The Girl Named VasantiIt was a rainy morning,
that she came first, standing
at my door, pressing the bell
all too long, a young girl
in rags, all soaked in rain,
her brown hair and her
red skirt dripping,
‘mamma sent me today,’
her squeaky voice cracked
the air, and pushing me aside
she took her way in, hassled...
‘what’s your name, dear, and
who’s your mother?’ I knew,
yet to hear her say, I asked
‘you don’t know my mamma?’
‘she’s the one who comes to
wash the dishes,’ ‘my name is
Vasanti’ she said in a distinct
pride, squeezing water
from her dress
‘And why’d she sent you?’
I liked the way her eyes
blinked at my questions
and then, that sedate smile
‘I will do the chores today,
‘Mamma is down with fever
‘it’ came again to her in sleep
last night,’ said she, and in a
haste as her mother, she started
scraping the leftovers, her taut
little fingers moving fast,
and splashing water
I watched a while, and
then said, ‘give it
to me, I’ll do’
she looked very offended,
‘I’ll do it, I will do it well’
‘And why’d she sent you?’
I liked the way her eyes
blinked at my questions
and then, that sedate smile
‘I will do the chores today,
‘Mamma is down with fever
‘it’ came again to her in sleep
last night,’ said she, and in a
haste as her mother, she started
scraping the leftovers, her taut
little fingers moving fast,
and splashing water
I watched a while, and
then said, ‘give it
to me, I’ll do’
she looked very offended,
‘I’ll do it, I will do it well’
her voice turned gloomy
‘no, no…its okay.. I’ll,’ I said
lifting her, making her sit
on the slab, ‘tell me about
‘no, no…its okay.. I’ll,’ I said
lifting her, making her sit
on the slab, ‘tell me about
what you learnt at school,
about your friends,
teachers, and all…’
hesitant for a moment
and then, in a sprightly cheer
she started ‘Aunty, you know…’
I looked on, watching her talk-
her black eyes rolling in
excitement, her cheery
hesitant for a moment
and then, in a sprightly cheer
she started ‘Aunty, you know…’
I looked on, watching her talk-
her black eyes rolling in
excitement, her cheery
laughter, and her gesticulating
hands and arms making
hands and arms making
words almost unnecessary...
I forgot the vessel in
my hand, under an open tap,
water trickling down…
and since then, she came
many times, filling my days
with sprightly cheer, and
upsetting my day’s schedule
with her engaging stories, and
my hand, under an open tap,
water trickling down…
and since then, she came
many times, filling my days
with sprightly cheer, and
upsetting my day’s schedule
with her engaging stories, and
I could see, having gained a
keen listener, she had
started learning the art of
story telling, weaving elements
of imagination into the
realities of her sparse
life, and mine...
realities of her sparse
life, and mine...
***********
PS: Vasanti..refers the spirit of spring and this black and white picture of the flower, somehow reminds me of her face, and her laughter
Photo courtesy: kukkurovaca as per original copyright at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kukkurovaca/2238381554/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kukkurovaca/2238381554/
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