ONE DAY LESS 

#3

Photography: Kevin Sreenath

The sulaimani that Ammi made was much better than the chai I had. The milk tasted different, the water tasted different. It was as though I’d just stepped into a new world, which was true. Appu taught me to count the number of floors in a building and showed me around the city. He also stopped by Jamalka’s store to get something in grey. Jamalka was Ammi’s brother who moved into the city with big dreams. 

The yellow flowers were beautiful to look at, and I knew Ammi would love them and would wear them on her hair the next day. Plucking few of them and tying it with a small band, I kept them inside the box in Appu’s cycle. Appu and Jamalka loaded all the materials on the cycle, and we were en route to our home. 

The streets were flooded with light from the lamp. The night sky jewelled with something that twinkled, it was the sight I’d dreamt of looking out through the window grills. “Those are the stars,” Appu said pointing at them. 

“Can I take one from there?”

“But it is too far jaaneman.”

“No, if we can tie few ladders together, I am sure we can get a hold on one. Just one Appu, please.” 

“Hmm,” Appu murmured. “What do you dream at night, Miriam?” 

“Visiting the city,” I giggled. 

“What are the other things you dream of?” 

“Living in the city, helping Abba… I want to drive one of those!” I pointed at a car that passed by us fast. Jamalka had visited us once in his car, it was a big day for us. 

“Well, if you can make that dream a reality, then I’m sure you will get that star you want.”

“But that won’t be tonight! Those will happen only after many years right? What if those stars won’t be there Appu?”

“They’ll always be there,” he assured me with a smile. “Maybe one day I’ll be one amongst them.”

“Then I’ll make sure to take you with me when I come there to get one.”

The circus of the city started to simmer down. The vehicles began disappearing slowly, few people were on the street; most of them a little bit older than me. By a shed stood a group of people joking and laughing. They seemed to be having the time of their life. Ammi was wrong; there are people that love each other unconditionally in the city. I realised the moment when I saw a huge vehicle approach the shed and most of them get on it. The few that stood back waved and smiled, and in their eyes there was a hope of seeing their loved ones again the next day, and in that hope lived the unconditional love. 

Appu got off the cycle and started walking while I sat on the seat. I occasionally rang the bell and each time he looked at me and smiled, and it felt good. The walls on the street were lit by candles that we’d use when the light’d go off. There were many candles, some small and some big, some sitting straight and some about to fall. The smoke from them whirled in the air for a while and then disappeared. 

“Why are they lighting candles when there is already light from the lamps Appu?” 

“Well, we are about to find out now.”