Picture story 3 

           She was the darling of her parents eyes . Fully spoilt by  two sets of cosseting grand parents . The only grandchild of the house . Her wish was law . 

         Little Anaya took everything as her due . Her grand parents too said in her hearing , what else will they  spend on, she heard this often enough. 

          The newest toys , gadgets , games . Dresses from abroad. The number of her shoes all took up half the space in the home. 

           All becoming useless and outgrown within a few months and replaced at once. 

            One evening she was at her friend Charu ‘s house for her Birthday party. She  could not accept the fact that Charu was wearing just the same dress as herself. She put on a long face and did not enjoy the games. 

              Another time a relative left their small child at Anaya’s home due to a medical emergency. Patti seeing the child looking forlorn went to speak a few words. Anaya shouted , Patti I am calling you from so long what are you doing there. 

              Please bring some of your toys Anaya , said Patti , see this child will be bored otherwise . Her mother is away and she will feel scared too.  No my toys are mine alone . I will not allow anyone to touch them. What if she breaks something.

                 During meal time too Anaya was full of tantrums. The visiting kid had to be fed and Amma was doing that . Not even bothering about me was Anaya’s thoughts. Why have you made this kathirikai . You know I hate it,  I am going to spit it out. 

                  

                   This went on till the child left for home. The calm after  the storm . All emotionally wrung out. Is this to be our everyday story. . Something had to be done. 

                   Next evening Patti took her in hand . Anaya who usually played at home was going to the park with Patti. Patti chose the track by the hutments. Every day a slice of the life of the hutment dwellers was revealed .  Slowly seeds of empathy were sown . 

                   Thatha for his part took the family on an outing to their ancestral village.  Anaya now learnt how thatha as a young boy had walked a long way to school, brought water from the well , helped in the farm lands. 

                     On the way back Thatha remembered how some of his classmates came from an orphanage near by and one of the said classmates was now managing it.  So they stopped there . It was a Sunday. Lunch time . The children were seated quietly with their plates in front of them . There was absolutely no noise . They were waiting for someone. Yes here is Dhruv all of 10 years. His birthday was 2 days earlier but he has postponed the celebrations to Sunday so that his parents , he and the orphanage children can all sit and enjoy the good food at leisure. 

                     There is a lot of laughter now . Dhruv is well known to the children . He has been coming here for so many years , not only on his birthday but during the holidays , and festival days too. Yes his parents are to be congratulated.

                      Anaya’s family too partakes of the lunch.

                      Going home , Anaya with eyes shining said , I too will celebrate my birthday with them.

# படக்கதை/ கவிதை 2020