The Orphan.

Dusk had fallen, but it was hot and parched. Sushil had had a tiring day at the factory. He was heading home when he saw him. There he was, sprawled out under a tree, minimal clothes on his small and frail body. Was he sleeping? Was he unconscious? Or worst, was he dead? Sushil neared him and to his relief he saw his chest moving up and down. He pushed him slightly to which he stirred but didn’t wake up. Sushil was thinking of nudging him again, when suddenly he opened his eyes.

He looked at Sushil fearfully and tried to get up. “Who are you?” Sushil noticed that he had a deep cut on one of his legs. “I won’t harm you. Please relax. What are you doing here?” Sushil asked. He fidgeted with his hands but kept quiet. “Okay, what is your name”? “Adhir”, he meekly replied. Sushil sat down next to him. Giving him a reassuring expression he asked “Why are you here all alone? Where is your family?”  Sushil listened patiently as Adhir recounted how he lost his family in an accident two weeks ago. Even his house was taken away as he couldn’t pay the rent. “But surely you have relatives, don’t you?” Adhir took out a torn five rupee note from his pocket. “They gave me money but not their home” he said.  Sushil looked upwards and blinked to let his eyes suck back the brimming tears. Should he? He asked himself. Would he be able to afford it? Taking a deep breath, he turned to Adhir and said, “Come home with me. Let me at least dress your wound. Once you get better we can think what best can be done for you. Is that okay?” Adhir looked at him unsurely. Without a further word, Sushil smiled and helped Adhir stand up. Together they walked home, Sushil’s hand on Adhir’s shoulder.

Sushil lived in a one room house. His bed occupied one corner and his belongings were strewn over the rest of the room. He cleared one portion and laid a mattress. “Where’s your family?” Adhir nervously asked. “Don’t worry, I live alone. Come in, wont you? And close the door behind you. I’ll go get the medicines.” Over the next fifteen minutes Sushil took Adhir’s leg on his lap and very carefully cleaned out the grimy wound. When he looked up, Adhir’s face had broken into an innocent smile. Together they shared a dinner of rice, dal and bhindi curry. Sushil looked on as Adhir ate like a famished soul. He gave him his spare quilt for the night. “It has a few holes but tomorrow I shall get you a new one and a set of clothes as well.” Adhir looked at him with astonishment “Why are you doing all this for me? It is scaring me. I don’t have any money.” Sushil covered him with the quilt, stroked his hair and replied, “Nobody deserves to be alone. Everyone needs a family. I couldn’t leave you there all by yourself. And I don’t want any money.” He turned off the lights. That was the first of the many nights that they were about to spend together.

Time flew by. For Sushil, Adhir would forever be hurt and unwell. That was his excuse of not letting him go, of not finding the best for him. For Adhir, this was the best. He never wanted to go. They lived like father and son, laughing over eccentricities of the neighbours, sharing problems over a meal, mulling over the complexities of life, watching a game of football from the window. It was a simple yet content routine. One evening, Sushil came home to find Adhir very disturbed. Some locals had teased him calling him a parasite who was living off another’s life. Adhir was bustling around talking to himself. “I’ll go away. I don’t know where but I’ll go. I have to go. I won’t be a burden on you anymore”. Sushil calmed him down and handed him a glass of water, “Here, have this and listen to me for once. No matter what anybody says or does, you are my family now. If you don’t feel comfortable here and want to go, I won’t stop you, but I shall come with you. I won’t leave you alone. Is that clear?” Saying this, Sushil removed Adhir’s specs and wiped the tears off his wrinkled face. His hand brushed against his white stubble. “Is it clear?” he asked again. Adhir smiled and nodded his 70 something year old head.

It has been three years. Sushil is no longer an orphan.