The Unheard Cry

4/04/2012

The Unheard Cry

Vinay came home with tears in his eyes. His mother was busy sewing clothes, so hardly she could pay heed to his crying. She thought that he must be hungry and so was crying. Without looking at him she told him to have 'bhakaris' and 'besan' placed over the cupboard and continued her work.

Vinay didn't stop weeping. Listening his cry, mother got irritated.

"Stop crying or I will beat you." she said.

Listening her words Vinay kept mum and went on veranda. Wanting to blurt all out that was prickling his heart, he controlled for he knew that mother would not pay any attention while she was busy sewing clothes.

Next day, Vinay came home earlier than usual. Mother scolded him for coming early from the scholarship tution. After this he was never late.

After a month, a man came to his house. He was angry and shouting.

"Where is your son?" He said.

Mother calmly replied "He has gone for scholarship tuition."

She said so proudly as though Vinay has gone for a war.

"If he has gone for tution then who hit my son." He said.

Mother again said that Vinay had gone for scholarship tution.

"No!

"He was playing with my son and while playing he hit my son and ran away". The man said.

Mother was hurt to hear that Vinay did this, but she was more hurt when she realised that Vinay had bunked tuition. She asked the man to go home and pleaded sorry.

Vinay came home thinking that his mother was unaware of the mischief. The moment he entered, his mother cried at him

'Vinyaaa'.

She started beating him with a broom.

'I didn't do anything. I was playing with Akash and ....... ',  He could not complete. Mother hit him on his face. After giving hits with boom on his face and back she asked

"Why did you bunk the tutuion?

Vinay didn't say anything, just looked at her. Every time this question was accompanied with a hit of the broom. He didn't say anything and did not even move from his place.

"Next time you bunk it and see what I do!" Mother warned him.

 Realising that she has spent a lot of time she went back to work as spending more time their meant loosing 10 Rs for her that was not the affordable deal during the period of destitute.

Vinay wiped his face, opened the book and started studying. He kept mum and preferred to be beaten because he did not want to hurt his mother. He did not want to tell her that the door of the classroom was closed on his face. He just closed his eyes, tears came on his wet chicks. The words were prickling him,

"You are poor and your father is a drunkard. Don't come to the class."

"Somebody, please bolt the door from inside."

He was told not to come to the class for he was poor and his dad was a drunkard.