(by Subash Subramani)
MORNING, 6:00 AM
“WAKE UP,FILTHY” yelled sujatha to her step son who is not even considered as a human to herself.
“Please amma let me sleep for sometime more , I was up till 2 o clock working night shift” Siva replied without opening his eyes.
“How dare you raise your voice against me ?” said sujatha furiously “Thank me for feeding you”
“Your feeding me just because I am earning” thought siva and got up to avoid further fights in the morning.
Siva after folding his blankets sweeped the room and went to bathroom and started brushing teeth and got the alarm
“How long will you brush your damn teeth? Go and get milk, else we all have to drink black tea” from the kitchen.
Siva went to change the dress and without changing anything went to shop after getting scolded for changing dresses daily which he washes.
Asked for money and again got scolded for not giving 500 rupees of his 15000 monthly salary and went outside mechanically.
It is a 500 meter distance from home to shop which treats him as a human and show him that the word is different and beautiful than his home. Wandering through the streets which he does from his school days. Considering himself as a son in every house and imagining how will they treat him. Sometimes they do really consider siva as their own son as everybody in the neighborhood knows the struggle siva goes through dawn till dust.
There will be people living in the roadsides who hates their fate and still live happily , greets siva everyday warmly. Never a day cross his life without imagining his mother still alive and he often lives in that fantasy world too. Society forced or may be due to human need, his father ain’t ready to sacrifice his life for siva and ended up with a second marriage. Which siva doesn’t even understood at his 4th age.
Things happened rapidly and all of sudden she is the boss of siva and the entire family. Siva moved to government school from private school and to textile factory from government school. These things happened before he turned 16 And now he is 18 and still cant decide by his own or not allowed to decide his own.
All he know are house,shop,school now factory. He is not trained to socialize among people, not allowed to laugh loudly, not allowed to write some creative thing in backside of his note. These made him a totally dependent on someone who is not deserved for the same. Even though he is the breadwinner for the family, he is none other a great loser in his own life. Everyday when he comes out of his house he gathers the courage to ran away from home or to return home without fear and raise his voice and live his life.
Reached the shop he bought milk and paid for it when returning from the shop he thought of having a chocolate and bought a 5star.
Started the second half of the journey, every one along the way started smiling when their eyes meet his. This gesture is something he expects from everybody at least from his family. On the way a grandpa was trying to lift some weight to load it into his car alone, siva went and helped him. The grandpa thanked him and blessed him for 100 years. Siva moved with a smile, as already his 18 years have been spent in a useless manner for him and the society.
But what strikes his mind is that even a stranger shows some gratitude why does his family refuses to show some? What have he done to her? Because people shouldn’t find out that she is second wife to someone, siva calls her “amma”. He does everything as per wish with or without consent, never argue with her, does all the works at home except cooking. Works all day at factory, works left of the day at home which is nothing short of a factory and hand overs his entire salary separating 500 rupees for his expenses and end up with spending the money for milk,vegetable or something else.
In every month-end when siva don’t have any money with him he is not even respected as a street dog as there are some good souls and blue cross for street dogs at least. Now he is done with everything. Siva cant tolerate these thing any more. His grandmother lives in a village and he is ready to go and live with her for his entire life
“Why not? I am earning now. I can stand by my own legs and my own money. I am not dependent on anyone but someone is dependent on me. Then why should I fear ?” thought siva moved quickly towards home.
“I should question her for everything she has done to me till date” thought siva while opening the gate.
“WHERE THE HELL DID YOU WENT? DOG. DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE HOW LONG YOU’VE BEEN TO THE SHOP”
Yelling at siva, sujatha approached towards him with a broomstick in her hands. In front of everyone she started abusing him to the core and everyone was just feeling sorry for the poor little boy.
“When did you leave home to buy milk?”
“6:30” frightened reply from siva.
“And what is time now? Donkey?”
“7” without lifting his heads up.
“You wake up like a royal prince after me shouting at you for half and hour, but once you wake up you’ll wander in the streets to get milk. What sin have I done in my last birth to raise you”
Her shouting made everyone in their compound irritating.
“And what is this?” pointing out the chocolate as asked sujatha.
“I just thought of having a chocolate amma, so I bought one”.
“OH, I have to request you to get the milk but you’ll buy chocolate for your self.
Since you are a grown up man you can do anything you wish? I am done with you. I cant tolerate you anymore” throwing the broomstick on him, sujatha turned back.
“Sorry amma, I should’nt have done that. I wont act against your words here after” said siva in a sobbing voice.
“This was, is, and will be your usual dialogue” said sujatha. “go fold the bed, wash the utensils, wash the clothes I am very tired since I woke up early today. Before leaving to factory, wake me up”
“Ok amma” said siva mechanically and entered into hall where his father was sitting idle. Siva hardly met his father’s eyes for 2 seconds and entered the bedroom where his step sister pavi who is 14 years old was sleeping in the bed which his mother bought for him. And started folding the blankets.
Meanwhile sujatha called her daughter “pavi.. come and have this chocolate dear”
Pavi went to her mother and got the chocolate in one hand and coffee mug in the other hand started watching watched TV, whereas siva hurried to complete the tasks assigned to him and reach office without delay to avoid salary cut.
Inspired from real stories
Baradwaj Rangan 
Satya
July 25, 2020
Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it’s breaking
When there are clouds in the sky you’ll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You’ll see the sun come shining through
For you…..
Arthur Fleck: Why were you writing that here?
Me: Because, I see another Joker in the making
Arthur Fleck: Will he ever see the light of the day?
Me: No, he will remain a suppressed rage until death
Arthur Fleck: The boy seems very forgiving
Me: You too seemed forgiving
Arthur Fleck: People like him here
Me: No. They pity him. Look at what he is going through, and you too shall feel sorry.
Arthur Fleck: Is it just me…?
Me: Don’t you worry, it is getting crazier out there.
Sorry Subash, just for fun.
Loved reading this. Hope to see what Siva would do eventually, though the options are limited.
LikeLike
Deepa
July 25, 2020
BR sir! No offence. The article needs a bit of editing. I wouldn’t call them errors because English isn’t our mother tongue. A round of proof reading before posting would help.
LikeLike
Subash
July 30, 2020
Thank you siva.
Thank you deepa. Sure I’ll try to improve my language better:)
Thank you BR sir for posting this:)
LikeLike