Story 002 A New Day

A New Day

It was a pleasant spring morning. Sun was slowly rising up so as not to miss the orchestra of the cool breeze accompanied with the sweet songs of the birds. The trees looked happy as they are getting new assets. Everything was calm and cool. It was very wonderful until suddenly furious shouts disturbed the environment.

“Where is that idiot? He never wakes up early. He is a useless fellow. He never did a thing right. He is burden to this earth…………………………” It went on like this. Going a bit ahead into matter, the man who was scolding was Uday’s father. Oh! I forgot to introduce Uday. Uday was a multi-talented youth who completed his graduation and started doing graphics designing courses. He never cares of anything nor concentrates on his work. He is always in the first row to introduce any latest fashion or trend to the city. He formed a gang with all his colony youth and compelled them to do graphics designing courses with him, so that they could move together all the time. Everyone in the colony was vexed with this gang as it was very mischievous.

Coming to the point, I didn’t tell you why Uday’s father scolded him know. The previous day was Uday’s birthday and his father has bought a new bike for which he took an extra loan of Rs.25,000 and presented it to Uday. As if he was waiting for this moment, Uday made a bet with his friends for Rs.2,000 that he would climb up and get down the hill in their colony just within 3 minutes with his new bike. Finally, Uday won the bet but his bike was out of order. It became like that on seeing it no one could believe that it was a bike bought only the previous day. His father saw the bike that day.

Uday woke up after two hours after his father left for office. He brushed lazily and took the break-fast plate into his hands and went out to meet his friends under the banyan tree. Uday did not like his tiffin that day and even his friends did not like it at all. So, they left it like that and were enjoying and eating other plates under that big banyan tree like any other day. Suddenly Uday’s looks fell on an old woman who was staying under that tree since four days. He went to her and demanded her to go away from that place. The old woman begged him to let her stay there and said, “Son, it was since four days that I did eat something. I am very hungry and tired. I have no energy even to take a few steps”. Uday got disgusted with those words. So as to shut her mouth, he gave his tiffin to her. She ate it heartily and tears shed out of her eyes.

“Why are crying”, asked Uday with a voice of disgust.

“God bless you, dear son. The couple who gave birth to you is really great. Long live…… you all”, said her with a tone shivering due to grief. Uday was moved with those words. As per his knowledge, she is the only person who praised him in the last seven years. He sat beside her and asked about her whereabouts. All his friends sat there with him rounding the old-woman.

The old woman started saying with a shivering tone, “My name is Aachamma. We live in Draksharaamam, in EastGodavari district. We have a small house and two acres of farm. My husband was a farmer. We have two sons, elder one has come to Hyderabad an year ago seeking for a job and the younger one stayed with us in our town looking after us. He has passion for studies and so, completed his graduation and trying to help his father. A month back, my husband died due to a severe current shock in the field. Our elder son visited the town for his final ceremony. He compelled us to sell the farm saying that his educated brother should do a fine job instead of working under sun. Our younger son denied at first but finally agreed to make his brother happy. Elder one said that he would take me to Hyderabad with him. So that, there will be a place change for me and he would get some time to spend with me. Younger one told him all the precautions and gave the medicines to be used for me. I had got into the bus with my elder son and all the money and jewels as he suggested that would open a new bank account for me and deposit in it. We reached Hyderabad and got down the bus. Suddenly, he snatched the bag with money and jewels from me and blamed me for his poverty and ran away leaving me in that bus stand. From there, I wandered in search of him and somehow I came to this colony”.

“We raised him with lot of love and affection”.

Aachamma stopped saying rubbing her eyes with her saree.

Uday and his friends were very moved with her story. At that moment, they think of nothing but their parents. Uday immediately took her to his house, gave some idlies and coffee and provided her new clothes. Uday called up his relatives in Draksharaamam and asked them to enquire about the old lady giving all the details she gave them. His gang went all through the colony and gathered them at the banyan tree. They narrated her story and raise funds to help her.

In the meantime, with the help of Uday’s relatives, Aachamma’s younger son called to Uday, thanked him a lot and talked to her. Tears of happiness flowed from eyes. She raised her hands portraying him as a God in front of all the colony members. Everyone forgot their mischievous acts and praised them. Uday’s father went to him and placed his hands on his shoulders.

“Dad, I’m sorry. I....I promise you that I work sincerely and try to be the best designer. If not, at least I would try to be a better son”, said Uday.

His father hugged him with love and affection saying,”I am proud of you my son”.

Uday’s parents took Aachamma to Draksharaamam and gave her the money given by the colony people telling her to look it as a present given to her for changing a mischievous gang into hearty people and making the colony colourful.

Next morning, Uday woke up early and came out to be the audience of the nature’s orchestra. He found everything very beautiful and found a lot of creative designs embedded in the nature. He got ready for the institute and so his gang does. Starting their bikes, they said to themselves, “Today is a new day”.

P.S.: The concept of this story is based on a real incident which we can find at http://succorforce.blogspot.com/2010/04/activity011helping-old-woman.html