I had a bicycle but I did not know
where her house was. Moreover, I never ride bicycle without my dad’s hand
holding it from back. I had never walked out of the society. I could not just
get to her anyhow. I ran to the land-line phone that we had in our drawing room and
tried to remember that how many buttons
my parents dial every time they make call to someone. Six digits was the
answer. It was easy, I had to pick the receiver of phone and hit any six
digits. They would connect me to her as it connects my parents with the
person they want to talk with. They just dial few numbers and talk to them. I
picked the heavy receiver with my both hands, put it somehow near my chubby cheeks,
and dialed my favorite six digits.
It made some noise and after few sounds,
it connected to her. “Hello,” A female picked it up. She was sounding elder so
I thought of greeting her first.
“Hello Anantika’s mom. Can I talk to
Anantika,” I was nervous. It was first phone call of my life and was a first
one to a girl.
“What number you dialed dear?”
Anantika’s mother asked from other side.
“Sorry, I don’t remember. Can I talk
to Anantika please?”
“Beta! You dialed a wrong number. I
am sorry, there is no Anantika here,” Anantika’s mom said and hung up.
Why did she lie to me? Was she thinking
that I was the reason of bad results in her Eye tests? I had no choice then
thinking of another way to reach her. Tension resulted in try of skipping my meal.
My mother didn’t like it and came in my room to feed me. When she arrived, my
head was below my pillow. I was crying badly. I was missing her. The bloodstains
I saw today in school made my thoughts weak. I was forced to think that she was
not all right. She was in pain. Her screams were echoing in my head. The
pain was palpable.
“Why are you crying?” My mother
asked without moving the pillow. She always caught it when I was crying.
“Mom, what is C..A..N..C..E..R..?” I
left pillow and hugged more comforting person, my mother.
My mother’s eyes grew and her lips compressed
her smile. Her face looked expressionless. I hugged her fatty tummy and started
sobbing. “What it is mom?”
“Where did you hear this word?” My
mother questioned in a low voice.
“A friend of mine has it,” I sobbed
rubbing my head on her tummy.
“Who?” My mother whispered and
hugged me back. She had tears in her eyes. Was it that bad? My mother doesn’t know
about Anantika but still she was hurt somewhere. Was it something inhuman? I
tried to picture Anantika in my head, but there were just bloodstains. Memories
of her smiling at me were hiding behind the red color of pain.
“She has it?” I pointed at the teddy bear,
resting next to my school bag. I held my pain in me. I would tell my dad, my
mom was weak, she cries a lot.
“Oh! From where you got this Teddy-bear?
This is very pretty,” My mother tried to change the topic.
“Do pretty things have
C..A..N..C..E..R..?” I asked innocently. Anantika was undoubtedly the prettiest
girl of the class and her eyes were beautiful. Was that the reason she got
C..A..N..C..E..R..?
“It is Cancer. Do not worry, if the
teddy bear has a cancer. We will take it to the teddy bear doctor. He will give
your teddy bear an injection and then the teddy will be fine,” My mother
explained and tried to comfort me.
“What if teddy has no money to pay Teddy
Doctor’s fee?” I asked another question.
“Then, its father will pay the fee.
Like we pay fee of your school,” My mother smiled. “Now, you will have to take
food.”
“What if teddy has no father?”
“Then we will ask your daddy to pay
the teddy doctor.”
“Daddy will pay,” I was so happy
hearing this that a smiled brushed on my face.
“He will pay if you will have your
food,” She said and I jumped to my plate. I started eating quickly. The faster
I would eat, the faster my Anantika will recover.
I had my food and I slept hugging my
teddy Anantika; the teddy bear. My mother kissed my forehead and turned off the
light. I skipped my favorite cartoon show that day. I just wanted to stay with
Anantika. I wanted to be her hope that ensured that everything was okay and she
would be no longer feeling the pain. I wanted to stay with her in her screams.
I hugged the teddy tightly. It was Okay and so was I. I slept.
My Dad’s car horned and I ran
outside to stop him. We had to go to Anantika. I forgot my teddy bear back in
my room. I ran back to get it. When I reached the main gate, my dad were
parking the car. I stopped him and tried hard to open the door. I failed and my
dad opened it from inside. I put the teddy bear on the seat and sat down. I
somehow managed to close the door.
“Daddy we need to go somewhere,” I
put Anantika in my lap and said.
“Yes Captain Sarthak where are we
taking this ship today?” My dad started the Car-Ship game. We used to play that
game on car drives. I used to order him like a pirate captain and he used to
follow my directions.
“Daddy, I want some money.” I demanded.
“How much?” He asked.
“How much needed to buy an injection
of cencor?” I asked. In afternoon, my mother told me that doctor will give her
an injection and she will be all right.
“What is Cencor..?” My dad asked.
“C..A..N..C..E..R..” I told him the
spelling. It left my dad numb.
“Who has it?”
“Anantika, my friend,”
“Oh my god! She is dying.” My dad
shouted. Now, what was ‘dying’? Another
unfamiliar word to me but if my dad said something, I believed him. He is always
right.
“Yes, She is dying,” I said with a
smile.
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