A Vessel for the Soul

It was his favorite time of the day.

Little Anuj, 9 years old, was anxious for 12.30 PM to arrive. He repeatedly rapped his bench with his tiny fingers, his legs constantly shifting every 2 seconds; he was oblivious to his science teacher’s monotonous droning about the Earth’s ecosystem. As the clock in his classroom inched closer to that time of the day, he hurriedly dumped his books in his bag and counted of the seconds for the wonderful time to come.

Having lost his parents in a freak car accident at the tender age of three, his grandmother was everything to him. She loved him like none other. And when Anuj started going to school, his grandmother would bring lunch for him daily at 12.30PM like clockwork and they both would go to the lone peepal tree behind the school, a spot they both loved, were she would feed him with all her affection and would have a new story to narrate everyday. After all the fun and laughter, Anuj would take a nap for 15 minutes on her lap and would go back to his classes as usual. This was what Anuj looked forward to everyday.

And so, 12.30 came and Anuj ran out and towards the peepal tree, his eyes frantically searching for his lovely grandmother. And there she was. Like clockwork. She would not miss it for anything. Her face, a sign of the prettiness she enjoyed in her younger days, her hair, like the winter snow and her welcoming smile. He would do anything to see that smile all the time.

But strangely, she did not speak. Nor did she have any story to tell. Little Anuj wondered why. He ate in silence, under the scorching heat of the sun, which thankfully was lessened by the cool shade of the tree. And as he looked up at her, he saw a mysterious sense of calm and sadness in her eyes…the meaning of which, his young mind could not understand. Her eyes did not leave him, lovingly gazing at him; she finally opened her mouth and said

“Come Anuj. Come rest on my lap”

Little Anuj, without further hesitation, rested his head on her lap. Those 15 minutes on her lap, seemed like an eternity to him…in the comfort of her lap, he mumbled to himself

“I love you granma…”

and as her cool fingers caressed his forehead he dozed off seeing her pretty face…

1.50 PM. Anuj woke with a start. He knew he was late for class. He looked around for his grandmother, but she was nowhere to be seen.

“Maybe she left me to sleep. As usual” He thought. And quickly he hurried back to his classroom.

.................. 

3.20 PM. Little Anuj, on his way back home, thought about what exciting delicacies his grandmother had prepared for the evening and about the latest animation movie, she had promised to take him in the night. As he neared his home, he saw a moderate crowd, mostly his neighbours and some of his relatives standing outside his house. He was confused. Upon reaching the gate, thirty pairs of eyes looked at him, filled with melancholy. Still confused, he reached the main hall.

And there she was. Her pretty face, her snowy hair…But no smile came to welcome him.

Anuj heard somebody whispering “Poor soul…suffered a fatal stroke. The maids found her at around 12.20 PM”

Little Anuj understood.