It was not long since they had shifted in the flat next to ours..Mrs and Mr Das with their little daughter Anjali. Anjali was like a little angel. I used to see her walk to the sea beach with her dad and play there for hours together in the shallow water at the juhu beach..She was like I was in my childhood days..
Frankly she told me that she feared to go further in the water coz she feared the waves.Mrs. Das once told me that when Anjali was a toddler she used to step down so carefully from the bed,she kept observing her feet till it touched the ground..Never had she fallen of the bed.Never had she fallen while learning cycling..such a cautious,sweet lil darling she was..long hair,chubby cheeks and a soothing smile...
It was her seventh birthday,when she asked me for a playing kit. The playing kit comprised spades,sand diggers,small buckets and all such stuffs which are used to make sand castles at sea beaches. And she had asked her mom for the beautiful pink sandels which she had seen in the nearby footwear shop. Those pink sandels would go perfectly with her pink dress which she was planning to wear for her birthday in school.
We went shopping together,Mrs.Das, Anjali and myself..Had a great day.Had loads of fun.Shopping,eating enjoying ourselves we spent the whole day out.We were happy,but may be destiny was not....
We came out of the mall with the shopping bags in our hands.Lil Anjali thought she is going to be a big girl soon and hence did not need her mumma's hand to cross the road..She ran..and we screamed..It was all in a fraction of seconds..A reckless car driver just thrashed her on the road and zooooom went the tyres over her legs..
Crowd,blood,ambulance,panic..we rushed to the hospital. Mr.Das had come by that time.Their daughter was in pain..immense pain..no one more than the parents could feel it.I consoled them as much as I could,but I loved Anjali too...loved her a lot..hence could not keep myself strong for long.
The doctor came and announced.."The child has gained consciousness,but I am sorry,we need to operate the leg.She won't be able to walk on her feet anymore". Gloom!!!!!! Despair!!!! Mrs.Das fainted there.Anjali's dad had eyes filled with tears.We went inside the room.Anjali lay there..calm..little knowing about her future.Her papa took her in her arms..She smiled at us.She asked her mom for the packet of sandles.Mr.Das was taking her to the operation theater..She had the bag of sandels in her hand..the packet fell down..and Anjali shouted "My Sandels.......!!!!".
I bent and picked them up,gave them in her hands and she smiled back..I wondered..what would she be missing more? Her foot or the pink sandels?
You have got a very good hand at writing. This piece is also very moving. I happen to have read the story Chappal from, as you told Katha Kunj :)it was similar to what you have written. I am not sure what inspired you to write this but it all looked real to me. Keep posting, and cheers to writing !
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