Raju: A symbol of Secular India (A Short Story)

It was the dark night with pin drop silence. The wee hour was approaching. Whole Street had engulfed into eternal silence. Raju was in deep sleep. He had encountered a nightmare in his dreams. He had never thought that he would have to sleep on the piles of the garbage. And finally morning welcomed him “with disinterest”. He had not eaten a score of food. He was also feeling thirst. He just wanted to grab the jug full of water. “Oh! Shit! What is it?" He was half asleep when the school bus had come and woke up Raju. Other kids in the school always looked at Raju. They used to laugh at him in seer compassion. They expressed their feelings on occasions…"oh poor guy! Why God had made him like that?"He was not born street kid. He was a loving child of his father and had his own home. He had a family that cared him. The family that was very much fond of each other. He'd a pretty sister, mother, father, a servant and a very beautiful house. He used to play and enjoy in the garden in front of his house.But these privileges are no more a reality for him. He goes into it only in his sweet memories that end into curse ---none less than a sweet dream for Raju.This morning Raju was too much hungry. "I should eat something but how can I? It is better to stand beside any restaurant over there, perhaps some gentleman would offer me something to eat", he thought. But no one even noticed him until the mid of the day. The owner of the restaurant was readying himself for his prayer. As soon as he saw Raju, his face became colourless. "O boy what are you doing here? You people always disturb us at the time of prayer, go away right now,” he roared and kicked Raju out."Oh am I not stupid, why had I come in front of him at the time of prayer? Perhaps he would have fed me if it were not the prayer time, "Raju consoled himself. He was feeling weak and hungry. He stepped forward. He saw the sign board Shakahari Bhojnalay (vegetarian restaurant). He saw a man in white maruti 800 car in front of the motel. The man in his mid forties was busy with his children and wife. They were eating puri sabzi and dahi-bhalley. His son, a bit younger than Raju saw him and whispered something to his father’s ears.The man saw him and came nearer to Raju. “Have you eaten your lunch?” he asked Raju kindly.“No Sir’’ Raju replied bashfully“Come and have lunch with my children, come boy come!” He was very friendly and they walked near the car. The man introduced Raju to his children “Meet him he is your new friend.”“Hello, what’s your name? My name is Ajoy, Ajoy saksena”“I’m Raju”“Let me introduce you to my family. She is my mom, my younger sister Rashmi, and my elder sister Aparna. Now I’m going to introduce you with one of the most important members of our family,” he said. He took a pretty white dog into his lap. “Meet this gentleman this is very naughty but good friend of us, no…no…no not us only mine because Aparna doesn’t love this. Today she chides him and Rashmi was also supporting her. No one supports me. Now you are one of my friends. I expect you would support me ok…will you?”“May I interrupt my dear brother?” Aparna abruptly spoke. “He is a chatterbox. His chain of talks never stops and don’t wind up until he sleeps. Come and have some food. You too are my dear brother like Ajoy” she toned naughtily.“Ok Boss I’m coming.” Ajoy replied in same playful tone.”Mr. Saksena started talking with Raju“What’s your name?”“Raju”Where do you live?“In the garbage pile”Garbage pile! What?“I mean on the footpath”“On the footpath?”“I mean I have no shelter.”“Oh! That is very sad.”“Where your native place is?”“Native place, what”“Native place means where does your parents reside?”“I don’t know because I have no parents”“No parents?”“Yes they were killed in the communal riots.” Raju started weeping.“I am sorry Raju. I did not know this anything about you, I’m really sorry”“It’s ok uncle”OK beta bye ...see you.”“Can Raju come with us Papa?” Ajoy Saksena interrupted.”Oh! Sure why not! Raju Beta! Would you like to come with us? You said that you have no shelter. You can live with us, if you like.“I’m sorry, I cannot go with you”“But why so?” Ajoy asked. “You don’t want to live with us?”“No! No! I am thinking that what will I do in your home?”After all Raju agreed to go with them. On the way He was thinking about the riots that made him homeless. They were Hindus and so cruelly they killed all of his family members. He thought that if they had known that I am a Muslim then they would have behaved differently. It is good that because of my name it is not clear which religion I belong to. How is it possible that they are such nice people and Hindus as well? He was going deep down into his monologues. Suddenly the car stopped and the chain of Raju’s thoughts broken. Raju got out of the car and looked at the “Saksena house,”Wow! It’s marvelous! The big house was like a palace. The children came out from the car and started running into their house. Raju was standing outside and looking at their garden. There were flowers like roses, marigolds, daisies, jasmines and a variety of colorful plants. Raju entered in the garden and sat down on the velvety grass near a cactus plant. There were green lights all over the garden. It had been a long time since Raju was in a clean place like this. He starred at the blue sky and tried to search something there amongst the little stars; he did realize that someone was standing behind him.” What are you searching for in the sky”? He recognized Mr. Saksena’s voice and said” Uncle I heard that when people dies they become stars. Is that right?” So to whom are you searching for? I am searching my Mom and Dad. Uncle can you please help me to find them? “Oh! How can I?”I never met them. How will I recognize them? “OK I describe them. They were just like you…just like these stars. Do you know uncle how much they loved me?” Tell me how much.” Raju spreads his hands in the wind. “This much? No…No…No this much.” Then he spread his hands more. “Actually this much. “ Uncle if they are among these stars then they can see me? But how can they? They are so far but they can listen to me. I call them” then he surrounded his mouth with his hands and calls loudly “Mom... Dad! Where are you? ”They cannot hear you my son” Mr. saksena said. Raju’s cheek became wet with the tears….He started living in this new found home. He felt it that it was a rebirth for him. Days passed and everyone forget that Raju was an outcaste in the family and not a family member. Arpna Rashmi Ajoy all of them loved Raju very much. One day Ajoy and Raju were playing on the roof. Raju was trying to catch Ajoy but he was running too quickly. Suddenly Ajoy slipped and was about to fall down from the roof. Fortunately he was caught hold of the rod near the window. Raju tried his best to rescue Ajoy. And succeeded in rescuing him but in this process Raju himself fell down. He fainted. With the noise of his falling all the family members came out screaming and yelling. Mr Saksena called the ambulance that brought him into the hospital. After some days’ coma Raju woke-up.“Ya Allah”. He pronounced this after gaining conscience. He saw around his bed --- all family members were there. They all were sad and praying for him.Raju called Mr Saksena and whispered something into his ears. Mr Saksena told everyone to go outside the room.“Uncle I don’t want to hide anything about myself before you.” Raju said“What? What do you want to tell me?” Mr.Saksena asked. “Uncle do you know I am Muslim”.Ok I know this so what? What’s the matter?“You know it? Uncle Hindus are the enemy of Muslims. You are a Hindu and you know that I am Muslim so …” Raju left the sentence incomplete. “Oh! Now I understand what the matter is?” Mr. Saksena said “You are thinking that your parents have been killed in a communal riot and Hindus killed them. So Hindus are cruel and why I am not like them being a Hindu myself? It is stupid thinking my son.“What do you think that those fanatics who killed your parents were Hindus? No of course not. They were criminals. Criminals!Criminals don’t have any religion. They are neither Hindus nor Muslims. They are only criminals and crime is their only religion. So don’t think about these stupid things and get well soon.Ok? ““OK Uncle I understood that they all were criminals. Neither Hindus nor Muslims are. Now there is no barrier between you and me. Now I will call you Papa. I am sorry Papa. I had it all wrong” Raju said and lived happily there as a member of Saksena’s