Short Story: Let Us Play
“I am sorry, she is no more,’’ told the doctor to the young man. The dead body was laying on the stature and the young man followed it to the van. His mind was picturizing some memories. “I shall become a pilot, soaring in the air with the birds,’’ told a child with his brightened eyes and hands high in the air to his mother. “Oh My Feroze, do not forget to become a good man too, “replied the mother kissing his head. Then another memory… Feroze was leaving for school after being beaten by his mother… The mother was having a dialogue with another boy’s mother for throwing his son on the road.’’ The corpse was dragged out from the car by two men while Feroze’s body was as cold as ice but the drops of sweat made its way from his forehead to chin.
His wife cleaned the space where the ‘burden’ of the house was going to be put. From one room, a child came running holding a horse and said in his shattered voice, “Look, grandma! Mother has given me another horse and this one is big and new. Let us play. Let us play, wake up,” kissing his grandmother’s forehead, he sat beside her and looked towards his father as he was asking. “Father! Why she is not responding? ‘’
But there was a grave silence.
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Feroze wanted to be a pilot but ended up becoming a shopkeeper, maybe due to a lack of money or hard work. His mother used to believe that he had become a good person and that was enough. But do not forget, for a mother, his child is always a good person. On one evening in pleasant September, a beautiful girl was welcomed with ancient customs along with his better half (Feroze) and the good person turned into a mean person. Aneela was the only child of her parents and was accustomed to the environment where everyone was there to fulfill her desires and the outcome was not so good. Feroze fulfilled her wishes but his dream to live with his mother and better half shattered badly.
The wars between his mother and his wife grew stronger day by day while he was silent. Silent as he is not there. After he got the news that Aneela was expecting, he was sure that there would be peace in the house but Aneela was against it. She rooted a plant of misunderstanding in Feroze’s heart and he believed her for a lady mother-to-be never lies. But a mother who raised him could!
Alas! A line was drawn in the middle of the house in July 2018. The single mother who raised his child was kept lonely and was supposed to enjoy the company of walls and unfulfilled desires. Many years passed as gloomy as night for Feroze’s mother, Saima, and as a cloud in nine for Aneela. Her son was allowed to cross the barrier and sometimes Feroze too. Whenever Saima tried to talk to him about her miseries, he used to say, “Mother! I am in a hurry, will discuss it later.” He was bearing the expenses of his mother and was rather bothered by it because ‘Sir’ now had a family too. Saima who was completely dependent on his son was living hand to mouth, now. An old lady could not cook much food so she had to digest the food that comes from his son’s leftovers.
To her misery, one day, Saima crossed the border for her grandchild was about to fall from the swing. She caught her in a way that he fell but had a narrow escape from stroking his head. The child cried, maybe due to nervousness, and gestured toward Grandma. Saima was sentenced to stay away from him. Many ups and downs continued and the day came when Saima chose a way to escape from all troubles. The little angel was playing in the home when he sensed some warmth nearby. A room had caught fire and he was in the room. Saima ran to save her and when the couple returned they saw the child crying and Saima was forcing him into the room. They rushed and grabbed their son. The whole society saw and the ones, who did not come, heard a sound. Feroze slapped his mother. She could not tell them that she was trying to remove the horse toy that had caught fire, from his hands into the room. Nor did the couple notice the old lady throwing something into the Fire.
That night Saima swallowed wheat poisoning pills for it was unbearable for her to bear such pain and embarrassment. She was lying on the coat and suddenly noticed a man in white clothes that was addressed to her:
“So, you chose the death that our God dislikes?’’
“He slapped me in front of the whole town, he is part of my body, I brought him up well, I cared for him and now it was his turn. But he chose his wife over me…I remained silent. He narrowed the earth upon me, I tried to talk to her but he was not a good listener. Moreover, I used to strive but never complained because a ray of hope kept me alive that one day he would serve me…”Saima justified her action at once.
“You are saying you embraced dark death because he could not become a good son, I know. But tell me, do you not believe that everyone would be held responsible for what he did in this World? He was your son it was his obligation to serve you but he did not. You must be sad but why do you have no money for yourself? ‘’, his husband asked.
“What? What are you trying to say?’’
‘’Why had you not a plan B? When you earned money you used to keep some money aside for bad times. Did not you? You always had a plan B for everything but why not for yourself? Hmmm? You could have arranged something for your old times but you preferred to depend on your Son! And you were just dependent on Feroze and not God! He did wrong and would bear for it! But You would bear for it too for Suicide is prohibited.’’
‘’Ohh! I was not in my senses, what could I do then? I was broken… And what would you do if you had been in my place? “
“Why were you broken? You could have strong faith in God. You could be your support and if I were you, the conditions would have been different. In fact, it was your trial time. Do not you believe:
“We must testify You! ”
( AL-QURAN)
“What should I do now?” asked Saima.
“Pray for your life. Seek pardon from that one Who Created you!”
Before, falling unconscious, Saima prayed for her life desperately.
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She was shifted to the hospital late at night when Feroze came to see his mother unconsciously and found froth coming out from the mouth of the old lady. She was watching towards him and then the shivering hands of Feroze called the ambulance and kissed the hands of the one who gave birth to him. The doctor tried but the death angel was already there to free a caged soul from the body.
The next day, the newspaper came up with that incident. Many people cursed Feroze. Some prayed for her peace. Some prayed for the Feroze that he might be afraid of his act. Some were neutral for they had their troubles. A girl was telling this story to his fellows and said the last words as follows:” You know every suicide has a murderer too but that remains hidden and kills his victim silently.’’
Feroze does not know the truth and may never be able to know the truth. Maybe every night Feroze curses himself and remembers his kind mother. Maybe he has got proper justification for his actions and is living a normal life. Maybe….. Who knows!
