Umesh, beta, wake up please….

Please Ma, let me sleep.

You got the whole evening to sleep, wake up today is your picnic day.

Picnic day!!? Oh no, am late, why didn’t you call me earlier?

Oh oh….someone was talking about sleeping…..chuckled Savithri.

Savithri had never interfered in her children’s life although keeping a strict vigil about their activities. The kids Umesh & Kavitha had also never let their parents any chance for complaints. They were the ideal kids & Savithri was proud to be their mother. Though brother & sister were twins, they hardly had anything in common. Kavitha preferred to be engrossed in books. Savithri seemed to be irked by her daughter’s nervy moods, always worried about her health. She never approved of her late night sittings with only the table lamp throwing its bright light onto her books. Kavitha had few friends only to call as her own. For her, it was her adorable brother who was her best friend & guide. They always had their share of mischief, fights, leg pulling etc.

In contrast, Umesh was an extrovert in every aspect, his academic & artistic prowess bringing him lots of acclaim & admirers. After passing with flying colours from the local convent school where he was the topper, he preferred to take up a degree course in Physics, his passion in the nearby Govt. College. He was into his second year of degree and already he was the most popular guy there, not to say about the numerous anonymous letters he used to get; the only times Savithri worried about her son but she had trust in him. Once or twice he had brought in his friends to home & Savithri had noticed that there were a couple of female friends also.

Maybe am being too paranoiac…….Savithri times have changed, another 12 years and it will be 21^st century. Its quite natural to have female friends. Can’t you see that they are just good friends. She didn’t reject to when one day he showed a framed photo of his standing with his female friends on his either side, his hands over their shoulders. Neither did she reject when he put that on his study table. She thought about bringing up this matter with her husband Kamlesh but then dropped the idea.

Why do I have to always think like this every time, you know he is not going to put in any words that might quell your fears?

Kamlesh was a man of lesser words rarely bothered about the day to day happenings in the house or so he pretended. His day started early with the local morning newspaper with which he will keep himself occupied till its time for breakfast and then straight to office. Evenings had him catching up on the left-outs of the newspaper with tea. A quick shower and he is off to meet his friends at the neighbourhood paanwala’s shop. Savithri could remember of only rare occasions when he had really enquired or interfered in her busy-busy world. Those episodes had helped her understand that after all he is just feigning indifferent but then she couldn’t help wondering, why?

Its OK if he has to keep that aloof manner with the kids but why to her also? She shook her head and looked at her son.

What about your other friends? She asked with an impish smile.

If they me let ride to the studio, then I will have them on the table also.

What do you mean?

Well, it so happened that they wanted me to drop them to the studio as they wanted a photo session for themselves & that’s my coolie for dropping them there. Said Umesh with a mischievous smile.

That was maybe a couple of months back & Umesh always used to tease her mother saying he got to drop some of his friends also but the photograph is still getting processed. Today he seemed all busy as he ran around the house collecting his Badminton rackets, Cricket bat, extra pair of sports shoes etc. Savithri was amused at all this wondering whether he is going for picnic or some sporting event.

The sound of horn was too much for her. She went out into the verandah to see the college bus full of young boys & girls chattering away, some boys with half their body out of the windows calling out for Umesh. She ran back inside and called out for Umesh.

Umesh, where are you? Speed up, your college bus is here.

Ma, am searching for that plastic ball…..

What? Which plastic ball are you talking about?

The blue & white striped one which Papa bought for me.

Oh, that one…..I had it put on the terrace, why do you need that one now, are you a small child?

Ma, its one of my precious possessions, why did you throw it there? He seemed to be angry as he went out into the courtyard.

Savithri saw him jump onto the water tank and lift himself onto the compound wall and from there onto the terrace. Once he had found his precious little, he was down with an ease of a cat. Savithri couldn’t help musing at the now and then childish rummages for a young man of his age.

May I know what you are going to play with that ball today?

