Great Expectations !

It was a hot day for September in Bangalore. After a bit of struggle, the Sun had finally managed to glitter some of the bald heads which have been enjoying milder temperatures for the past few days. The humidity in the air was high threatening the Bangaloreans with the possibility of a heavy shower. The Bangaloreans hated it, for it was Sunday, their day to party. However this jargon of partying and hanging out is common only among a certain few. There is another group which know nothing of these jargon. Four eyes belonging to this group, stared into each other.

Vasu and Ramya have been married for 5 years now. Vasu was working as a clerk in KR Puram post office. And Ramya had enough work managing the house and little Vasuki. 3 years now, Vasuki was a cute, little barbie like child with all in-built mischievousness. She has been dear to both her parents being their only relation. Vasu and Ramya had been orphans before tying the knot. Being a Sunday, Vasu had taken Ramya and Vasuki on a bicycle ride, which they do almost every Sunday. It was when they stopped for tender coconut, Vasuki's eyes meet hers.

Broken glasses were hiding her vision less eyes. Tanned skin was exposing her age. Drooping cheeks, missing tooth, slumped shoulders, bent back and an ailing knee introduced the nameless woman to Vasuki. Vasuki saw a woman, different physically to her own self, showing her palms to her. She did not know that the woman was asking something. She did not know the term we would have used, Begging. But she understood the next gesture of the woman. Her mother had taught her to do the same when she stood before a photo which had the portrait of a man called God. She knew the woman was praying and she knew God always gave her what she wanted when she prayed. She pulled her mother' Saree, got a couple of coins, gave it to the nameless woman, and returned her gesture by putting her palms together. The nameless woman smiled and left with the coin. Little did both knew, Vasuki would be on the nameless woman's side in less than 24 hours.

Vasu and Ramya were dropping Vasuki at school, when fate showed what it had in stock for them. A speeding school van hit the bicycle while trying to overtake a slow moving heavy duty. A bus coming in from behind the van had the courtesy to kill Vasu and Ramya instantly. However, Ramya had found the fraction of second she needed to push Vasuki out of the road. Vasuki will have to await her turn. Both the drivers fled fearing a prosecution. A new future was awaiting Vasuki, and both of the will not take any pat in it. But there will be a woman, a nameless woman.

One has to be a great optimist or bloody poor to call it a hut, for it only had tow torn clothes for a roof held by sticks. One does not have to come out of it to see the Sky and the Sun. It had enough holes. It is where the nameless woman brought Vasuki. As usual, it was not the police to reach the crime scene first. The nameless woman reached there first. No sooner did Vasuki see her, she stopped crying and came towards her. The nameless woman took her in her arms. They walked a kilometre to reach the hut. The police closed the case as planned kidnapping after arresting a teenager who was found peeing half a mile away from the crime scene. Vasuki simple ceased to exist for the World.

The initial few days proved to be the toughest for both of them. The nameless woman had never raise a child and Vasuki never had lived without her mother. Both spoke a little and language was no barrier. Symbols became the house language. The nameless woman told stories to Vasuki whenever she cried and Vasuki always slept on the old woman's arms. Two years rolled in no time. Both these years, both the woman had to show their palms to strangers for making a living. They enjoyed Sun and the moon, the Rain and bow, their only friends.

Vasuki had lost track of time and she did not know she had turned five, but for her urge to go to school. She would sit inside the hut and watch all those kids going to school escorted by their parents. At times, she would have tears. But, she knew life could have been much worse. Thanks to the nameless woman, whom she had started calling grandma, fondly. The grandma also knew not what age she was in. Her last known age was 32, and that was many years ago when her husband decided to abandon her, when he knew that she will not be able to give birth. Her parents unable to bare this disgrace committed suicide. The grandma became an orphan.

She found a lot of jobs. But all her employers were more interested in her flesh than her brains. She quit one after the other. It was difficult for her to find a men who loves not her flesh. She could not. So she started running away from them, the World and from everything. She attempted suicides with no success. Beaten, failed, depressed and punished, she started begging, for her Life.

After staying 5 years together in the hut, Vasuki and her Grandma never separated for even a minute. Vasuki was growing taller and the grandma shorter. From being nursed, Vasuki began to nurse her ailing grandma, who now could not walk without a support, who was visibly in the last stages of her life. Vasuki had to feed her, clean her and make her sleep. Her grandma rarely spoke, walked or ventured out of the hut. Vasuki had to earn for both of them now. Cleaning glasses in a tea shop earned her Rs 20 a day. It got her the bread. But life was getting difficult each passing day. Sometimes, Vasuki would dream, Life being a little soft to them, by killing them. Her dream was just a dram till she attained teenage.

Fourteen years have passed since Vasuki stepped into the hut. Breathing had become difficult for her grandma since last week and she needed immediate medical attention and that meant Vasuki needed money. Without that, the possibility of her grandma surviving the night was close to zero. The 50 rupees they had saved will not see her grandma through the night. Vasuki bought whatever she could with that and entered the hut.

Her grandma lay motionless on the ground. Vasuki lifted her head and place it on her lap. Her grandma opened her eyes and stared into Vasuki's, the same pair which she had seen all those years ago. She had liked them when she first saw them. Bold, Back and Beautiful, now filled with agony and pain. Tears rolled down from her eyes and there was a lump in her throat. She took her palms and placed it on her heart. "Thank You !", Vasuki understood. She could not fight her tears as well. She knew she would not see her grandma's eyes the next day. She will not feel the warmth the old lady had shown her. She will become an orphan once more and she will have no affection in this World. She placed her palms on her heart. "Thank You !". The old lady smiled at Vasuki. Rain came down. Two pairs of eyes closed, seeing each other for one final time. Vasuki smiled. The World went Black.

"Hey Vasuki, come here!", her mother called out sweetly. Vasuki hid behind her grandma's saree. Vasu took her in his arms and kissed her. Vasuki in turn kissed him and her mother and asked them appealingly, "Please let me stay with grandma ! She has no one !". She took her grandma's arms and walked away. Vasu and Ramya smiled at them.

A single grave was dug and two bodies were thrown in. For the corporation, they were just two beggars and just two lifeless corpses. But, in a different World, they were worshipped.