Asif stood motionless next to his mother and his tiny younger brother. Both draped in white cloth . Tears rolled down his cheeks as Asif’s father ever so gently pulled his son to have a last glimpse of his mother, before the burial could take place . It was the year 1942. Small Pox was on a rampage and had swallowed several lives in its wake . A scary pall of gloom had descended on the town .
Asif had just turned 4. The little soul was unable to comprehend the magnitude of the loss. However he had his elder brother by his side, who displayed immense maturity at the age of 8. Asif’s father finding it difficult to take care of the kids, despatched them to stay with their maternal grandmother and maternal uncle. Asif’s grandmother took great care of the children and loved them to a fault . However the children were unable to adjust with their maternal Uncle’s family . They missed their home and father too and just after a few months they came back to be united with their father.
Without a mother, life was tough for Asif and his brother as they struggled to put their lives together and by the time Asif turned 10 , he could cook food , prepare the Hookah for his father , look after the house and of course study , which in particular gave him peace and purpose. Asif and his elder both were determined to make something out of their lives. While his elder brother left home to study and work as an apprentice to a neighbouring city , Asif stayed with his father and continued his unrelenting focus on education.
The time for his Matriculation had arrived and 12 rupees had to deposited as Exam fees. Asif had accumulated 7 rupees over a period of time . His father was out of town on duty and the time to deposit the fees was running out . 5 rupees were short too. Asif was extremely worried , the last day had arrived and his father had yet not returned . He would miss the exams he feared . All his effort would go in vain. The tension was palpable . However, all the worries flew out, when surprisingly Asif’s elder brother walked in unannounced.
He had saved a few rupees from his apprenticeship and without a second thought he handed over a 5 rupee note to Asif, who sprinted to the school which was at a fair distance from the house. A relieved and elated Asif ran quickly as if he had wings that day. He very enthusiastically faced the clerk and put his hand in the pocket of his pyjamas to take out the money. He still had 7 rupees only, the 5 rupees note was not there. Asif searched frantically on his body , but to no avail. The note had vanished. Asif’s heart seized in his chest . He felt winded, unable to breathe with tears swelling into his eyes.
Where on earth had he lost the note, Asif kept thinking and started to run back and trace the route through which he had arrived, his tears not stopping though . While coming to the school, he had stopped to relieve himself. Asif quickly reached the place breathing heavily from the run. A crumpled 5 rupees note was lying unattended on the ground. The note was found and so was Asif’s future. The Almighty had smiled on him . He caught hold of the note, ran back to school and paid the fees.
Asif , never looked back after that incident and continued to work hard, persevere and educate himself in the best possible way he could . He was a brilliant student and at a tender age of 19, very deservedly, got employed in a Government Institution.
The 5 rupees note proved to be much more than its monetary worth for Asif. The 5 rupees note was indeed invaluable .
Superb writing sir.wish you good luck
Surperb article 👌👌