That I will have to ask my friends, you know. A sarcastic smile on his face & he was already running up to the bus, trying his best to balance himself with all the picnic gear swinging heavily from his shoulders. His friends rushed out to save him or time lost waiting for him. It looked as though the bus driver was waiting for him to lift the leg onto the foot-board as the bus jerked forward spewing thick black smoke. Savithri saw him waving at her, she acknowledged it with just a hand brought up lazily over her head.

It would be late evening before he could be back and hungry too. She had thought about making some pakoras just in case he starts his usual search of the snack dabbas. That can wait till evening, now the whole day was in front of her. She sighed at the thought. As usual she was about to let the monotonous daily chore start when she realized that it’s a Sunday today. But her happiness was temporary only as she was just relieving over the fact that she didn’t have to hurry up to do everything before one by one left the house; work though was more on Sundays. The only rewarding side was that she could have an uninterrupted afternoon nap.

Savi..thri……Savithri…It was a deep groaning voice & it sounded very familiar….Kamlesh! She was not happy at being disturbed of her precious nap. She opened her eyes & she was shocked at what met her eyes. It was her husband, his face contorted in deep grief with the glistening moist in his eyes building up; his lips were clenched in pain. Savithri sat upright looking helplessly with panicky eyes at him until she could muster the support to ask him.

What happened? You seem to be in pain, shall we call the doctor?

Savithri noticed that he didn’t say anything. He was still looking at her but now the look had changed from sorrow to compassion. She had seen that kind of look before but that was in her father’s eyes when she had left her small home as a young bride. It was a look of compassion, love yet feeling lost & helpless. She was still looking at him when all of a sudden he raised both of his hands, his palms open & rocking severely, eyes shut tight & lips still divulging to let go off the painful clench; folded his palms over his forehead in prayer and cried out loud….

Hey bhagavan!!!....how can I tell her? with that he started sobbing, his whole body rocking. She was shell shocked. It has to be something bad & very bad that too. She couldn’t wait any more; she gripped his hand and turned him violently towards her.

What is it? Please tell me she yelled almost crying.

Our beta, Umesh……..he is not going to come back to us. His voice trailed away into unknown. He looked at her still pale face, jaws drooping & aghast. He held her face close to his chest, her body shivering but limp. It looked like an eternity before she could utter any sound & that too which started as small whimpers took on greater proportions.

Kavitha could hear her mother’s sob as she lay in her room, her head dug deep into pillow. She was there, beside her father when he had opened the door to Mr.Tripathy, the college Principal who was accompanied by the local SHO. The sight of these unusual high-profile guests at their doorsteps had sent a shiver through her spine. She had held on to her father’s hand while they waited anxiously as to what beckons their visit here. The Principal, though maintaining his professional composure was quick in conveying the sad news about Umesh’s tragic fate with outmost grief.

While at the picnic, Umesh was playing with some of his friends in the near-by stream with the same plastic ball that he had taken from the terrace. He was into the water, waist deep. Though the stream was small, there were strong currents and he had warned Anil (his batch mate) to keep closer to the banks. Anil in his excitement to catch the ball which was thrown at a little wide angle had lost his foothold and got carried away by a furious current. Umesh had dived in to save his friend, little realizing that these were killer currents causing a kind of whirlpool which sucked in its victims deeper & deeper into the water. A third friend of his called out for help before he also jumped in to save his friends. The current was too strong than he had expected & more than that he was being pulled in by his own friends in their frantic helplessness to escape the watery grave. Luckily for him help came from other students, who somehow managed to pull him back but they looked on in horror as Umesh & Anil were sucked away until there was no sign of them. It took a while with the help of local officials, police & fire force before they could retrieve their bodies downstream.

Savithri wept bitterly as Umesh was laid on the floor. She knelt and smothered his face with kisses…… Umesh, beta please wake up……….Savithri’s hands ran through his thick curly hairs………