AnuPre SS ~ Eye of the Storm (Vol 2)

Chapter 4: Kindness of Strangers

"Ma'am I wish I had words to express our gratitude to you for this generous donation. It is for people like you that these less privileged children can be taken care of. Thank-you"

Prerna smiled and assured the trustee to not worry about the money but to ensure that the building was restored to modern facilities that would aid in the betterment of the children and their lives. She even promised to take care of the funds in the school that was situated in the next plot for the children, she promised them better amenities and teachers and greater opportunities. The only thing she requested was to be allocated a spot in the lawn area where she wanted to construct a tombstone of relic for all those who had lost their lives in the fire disaster from eight years back – the trustee was more than happy to grant her that.

"Ma'am I would like to meet the children once if that is fine with you?" Prerna had requested and the trustee was only too happy to allow her, it was decided that she would meet the children in the school the next day. Little did Prerna know that her life was about to take yet another turn, a pleasant one this time.

Prerna had met the children the next morning, she had a great time interacting with them, hearing their dreams, thoughts, aims in life. Although it did break her heart to think it was the same place where she lost her Sneha, but the smiling face of so many happy innocent children appeased her. It was when she was done with her interaction and she was about to leave the school premise, her eyes fell on this little girl sitting by the corner of the lawn on a bench with a book on her lap, elbows resting on either side of the book balancing her cheek with her palm, immersed in reading something. Her hair was braided neatly and her lips were pink as rose.

As Prerna watched her from afar, she couldn't move from where she was standing, she had a longing for just standing there and watching the child, she looked like a drop of divinity sitting under the morning sun – pure and radiant. She didn't know what prompted her, but she suddenly couldn't resist the urge of talking to her.

"Hello, you didn't join me for the interaction inside?" Prerna asked her as she approached her. The little girl looked up and saw her, then she raised her eyebrows in surprise seeing an unknown face, but replied all the same.

"I got late, if I entered the class late, the new Ma'am would have scolded me" she replied with a pout. Prerna laughed at her expression.

"So you bunked the class and now you are enjoying here?" she teased the child, who was now more at ease seeing her friendly gesture.

"No, no. I am not enjoying, I am studying; can't you see my book?" she enquired with scrunched eyebrows

"Arre waah, you are a very discipline child I must say. Very good!"

"Child? I am no child! I am eight years old!" she said indignantly, and Prerna's face froze, this girl was her Sneha's age – maybe she was also in the orphanage that day, but she was saved, unlike Sneha. The thought brought a tear in her eye, and as she started walking forward she tripped on a rock, as she was about to fall, she caught hold of the bench for support – while she didn't fall, there was a nail poking out of the bench which scraped through her skin making it bleed.

"Ouch!!" was her instant reaction. It was a minor cut that Prerna was massaging when the little girl spoke.

"Arre don't press the wound aunty, it will bleed more. Wait let me get some sugar from the pantry"

"Sugar, why sugar?" asked Prerna surprised.

"Arre you are an adult and you don't know? Applying sugar stops blood flow!" she answered in an adorable know-it-all face.

"Acha and how do you know?" Prerna humoured her.

"Arre I read it in the internet!" she replied swiftly before she ran to get the sugar.

As Prerna sat on the bench and watched the little girl run for help, a rush of nostalgia hit her, reminding her of a different life she lived so many years ago, and as much as those memories hurt, she couldn't help smile as she said it loud, "Internet gyaani baba"

The girl came back with some sugar and with utmost care was nursing her hand as Prerna watched. There was something about this child, she felt oddly close to her.

"There, the bleeding has stopped. Be careful next time, I won't always be there to save you" she said as she looked at Prerna from the corner of her eyes. Prerna froze; it was what Anurag use to tell her when she was careless back in the days. Now Prerna realized the uncanny resemblance and understood that feeling of familiarity with the child – she was very much like Anurag. She was tall for her age, serious about studies, kept random information from the internet and caring.

Prerna didn't know if any of those traits that she remembered in Anurag were true, but either ways this mini Anurag had stolen her heart.

"Now that you took so much care of me, I must know your name, else how will I thank you?" asked Prerna gently looking at the child.

"My name is Jiya, and I study in second grade in this school"

"Hello Jiya, I am Prerna and I am new in your school – and thank you for helping me"

"You're so big and still in school, are you a teacher?" Jiya asked all concerned.

"No, I'm not a teacher, but I can be a friend if you like!" smiled Prerna

"Okay, friends then! Now I need to go, else I will be late for the next class too!" and then before Prerna could say more, Jiya ran across the lawn into the old school building.

As Prerna stood there watching her figure retreat, she felt a different kind of peace in her heart – something that calmed her, soothed her, reduced the aches in her heart. She felt strange, was it possible to connect with a random stranger this way, suddenly out of the blue? She realised little Jiya was her ray of sunshine and she was going to keep her close; her mission in India this time wasn't going to be easy either, but if after a long exhausting week she could visit this cute little bundle of hope and joy, maybe she'd make it then.