Chah

(for the readers- chah means desire in urdu) 

Dressed in a simple blue frock, with short brown hair framing an amiable face, Tara hardly looked her age. She had just come back from work.

Her files stuffed into a backpack slung across one shoulder, she dropped down onto the couch. Since she was a young teen, she'd always dreamt of parenting an orphan. And now that she was 26, she had been thinking very seriously about realising that dream. On discussing with her colleagues, the most common reactions were either shocked expressions or nervous laughter. The only two people who supported her decision were her best friend and her mother. She was now confused and uneasy. Was adoption the right option?

She waited for a couple of days. Then thought,

"If I believe that I can give a child a brighter future, and if I know that I can be a great mother, who are others to say anything? It took me years to prepare myself for this!"

Two hours later, her white car stopped in front of the orphanage. Soon, she was in a room full of excited children jumping about and introducing themselves to her.

She was stirred by the energy that filled the room. As she looked around at the curiosity and joy on each child's face, she noticed a little girl looking out of the window. She did not seem interested at all! Her silky black hair reached her lower back, dangling just above the pink bow of her layered frock. Her round face had a tiny button nose and the sunlight falling gently on her tiny stature, made her look no older than four years of age.

She approached the little girl and tried to talk to her. The girl tightened her grip on the rag doll that she was holding and looked up at her.

"What's your name dear?" Tara asked gently.

"Chah." Said the girl, as she ran and hid behind a caretaker.

She did not respond further.

This meeting aroused Tara's curiosity. The next day, she asked the caretaker about Chah.

"She is a very shy girl. Doesn't talk to anyone, so no one pays much attention to her." She said.

"How did she end up here?" she asked.

"She was rescued from a brothel."

"Her parents?" I asked.

She just shook her head.

The next day, tara reached the orphanage with a doll. She reached the room where Chah usually spent her time and saw the little girl sitting nervously on a stool in the corner. As usual, her rag doll was in her hands. On seeing Tara, she immediately turned to the window and began looking out. Tara went closer and showed her the doll.

"Look dear! Look at this pretty doll. She has hair just like yours, she belongs to you now!" she said.

Chah stole a furtive glance at it, and then began caressing her own doll's hair.

"Don't be shy. Hold her and see, I brought it just for you."

"Thank you." She said without looking up and placed the doll on the windowsill. There was silence for a while.

Then tara said, "Dear, how would you like it if I take you home? We can play together, dance and sing, and you will have lots of toys and sweets. I will take very good care of you."

Chah just hummed softly and kept fidgeting with the frill of her skirt. Over the next few days, Tara tried to get her attention with all kinds of toys, chocolates and gifts. But in vain.

Eventually, she gave up and went to her mother. She began sobbing as she lay her head on her familiar lap.

"I can't do it ! I never appreciated you as much as I do today. You raised me and took care of me like I was your own blood, but I can't even win the trust of a little girl!"

"Dear, it isn't easy, I know. But the harder the task, the sweeter is the fruit."

"What should I do then? She isn't interested in anything I give her."

"Sometimes we need things which comfort us, and those need not always be materialistic things. Try talking to her the way I used to talk to you. Do you Remember?"

The next day, Tara went to meet her with confidence. She reached the room, and instead of sitting in front of Chah's stool, sat down on the carpet. She pulled out a colouring book and beckoned to her as she began to colour.

Slowly, Chah sat next to her and picked up a crayon. As they coloured, Tara casually began, "So, what's your favourite sweet?"

"funnel cakes."

"Really? Mine too! I make them at every festival that comes along"

Chah looked at her silently.

"Okay, so what are your hobbies?" Tara asked.

Silence.

"Do you want to know mine?"

She shrugged.

"I like to......sleep. And I also like listening to music, to help me sleep better. Interesting hobby isn't it?"

Chah smiled and then began colouring again.

"funnel cakes remind me, do you know how this snack was discovered? No? Come on, I'll tell you".

Tara began, "Once, in a kingdom far away from here, there lived a fat king. The king was very fond of eating. He was so fond of it, that his poor cook was fed up with trying to prepare new recipes everyday............."

As she continued, Chah listened to her patiently, without uttering a word. But Tara could see the delight on her face.

"............And so the cook finally found the king a favourite food, saved his job, and most importantly, discovered the amazing dish for us to enjoy!" Tara concluded.

Chah burst out laughing!

Her laughter was like a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day, and filled Tara with Joy.

Over the next few days, Tara narrated many stories to her. From talking animals, to magical fairies in enchanted forests, each story brought the two of them closer to each other.

"Okay. Now tell me about you, I'm curious." Tara teased one day.

"I like to dance."

"Oh! You do? I'm terrible at it. maybe you can teach me."

They talked for hours and continued till sunset. Their Laughs and giggles brightened the room every day and they slowly bonded. One day, Chah took Tara's hand and led her into her balcony. There was a small pile of clothes and a furry puppy slept peacefully on it.

" Can I bring him home with me?" she asked, and then shyly added, "Mother?"

The words, 'home' and 'mother' rang in Tara's head. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Yes darling! Of-course you can. He will have his bed right next to our older dog." She smiled.

Chah clapped her hands with joy.

Soon thereafter, they were home. That night, Chah slept peacefully in the embrace of her new found friend, her mother.

Twenty-two years later, an older and intelligent Chah, held Tara's hand and led her onto the stage at the inauguration ceremony of her NGO.

She gave a speech about all the ways in which her mother helped her grow into what she was, and how she gave her the best life she could possibly have. She talked about how her grandmother told her about the difficulties she faced while adopting Tara herself! The day was a heart-warming and beautiful one. It marked Chah's first step towards achieving the goal she had set for herself. The goal of brightening children's future, just as hers was by Tara.

The little girl who hid behind the chair, was now a strong and independent woman, determined to face the world, and change it for the better.

hope you like it! feel free to suggest new topics, genres or ideas i should write about.. lots of love

-deets :")