New Bangles For Gulgul

The few pots and pans rattled as Gulgul’s mother rummaged through them to scrape some food for lunch. Gulgul had started going to school that month and the expenses had been more than Gulgul’s mother had estimated. The roof had been leaking for quite some time and Gopal suffered a bad cough and cold. The bloom on the hills of late hasn’t been enough and Gulgul’s mother only made a few coins everyday.

“Shamsher ji won’t even hire me to pick tea leaves. How will I earn for my children now?!” she murmured in despair as she opened all the small tins one by one, “All because of Gulgul’s father! Lord knows which shimmery woman he ran away with. And now the village has to blame me!” she kept on speaking to herself.

It was a cloudy day and Gulgul lingered outside the house waiting for the rain. While Gulgul’s mother despised the beautiful mountain rains for the damaged it caused to their little shack, Gulgul loved playing in the rain. Gopal and herself made paper boats to sail them in the puddles.

“One day when I’ll earn a lot of money, I’ll buy you a red boat and we’ll take a trip to the sea to sail it.” Gopal would tell her.

“Really? Do boats cost a lot of money, Bhai?” innocent Gulgul asked.

“Yes baby sister. But worry not. Bhai will get you everything you want.” And Gulgul would leap up with joy and the brother and sister did a little dance feeling hopeful of better days.

Just then Gopal came back from school, his hands filled with something. Always excited to see her big brother, Gulgul jumped up to hug him.

“Look what I got for you.” he opened his palms to his little sister.

“Sweet berries!” she squealed.

“Let’s have them before mother sees us.”

“Won’t we share with her?”

“No. She’ll be angry. She always tells me never to pluck any fruits from any trees.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Whenever I ask her, she shuts me up saying I am to listen to her without asking any questions.”

Gulgul didn’t question further and the children finished the handful of berries feeling happy and satisfied. Anticipating the rain they tore a few pages from one of Gopal’s notebooks and started making paper boats till Gulgul’s mother called them for lunch. It was a simple and bland meal of a little rice and lentils. They had no vegetables and barely any spices but nevertheless, mealtimes were happy times. The children narrated their day’s events and the mother listened intently admiring her two little joys of her life.

“Can we go to the fair being held in the village in the evening?” Gulgul asked.

“No.” replied her mother immediately.

“I want new bangles. These are old.” she frowned.

“No need for new bangles. Your old ones are fine. Go help Sooni’s mother with her garden. And whatever money she gives you, bring it straight to me. Don’t go buy toffees from Dayal’s shop.”

“I’ll come with you.” Gopal said getting up.

“Sit back and study. I’m going to Pyarelal ji’s to talk to him. Maybe he can get me some work. If he does, I’ll tell him to engage you in a job as well.” she said arranging the plates and bowls in a neat stack to make more room. The shack was a tiny one that barely housed three people. A tiny bed lay by the window with a trunk underneath and beside the bed was a similarly tiny table that held a few important things belonging to Gulgul’s mother. Gopal slept on the floor as Gulgul and her mother took up all of the little bed.

“Gopal!” his mother called out getting no response from her son.

“Un-huh!” he replied absent mindedly staring at the door, thinking about a sad Gulgul wanting new bangles, wishing he was grown up enough to buy her every happiness she wished for.

“I’m leaving now. Study well and no mischief, clear?” Gulgul’s mother said walking out.

“Yes mother” he replied.

The village fair was a joyous occasion for the whole village. Ladies dressed in their best sarees, young girls let their hair open while their young partners, in their cleanest shoes and shirts, sniffed them secretly and walked around the fair together. Men mostly visited the fair to gorge on oily samosas while their wives were busy buying glass bangles and new utensils. The five days that the fair stayed in the village, all the villagers went about in a festive spirit and no one could hold their excitement for the final day skit that the children would put up, followed by a few dances by the young girls. Thankfully, it didn’t rain that day, and the first evening of the fair was saved.

 Everyone was having a good time in the fair, going from shop to shop, chatting in circles, eating spicy puffed rice and sipping on hot tea, children going on the small merry-go-round. Suddenly there was a chaos and everyone’s focus shifted.

“Thief! Thief! Shoplifter!!” a shopkeeper cried out pointing to a little boy swiftly running away. His son ran behind the boy while a few other men followed suit. The little lean boy, ran as fast as the wind and although panicking, he kept on with his speed and soon the son and the men fell behind. The young son didn’t give up and chased the thief. The lights of the fair were left well behind while the boy knowing his way about the hilly village kept running through confusing narrow lanes. There was hardly any light and the son lost track of the thief.

The little thief kept running till he was sure, he couldn’t hear any footsteps behind. Relieved and tired, he slowed down and walked on his tired wobbly legs when he stumbled on a brick and fell hard on the ground. Something like glass broke and he gave out a cry of pain.

Although lean, he was strong and he pulled himself up and slowly walked towards the main road. A flickering street lamp shone on him as he kept walking pursing his lips to control his tears. His knees were bleeding and he walked with difficulty.

“Bhai!!!” Gulgul cried out. She was returning from Sooni’s house and had a big Marigold in her hand, “what are you doing here? How did you get hurt?” she rushed up to her brother to support him.

“Nothing, I just fell down. And, sorry, I could save only two bangles. The other bangles were in my right hand and they broke when I…”

“New bangles, yaayyyy!!!” she screamed in delight, “Bhai, you’re the best!” she planted a generous kiss on both his cheeks, “Oh! I almost forgot. Sooni’s mother was pleased with me and let me pluck a Marigold. This is for you.” She handed it over to Gopal.

Never before had he seen his baby sister so happy and her smile was brighter than the Marigold. He felt like a hero who had emerged victorious in a dangerous battle. He couldn’t stop staring at the little girl’s broad smile.

“But your knee Bhai,” Gulgul said coming back to her sense suddenly, “does it hurt a lot?”

“Not in the least.” Gopal said with a smile looking at Gulgul’s beaming bright face.

-Reva.