sixth sense

A Story by imagination

words from imagination

Sixth Sense

While sitting on the bus stop waiting for her bus to arrive Vidhi was carefully watching everybody around her. Suddenly her eyes fell on the lady and felt something very queer about her. Slowly this had become her daily routine to look at the lady and get curious about her. One day she walks towards the lady puts the ten rupee note in her bowl. A bowl of unshaped feature with dull shine and the substance of it were very precious to go unnoticed. A small coin of smallest digit to ten rupees note glittering was not of importance to Vidhi. She sat there daily near a bus- stop to earn her bread. Her old clothes, tattered duppatta covering her head, her blue kurta with muck all over. She could feel the stench all around her still she had a strong desire to converse with her. “Maa, I see you everyday here begging, why there is nobody else in your house to earn”? She was surprise and stunned staring at Vidhi quizzically. Vidhi repeats but this time old lady looked at Vidhi and looked in other direction. Vidhi asked another question but no response “Where do you live”? In the meantime Vidhi’s bus arrives and she leaves immediately.

Next day, Vidhi reaches the stop expecting to see that same old lady but to her surprise she finds nobody there, little disappointed and amazed by the strong urge to meet that lady who is in no way related to her. When her bus arrives she soon climbs and heads off towards her office. In this way continuously for three days the same routine followed. Perplexed, Vidhi decides to find out what had happened to the poor lady. She gets all sorts of thoughts leading to an occurrence of any mishap. Many times she had seen a boy at the tea stall talking to her and giving her tea. She moves towards the tea stall and she approaches the boy and asks, “Hello, can I have a cup of tea”? “Why not sister, just sit down I will get you an especial elaichi walli chai, once you will drink again and again you will come here.” Vidhi smiled and he yells to the man at the stove to prepare especial chai. He cleans the chair for her to be seated. She immediately asks the boy his name just to keep the flow of conversation, “you seem very smart and interesting”. Boy replies,” Munna”. “Ok Munna, can you tell me, do you know the lady who sits here to beg because I have seen you many time giving her tea and talking to her”. “She is no more but why are you asking”? Vidhi looked at him with wide opened mouth ready to speak further but stopped halfway “she stayed in Labhubhai chali in the third street from here, but why are you asking, what happened”? Vidhi replied little hesitantly, “no, nothing happened I am not seeing her since few days and I am a reporter very queer to write about her any ways, can you take me to the place where she stayed”? “yeah but you will have to wait for 5- 10 minutes I have one customer waiting I have to serve him tea and biscuits later on I can join you”. She said I will sit there on the stop when you finish you call me.” She went to the stop and sat, her mind little disturbed with the news of the old lady’s death wondering why she is feeling so bad about her.”

They both leave to visit old lady’s house. After walking for two minutes crossing two lanes they turned into the third street and walked in a small crowded lane with hawkers on both the side of the street shouting to lure the pedestrians to buy their products. A minute later, they head towards right narrow street feel with filth and roads covered with huts on both the sides. The overflowing gutters making it difficult to walk and the stink of the filth forcing Vidhi to think about the life people lived here. After passing through five six houses he stops and turns to her and speaks, “here is her house, she lived here”. “Where?” said she eagerly looking at the pointed finger. “Didi, I have to go, whatever you want to ask, ask that lady sitting there. “Saying this he immediately runs towards his shop. She moves in the direction of the lady sitting on the charpoy, staring in her direction, she calls her, “aye ladki, idhaar aa (girl, come here). She goes there and asks her about the whereabouts of the lady sitting near the bus stop begging.

A pompous lady with dirty pink kurti with green salwar and yellow floral duppatta covering her hair partially, sitting with legs stretched in front. She asks Vidhi, “Why are you so keen to know about this lady? She died two days back, she fell sick four days before, feeling difficult to breathe, we had to call a doctor from our nearby dispensary but he said she is serious and will not survive long, any time anything can happen and day before yesterday she died”. Vidhi felt a pang of pain within her. she asked,” Nobody came to look after her or claim her body?” “No” said she. “It is a long sad story about her; at one time she was a very rich lady with a husband but no issue. She would remain upset and depress in the want of a child and her husband cared less about her. One day, fed up with her illness he married other woman. The other woman gave birth to a boy after a year and half. This lady was very happy with the birth of a child but soon she realized that she was not allowed to pick up the child, play with him, neither was she allowed to come near the child. Eventually, the day arrived when she had to leave the house. She took her few clothes with little money and left the house. Another maid working in that house had brought her here since then she was staying in this hut. She spoke very little occasionally, she would cry and weep for long hours missing her husband. After few years a young woman named Kamli came to stay in her neighborhood (pointing her finger in opposite direction). She had a daughter who she got very fond of. Initially she was scared but slowly she played with her treated as her own daughter Whenever Kamli went to work she left her daughter under her care.” She paid small amount for the care she took.

What she did not know was her happiness very short lived. One day Kamli’s daughter died of car accident while she had taken her out on the road to buy vegetables. When she was busy buying vegetables kamli’s daughter playfully went in the middle of the road and a speeding car crashed her and she died on the spot. This lady from that day onwards was heartbroken; she went in the severe state of depression and lost her voice. Slowly, with our consolation and our love she recovered but lost her voice. She took to begging for her livelihood. After taking few deep breath with slender eyes and pain on her face she said, “She was a nice lady, it is unfortunate that she died without any of her family members besides her. When she came here she had with her a small cloth bag stuffed with two pair of clothes, her husband’s photo and small amount of money.

Vidhi was quietly listening without any interruption. The lady sitting next to her continued, “How can god be so cruel to the good people like her!” she too felt god had indeed been cruel to her. As Vidhi was about to leave remembering something that lady asked her, “why are you asking all this, why did you come here all the way asking for her?” Vidhi thought for few minutes then she slowly said, “Whenever I use to see her I got a strong feeling she is only my lost grandma whom my father is searching for.

Vidhi with a lost look continues, “When my father was twelve years, with whom he had a strong bonding , whom he call ‘Badi Maa’ was leaving her home with a small cloth bag, tears in her eyes and his mother yelling at her and father too was supporting her. My father, at that time wanted to persuade her to stay back but had no courage to do so. From that day onwards his act of cowardice had let him stoop low in his own eyes. After that my father lost all love and respect for his parents since that day my father decided to search her. When he grew up and got married he left the house to stay away from his parents since then he is always in search of his Badi Maa. . Whenever he thought about grandma, his eyes filled with tears. He has never been able to forget his parents and himself for the ugliness that happened in front of his eyes. My father is eager to meet granny and ask for forgiveness then only he will be able to live life guilt free.” “One minute” the lady said and went inside soon she came out with a small cloth bag and took out a photo of the lady’s husband and showed to Vidhi. Vidhi takes the photo and looks, her eyes moisten and she breaks down, “yeah, she is my grandma, oh god, what will happen when papa comes to know that his Badi Maa is no more. He will be a broken man.” Phone rings, she looks at the number it was from her home. She cries inconsolably. Soon she thanks the lady and leaves for her house. While on the way home she regretted why had she not recognized her before, what if she would have followed her sixth sense? There were many more other questions which remained unanswered throughout her life.