Me and Four Girls - Value Those Who Understand us!

5^th September, 2013. Two big events – Teacher’s Day and Pola - an Indian festival in which bullocks and oxen are worshiped for their rigorous ploughing in farms. Next day follows a ritual where children have to carry a pair of clay bullocks and worship them. Many of us shall have very nice memories for this day. Being the only day where we earn more money to purchase chocolates for next few weeks (obviously hiding from Mon-Dad). Visiting each home and borrowing money. 

Meticulously checking the wallet and expected money to be lent on us. And it was the same day!

I was sitting in my room. Working on my seminar presentation and report. Someone slammed door. I was distracted, pen fell off my hand. Hold my chair back and opened the door. All I saw was a cute girl standing with a clay bullock in her hand. And then followed her other three girls; running and huffing came upstairs in my room.

She – Dada! Bailachi puja karayala alo ahe. Puja karal?? : Brother! Will you please bother worshipping our bullocks?

Me – Areee bapre! Me ta room war rahto. Mazhya kade pujecha saman nahi ahe kahich. Me nahi karu shaknar puja. : I am a tenant. Henceforth, I have no commodities required for worship. I am sorry, I cannot worship them!

She – (All four girls giggling) Aree Dada, puja mhanje tashi puja nahi. Paise dyawe lagtat. Mag karal puja? : Puja means not like actual worshipping. You are just required to give us some money. Will you worship?

I was aware of what ‘Puja’ meant here. But I am kind of person who have strong hand over money if the next person is not worthy of it. And these girls were surely weren’t. But still I saw a glimpse of hope in their eyes. Cute eyes they were. Children always do! That shine made me rethink and I checked my wallet. Awfully I was lacking the change as Puja.

Me – Kiti paise dyawe lagtil?? : How much money??

She – 5 rupaye dile tari chaltil pratyekila. : Rs 5 for each will work.

Me – (taken aback) 5 rupaye???? : Rs. 5?????

Astonished. Watching me in shock another girl handled the situation pinching previous girl hard – Nai dada ewdhe nako. 1-2 rupaya dila tari chalel. Jashi tumchi iccha : Not this much. 1-2 Rs to each is also sufficient. As per your will.

Me – Mazhya kade 10 Rs chi note ahe. Pan jarka ti tumhala dili ki tumhi bhandal. :  I have Rs 10 note. But if I give it to then you shall quarrel.

Pointing towards other three girls one of them spoke – ho dada! Rahu de. Nako deu. Hya saglya bhandatil. : Very true. These girls might fight over that Rs 10 note. Don’t give us money.

Me – Mazhya kade chocolates pan nait tumhala dyayala. : I even don’t have chocolates to give you. I murmured. She had nice pair of ears and she iterated – Rahu de dada. Amhi jato. : Thank you! But no need of it. We shall leave.

Me – Tumcha kade chillar ahet ka? 10 che chilar dya koni ek jaan mala. Ek gamat karu apan. : Give me the change of Rs 10 and we can have fun over it.

Eldest girl; who pinched another girl handed me change of Rs 10 against Rs 10 note given by me. She was like that person who comes on stage when magician asks for a volunteer to perform an act. Excited and mysterious. Apparently all of them smiled, Rs 10 being a big amount for them. They had came visiting many houses before arriving here. But here they were confronting a different person. But they were unaware of what my neurons were calculating. And at what juncture they shall stop!

They handed me change as four coins of Rs 2 and two coins of Re 1. Then I asked all four of them to divide this amount equally among them. And as they answer it, they will be heir of money.

Suddenly too many question marks appeared on their head. And skin accumulated over there forehead as their eyebrows propelled up. But one girl was sharp enough and had guts to answer this TOUGH question. And uttered abruptly – 3-3 Rs each. I tried to control my laughter. But then I showed her how it can’t be divided into 3 Rs each. They were back on thinking about it. The way they were counting made me remember my First Year Engineering days when after every paper I was calculating marks. To make sure I am scoring passing marks.

A girl – Aathane! Aathane! : 50 ps – 50 ps.

Then again I explained her how she is wrong! It was their rampart point. Breaking down one girl said – Jaude Dada! : Leave it!

I tried insisting them to solve the puzzle. But she was firm over her decision. With many efforts I at last convinced them to wait for answer. I was playing role of Tom Riddle a.k.a Lord Voldemort from movie Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets rearranging ‘TOM MARVELO RIDDLE!’ anagram to ‘I AM LORD VOLDEMORT’.

I told them how Rs 10 has been divided into Rs 2.50 each. They understood it and smiled. I handed all Rs 20 to them and wish them best luck bidding adieu. Turning their back they went downstairs. I turned out to be their teacher on Teacher’s Day. I went back working on my seminar report.

Someone again knocked door. The same girls were standing holding the Rs 10 note. With a I-am-helpless look. I asked her reason for coming back, in reply she said – Ti tai nai mhanta ahe. Ti mhanat ahe ki wapas de paise. : Sister is saying no to this. And asked me to return it! A cute smile was still prevailing there. May be she was not that fold of money.

I thought they are playing with me now. But very soon realised that they were serious. I forced them to go home and divested myself of holding the note and those Rs 10 change as well. Intimidatory I said her that I will tell this to their parents that they are lending off money. But no change! She was resilient to accept.

Me – Asaa ka? Me tumhala dile ahet. Thewa tumcha jawal. Dada cha gift samjun. : Why so? Keep it to you. Assuming it a gift from me.

She – Tila sang dada.Ti ragawat ahe. Deun ye mhane waapas. : Tell her then. She is scolding us. And insisting me to return it to you.

With all hard work I managed to return money back to her. But she kept the money on doorsteps and eloped. I felt bad for everything that was happening. With all might I tried to convince them that whatever I did was to show them how important education is and can be.  I remember exact words from her; the eldest girl who was scolding other to return money – Dada amhala raag nai aala! : We are not in anxiety.

The way she said it was bit convincing. It was polite. Serene. Sober. But she didn’t uttered a single word after that. Tilted her head straight. And disappeared, along with other three!

I kept looking at that money placed on ground. Dust was gathering around it. I picked them up and kept in a box to avoid them getting browner. I was disheartened. Felt ashamed! By the time I was banging door I heard someone shouting - Dada! Dada! I went outside to acknowledge it and was astonished to see same girls moving their hand back and forth with radiant giggle on face. But not all of them were happy. Only three were and the fourth one was still a Mysterious Girl for me.

Over the balcony I kept watching them until they past the horizon. Leaving me with many questions – What did I did wrong? Three of them understood my intentions, whereas one didn’t. Even she was eldest among them. Was I bit too harsh? Or was I supposed to give money without any quiz?

But then I thought of something else. We have numerous people in our life. Many very close to us. Some do understand us, some don’t. How hard we try. Limitless efforts we induce to make them understand that what we did was right. Not in current span. But in future context! But instead of feeling bad we can be happy that out of four different people we know three understand us.

But sometimes we want that one person to understand us more than anyone else. Teacher Day left me with a great lesson to learn from.

Happiness can be found, in the darkest of time!

If one only remembers, to turn on the light!

Thank you life!! Thank you four girls!!

by Sanket