelled a fair distance without falling down.His mother, a saree clad thin woman, was preparing for bedtime as she took out a big piece of cloth from a handbag beside her. Folding it over several times and placing it on the ground, she called out for her son.The kid, totally engrossed in watching the rolling tyre, couldn't hear her mother's weak, tiny voice.After a few more cries, she somehow managed to force herself to stand, walked up to her son, slapped his back and brought him back to his 'bed'.

The kid started crying as he was taken away from his tyre that had now tumbled down.He slept on the 'cloth bed' while his mother slept beside him on the ground. The sidewalk tiles beneath me suddenly started to feel colder than before.The mother pressed the kid against her chest and patted his back gently while singing a sweet lullaby. Within minutes, the kid stopped crying and fell asleep.She gestured her husband to lie down as well.All this while, he had been sitting beside her, staring at their son and the tyre he was playing with.He was gazing intently at the tyre that had toppled down, probably wondering if it could be able to stand and roll again, making his kid smile the same way again.His thoughts were interrupted, as the sweet voice of his wife encountered his ears.He turned towards the sleeping mother and son and a smile appeared across his face.His wife gestured him to lie down." I will lie down in a while.You sleep". He watched the mother-son duo sleep soundly.

I went and asked if I could sit beside him.He patted the ground beside him with a smile indicating me to sit there.I introduced myself, and we started talking.His name was Rakesh. He was tall but frail.He hadn't shaved in days and both his hair and beard had turned grey.Every time he smiled, he looked creepy as he had lost the lower half of one of his teeth. I told him how I had just escaped the orphanage which was the worst place to live in.He too, told me about how he had come to the city with lots of hope and against his family's will but had experienced only losses in all of his ventures so far.Now, he worked at a small factory while his wife worked as a labourer. Even though they earned enough now, they had a lot of debt on them which is why they were hardly able to have 2 meals a day. I was saddened hearing his story.

I informed him that I needed some work.He quickly replied that a guy at the factory had recently left the job and there was a vacancy. I was delighted.He told me to accompany him to the factory next day and assured me that I'll get this job.Then after discussing various other things, he finally told me that he was sleepy. He adjusted his handbag as a pillow and offered me half of his 'pillow' to rest my head on. This was new for me.I felt blessed to have met such a nice guy. The stars above shone brightly, and the moon smiled back heartily at me.My eyes slowly began to close as I felt the sidewalk tiles beneath me.There was warmth in them now, they weren't cold anymore.