Bunty, one of the
naughtiest children on earth, was the ring leader of some similar minds. It’s quite
unnatural to be so famous in the village for a twelve year’s old. People warned
their children not to be friend with Bunty. But he had no qualms of his deeds.
His day starts as early as at five in the morning after his father goes to the
farm. He rides his bicycle and goes to the river bank where his group waits for
him. Then the action starts for the whole day. They let loose somebody’s cows
to someone’s farm, do their shooting practice in Haria’s Mango farm, throw cow
dung and water in their school classrooms so that nobody can sit in the floor
and the school would remain closed. These were only a few examples of what they
do or what Bunty asks them to do. Then they used to come to the river bank
again and would show their swimming talents.
People of the village
were tired of complaining his father, Ramesh time and again. But Ramesh could
not do much about it. Bunty is his only son. Bunty’s mother Meera died when
Bunty was only six years old. Ramesh is a farmer and he has to work in the farm
from early morning to evening. So he could not take care of Bunty well enough.
He also did not want to re-marry even though his family and friends encouraged
him a lot. He loved his wife very much and he didn’t want to give her place to
anyone else. Many times he thought of sending Bunty to his uncle’s house in the
town. But his love for Bunty didn’t let him do that too. He didn’t want him to
go away from him. Bunty also loves his father. He stops his mischievous deeds
when someone scolds his father but only for few days. Then he makes that person’s
life even more miserable. So now-a-days, nobody dares to say anything.
As days progressed,
Bunty’s naughtiness touched new heights. One day during Diwali, he sends a
rocket straight to Ravi’s cattle-shed. Luckily neither the cattle nor any human
being got hurt. After that incident, Ramesh decided to send Bunty to his in-law’s
house. Children of his age were doing well in academics but Bunty never crossed
standard three. Ramesh was concerned, if he wouldn’t do anything soon then his
son surely would lag behind others. He wanted his son to be well educated and
get a better job than farming. He always threatens Bunty to send there to stop
his misdeeds and Bunty always promises not to repeat those. But this time it
was different. Ramesh had decided to send him at any cost.
Bunty took it lightly
as he was sure his father would not send him. The next day Ramesh did not go to
the farm and packed Bunty’s bag. Bunty was still sure that he was not going to
his uncle’s house. Ramesh took the bag and Bunty to Biju’s snack shop near the
road side. They waited for the only bus to the village that comes twice a day
to take people from the surrounding villages to the nearest town, where Bunty’s
uncle lives.
Bunty could hear the
grudging sound of the bus from the distance and started to feel that his father
is sending him in real. He wanted to flee but Ramesh knew that earlier and so
he was holding his hand tightly. Bunty cried and tried his best to get rid of
his father and to run away but with no success. Ramesh was too strong a man to
defeat. In next three hours they reached Bunty’s uncle, Amar’s house. Ramesh
told everything about Bunty to Amar. The next morning he left for the village
leaving Bunty in the town.
“Amar” is very strict
and always keeps an eye on Bunty. Going out of the house became difficult for
Bunty. Even if he does so there were no friends to play with; no pond to swim,
no canal to catch fish, no garden to aim the mango trees and no wish to do all
those stuffs too. He felt alone and remained silent most of the time. Sometimes
he cried remembering his friends at his village and remembering his father. He
mumbles in sleep, “Please papa, take me out of here, I won’t do any mischief,
and I’ll go to school regularly. Please take me out of here.” Then he wakes up
suddenly in fear with sweat all over his face. He went to school but he was not
enjoying that too. He becomes lonely day by day. He even gets lean and thin.
Once he broke his cousin sister’s pencil nib accidentally and he was scolded
and beaten by his uncle and aunt. He was forced to do a lot of works at home.
After some three
months, Ramesh came to see him. Bunty became so happy for the first time since
he came there. He did not let his father go far from him. He hugged him tightly
and told him to take him with him to the village. Ramesh too was missing his
lovable son. But Amar told Ramesh that Bunty was improving by day and he should
stay there if he wants his growth. But the stark truth was something else; Amar
had got a free servant at his house, how could he let him go so easily!
Now again 3 months
gone. It was winter. Bunty was sleeping in the kitchen room and he was not provided
with any winter sheets. He could not sleep all night due to cold and felt sick
the other day. His eyes were looking hollow and his ribs were visible now. He
was looking so lean. He could not get up from the floor in the morning. But his
aunt pulled him to make him stand and be ready for the school. He hardly made
one step forward when he fell down with a thud. His aunt scolded him and told
him not to make any acting. But he, for the first time did not listen to her,
rather he could not listen to her. His uncle came running when his wife’s
scream could not create any responses of Bunty.
Bunty’s whole body was
pale and hot. His eyes were half-closed. He was mumbling some unclear words.
Sometimes he speaks out his friend’s names aloud and sometimes he calls his
father. There was no phone in the village. Amar had sent the message to Ramesh
through the bus conductor. Ramesh got the news only in the evening but he could
not reach the town before next afternoon. He was worried like any other father.
He also could not get to sleep and cursed himself to make his son go away from
him.
Bunty’s condition was
getting worse. He still did not get his sense back and continued to mumble.
Amar called a doctor and got some medicines for Bunty. He let him sleep in his
bed and comforted him. He also felt bad for his rude behaviours towards him.
But it was too late to repent.
Ramesh reached Amar’s
house the next afternoon and hugs his son intimately. Though Bunty could not
open his eyes but he gave a little smile getting his father’s touch. Ramesh was
crying and cursing himself and trying to wake Bunty up. Bunty did not eat
anything from the previous day. Ramesh tried to feed him milk through a spoon.
But the milk was not going through his throat and kept coming out.
Copyrights:
Aama Odisha e-Magazine
6th Edition
P.S.: Thanks to Amit Kumar Pattnaik & Bijaylaxmi Sarangi for the edits
