Kruthaghna (The Ungrateful)

 Part I – Chinthe (Worry)

It was a cloudy evening in Shanthipura town. Everyone were in hurry to rush to their final destination before rain. So much in hurry that, they did not see a bus halting in their town’s bus-stop.

Jai got down from the bus. He waited for his friend, Veeru, to get down. Veeru got down and yawned loudly. He told “That was one long, hellish drive”. Jai gave a short smile in response. He seemed to be thinking something. 

Throughout the travel he was lost in some thought, which was unlike him. Veeru asked, “I have never seen you this thoughtful, what is bothering you?” Jai looked distantly, and told, “We will start walking, and it is already getting dark. We still have to walk for 10 minutes from here”.

They both started walking towards Jai’s home. Jai told, “It is good, my friend, that you decided to come to my home this holidays”, and again got lost in his world.

Veeru was now convinced something is not right. He told, “What happened? You can tell me while walking”.

Jai was now looking at an old house which was locked. He told, “There used to be a lady here, in this house. Her name was Vasanthi. She had lost her son in an accident. After that she was in a state of shock. She, every day, used to come near the door and she used to shout for her son”. 

Part II – Nenapu (A Memory)

Jai’s memory was now getting refreshed. He remembers, as though yesterday, playing in front of the same house. That was their new cricket stadium, as their previous one was fenced. The cricket ball which he had hit, had entered the old house compound. As per the rule, the hitters are supposed to bring the ball which has gone off-limits. So, Jai sets off to get the ball from the compound. 

He had jumped over, searched for the ball and found it in a corner. As he went to fetch it, he heard the main door open. He responded to it by hiding behind the wall. The lady of the house, Vasanthi, came out and shouted, “Sanjeev, where are you? Come home once, I have prepared food for you.” 

She had looked around her compound, like farmer searching for rainy clouds. It seems, Jai had hidden properly, so she spotted him. She walked silently (as friends later described scene from their perspective), catches him by hand. Jai, surprised at this, tried to run away. But, she had held him tightly. She told, “Where are you trying to run, my boy? As a punishment for entering my compound, you will get a chocolate”. Jai was surprised, and he saw that she was laughing weirdly.

She told, “Stay here”, and went inside to get back with the chocolate. But, Jai was too scared to stay, took the ball and as well to his heels. 

Veeru smiled as he heard Jai thinking loudly.

Part III – Niyama (The Rule)

Next day, Jai and his friends met in front of the house to play Cricket. One of the Jai’s friend, Raj told, “I told my mother about the ball getting lost in the house. My mother told that, the lady of this house has lost her son in an accident. Now, she has gone mad. So we should be careful with her.”

Jai laughed and told, “A mad lady! She should be in Mental Hospital, right? And, moreover, she offered me a chocolate. Mad people do not give chocolates.”

Another friend, Vijay asked “How do you know that?”

Jai answered confidently “Till now no mad person has offered me a chocolate. That mad beggar from bus stop, who always sing the same song. That mad lady who all day keeps circling the temple compound. No one offered me a chocolate”. 

Raj was offended and told, “I do not know all that. Mother warned, we should be careful with her.”

Jai told, “Ok ok…Her laugh reminded me of a mad person. So, she might be a bit loose. We shall create new rule. If ball goes to that compound, it will be considered out.”

Everyone nodded and continued playing, taking care not to hit the ball towards the old house.

Part IV – Thappu (The Mistake)

Veeru was observing the town. People rushing around. He was listening to Jai from third ear, because, Jai was, more of, talking to himself. 

Jai continued talking, “It was like today, that day. It was cloudy.”

Jai looked distantly, as though he was watching a movie of his memory playing on a giant, invisible screen. The details were surprisingly clear.

He could see himself, running for a score, when suddenly, the old house door opened. Vasanthi came out and shouted for her son. She anticipated for her son to return. She looked around and called out for her son again.

Jai felt an urge to tell her, that her son is not alive anymore. Immediately, he shouted “Your son is dead!”

At this point, the clarity of the memory started decreasing. He was not sure if it started raining that time. He remembered seeing Vasanthi breathing heavily and she was visibly angry. She went inside and closed the door. 

It all looked funny for Jai. Even his friends started laughing. He doesn’t remember the jokes they had made, but they sure would not be funny now. “Now, it all seems like a mistake“, told Jai.

Veeru was listening now. 

“Every day it used to be the same thing. She would come out, calling for her son and we would all shout that he was dead. She would get angry and go inside. We also teased her to be mad.

“Not sure, what she felt? Not sure, what she would do inside her house, after she shuts the door? She might have thrown things in anger, or she might have wept silently in a corner. It was all a mistake. This whole journey, since morning, I was thinking about this part of my life. And, I want to apologize to her, even if she doesn’t remember”, sighed Jai.

“But, I saw the door, of that house, was locked”, told Veeru, thoughtfully.

“I saw that too”, replied Jai, as they walked their last steps towards his home.

Part V – Parinama (The impact)

When they reached home, it had started raining heavily. 

Jai’s father greeted and welcomed them. Mother was standing near the kitchen door. 

Since Jai was thinking about the old house, he asked father, “Father, where is the lady in that old house?”

Father replied, “Oh, that mad lady? She is in mental hospital now. She had thrown a stone at a kid and later tried to kill herself. Her brother was called before anything could happen. Later she was admitted to mental hospital. She had totally lost her mind. I was not here, when all this happened.”

Mother told, “I could hear her cries till here. That night I could not sleep, because of her cries. The kid narrowly escaped. The stone, thrown by her, just scraped his hand. Thank god, if the stone had hit his head, he would have end up like her”.

Jai had stopped listening when father mentioned about the lady being in mental hospital. He could see only the picture of her offering the chocolate to him. Her hair plaited. A round, red sticker in her head. The weird smile. “She was not mad! She had offered me chocolate!” murmured Jai. 

And then he started crying, “She had offered me chocolate and I made her mad. I was ungrateful to her”.

~END~

(Author Notes: This story was written for a short movie workshop. It was not considered because of the scope. This was inspired by movie Sharapanjara, which I had recently watched. Also, a few memories from summer days of my childhood. I wanted to convey varying emotions and fading memories through atmosphere and weather, not sure if I have succeeded. I have not altered it much since I had written it.)