Sketches !!! :D

Memories Captured!

Sharanya came home running after her last exam of the final term, throwing her shoes and socks in a corner and her bag on the sofa.

She yelled at her mom with excitement and a big smile“ Yayy! Amma(mother), Exams Over!!! And the best part is we are going to Kerala tomorrow!!” Saying this she aligned her hand along her nose and mouth, making the sound of the train and started running all around the house. Her mom Ajitha, a lean and slim lady, happy at her daughter’s innocence and enthusiasm laughed and told her to change her clothes and come back to eat some delicious food that she had prepared to carry during the train journey.

After having her food, she rushed to her room, leaped onto the bed and just kept staring at the purely white wall with little scribbling of names, drawing of a bird and a flower  that she had made when she had just started going to school. Staring unblinkingly at the wall she started imagining things she would do in Kerala with her cousins. Getting carried away in her dream world, her mother entered and seeing her daughter smiling and staring at the wall, she was sure that Sharanya was again in one of her journey of beautiful reveries. Unfortunately and sadly, her mom had to break this never ending reverie of Sharanya.

“Sharanya, please tell me what all you want to carry for the train journey?I would  not entertain any of your last minute additions, and I am telling you this right away” Ajitha said, her face turning from smiling one to now serious.

But Sharanya still caught in the excitement did not notice it and without thinking even for a minute she started nattering “ Amma, I am sure you might have already packed lots and lots and lots of food!?!? Also biscuits, wafers, puri, tikhi bhakri and chocolates too! And.... and what about the delicious pickle Amma?” at this moment she was almost jumping on her bed and exclaimed “ And also I will take my sketchbook along, my walkman and...and story books from the station, Amma you will get me one na? Please? And will also take some playing cards to play in the train”

At this Ajitha replied “ Calm down my girl. Dad will get all the packed food items when he will return from office and by the way, are you even going to find time to sketch? You would be so busy playing all day with Rahul, Deepu, Mira and Nitin. Why are you increasing the  luggage unnecessarily?”

“illa(no)....I will surely find time” she said with a persuading smile.

Ajitha very well knew that she was not even going to remember about the things that she would carry, in case she gets bored. She will forget all of it the moment she will see her cousins, but still she allowed all of it to be carried so that Sharanya is not disappointed by any chance.

Tiinnngg tooonngg  went the door bell.

 Shranya knew by the way bell rang that who else it might be other than her dear Achan(Father)? She ran to the door and opened it at once. And for Krishnan’s surprise he found small, soft and tender arms around his waist tightly wrapped.

                                                                        ****

Next morning there was a chaos with Ajitha hurrying to get ready and doing some last minute packing . It was the only day in the year when Sharanya got out from her bed without any tantrum.

They reached the station right on time. The sight of the train coming towards her just to take her along with it, for a long journey, was enthralling for her. They got into the train, settled their luggage and themselves. She was restless throughout the journey. She did not know what to do and what not to do. She sticked her face out from the window and watched the scenery and tried her maximum to see the train at a turning point.

She leaped from her seat birth while sleeping when she heard voices like “kapi kapi...”, “chaya chaya” “ ice-crreaam” or for that matter anything.

The suspense of what is coming made her lean from her middle birth holding one of the handles, almost falling and trying to see what was coming to her. The moment it came to them, she would give a quick glance to her Acha in the hope that he would ask her if she wants something. It was adventurous for at least her to get out of the train and shop something with her dad at the station. And then at the siren of the train, run back to the train with the high risk of not being able to get on the train on time. Whenever she succeeded at that she thought herself to be some superwoman. The only thing she avoided was to go to the toilet or anywhere near that. She was trying her level best that the one and a half day she is in train, she should not feel the need to go to the toilet!

                                                                        ****

“ Sharanya wake up, common we have reached” said Krishnan, she was still in her sleep, half awake.  It was midnight.

“hmmm?? We reached the Tharvad (Mansion)?” asked Sharanya, eyes still closed.

“NO, just the station, see Rahul is here to welcome you Sharanya”

At this she jumped and started looking around. She saw Rahul and gave a tight hug to him, with a big smile which reflected the happiness all the way through her gleaming eyes. Soon they reached the Tharvaad. She met everyone and hugged all of them, but went off to sleep as journey was tiresome. The next 3 weeks were amazing for little Sharanya.

She enjoyed every bit of her stay at Kerala. Being pampered by her grandparents was after all an event that occurred just once in a year. She would have all the mangoes, jackfruits and chembakya( a local sour fruit) all by herself. She would run all around tharvad screaming and playing, climbing up and down the stairs. She would go out in the fields and stare and appreciate the beauty of nature for hours. She played and imagined most of the time. The best part was when they all would go for a bath in the river crossing the fields about more than 2 km.

One such evening when they planned to go to the river with everyone putting their towel around their neck and carrying snacks, a big plastic ball and water to drink,

 Sharanya  said “ aye!!! Etta (Brother)! Lets have a race. You go from the other way, I will come from here, let’s see who reaches the Railway track first!”

“ podi, u know it would always be us and only us, this is our town Sharnaya!!” he said sticking out his tongue “ we are the princes of this kingdom.”

“Hey this is my town and native too. Besides I have my dad who was and still is the KING of these fields, he knows them more than you” said Sharanya almost defending herself. And with this started the race but like every time Rahul and Deepu, having the responsibility of good brothers, got defeated by Sharanya!

Finally after crossing the railway track and a little but comparatively a big mountain of tightened sand  they would reach the river. Sharanya, all these years had noticed that every year when she comes to the river, there is a subsequent decrease in the water level. Standing on the top of the hill she exclaimed

“ The water level is less than the last year! What’s happening?!?”

“ Yeah! It’s those building making people, they take away lots of sand for the construction, which is causing this, if this goes on there will be no water in our bardapuzha ( name of the river) one day!” said Mira with a sad tone.

With this Sharanya started imagining about what would be life like in Kerala without this friend of her-her bardapuzha.

“ Want to race again madam?” asked Deepu and started running like a thunder bolt.

“huh” Sharanya turned to see that Deepu had already started running.

“Hey!!! Wait! Not fair! I am coming!!!”

After all the fun she had of playing till late nights with not only the kids but also watching the elders play some elderly games that she never understood, after all the teasing, fighting, competing and playing with all her cousins, after having all the fresh fruits like mango, jackfruit and chembakya saved and stored by her achachan(Grandfather) specially and only for her, after enjoying all the delicacies that her Amuma(Grandmother) had cooked for her and after meeting her old friend, the river, almost every evening, it was now time to leave.

                                                                        ****

It was 8 in the night.

“bye everyone” said Krishnan putting the luggage inside the jeep that would take them to the station. Sharanya was silent all this while. She got into the jeep and forcing a smile she said “bye” . The moment jeep started moving Shranya turned back to have a vague glimpse of the people and all her inanimate friends who would change the next year she comes through the glass of the jeep that was covered with dust. She knew that the river, trees and Tharvad would not be the same to welcome her next time . Her grandparents would have grown older. Her cousins would all be big kids and would soon find no time to play with her. Still she hoped strongly that nothing  would change so greatly.

And with this, she turned to capture her beautiful memories one last time!