Late in the night a man in his early thirty’s entered a building. He was tense and a bit curious.
From the main hall he took the right corridor, went straight till the end and took a left turn, he was again in a hall but a smaller one this time.
He enquired about something from a lady sitting at the help desk. She guided him to take the last corridor to the left and go to room number 120.
His hand was on the knob. He was not sure of what he would find in the room. He entered. He went slowly to the bed. From the bed he picked up something very carefully. He went on staring it and a bead of water appeared in his eyes and then he was completely in tears.
He was looking at his baby for the first time. It was his first child.
His wife, who was sleeping on the bed, was now awake, saw him and asked, “Isn’t she beautiful, Anmol?” he was not able to reply immediately. He just kept on staring at his daughter and after sometime replied, “Yes, she is.” And in a very low voice which probably only he heard said “she is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.”
She was his daughter. Their daughter. Anmol’s and Tara’s daughter.
At that very moment he knew he would take a lot of care of her, he would love her more than anyone he has ever loved, except for his wife, in his whole life. Not just because doctors have told them that their baby would be the only one they could have but because he has always wanted his own kids.
He put her back and touched her forehead lightly with his right hand. Baby twitched and went back to sleep again.
Both of them named her Parchaii, their own shadow.
Parchaii was a mischievous child. She was always up to something. She always kept Tara running after her. Anmol loved his daughter’s wittiness. They bought her everything she put a hand on. Though they hardly let her go out of house but Pari was always trying to get a chance to get out and go to the park in front of their house where other children used to come and play.
They feared Pari would get hurt. She used to see other children play. She used to plead with her mother to let her go out but nothing worked. Slowly and slowly little girl understood she would never be able to play with those children who are always covered with mud. She stopped arguing.
Pari was not that good at studies and her parents were worried because of her careless attitude towards it.
In school, only periods she was interested in were crafts and games. She could run as much as she wanted in the ground with a football, play cricket and basketball with her friends during games. Make beautiful nothings out of waste.
Whatever friends she had were in school and no one near her home so her evenings went with her father solving crosswords and playing in backyard. Anmol taught her to play shuttle and chess.
One evening Anmol came with a box of sweets and called for Tara. Parchaii too came running. He was excited as he has got a promotion.
He told them, “As I have got a promotion, we have to shift to headquarters”.
Both Parchaii and Tara wanted to know, “Where?”
“We are going to Gandhinagar. It’s a big city and is around 200kilometers from here. And the best part is – Parchaii you would be studying in much better school then this one.”
“But daddy I don’t want to leave this place. I don’t want to leave my school and friends.”
“Come on Pari you’ll make new friends. You’ll be studying with children of high profile people.”
“But I don’t want to.”
“Enough of this. Go and start packing your bags. We are leaving day after tomorrow.”
“What? Day after tomorrow!!! But we can’t, my school year in not over yet.”
“You don’t worry about it. I have talked to your principal and she agreed to give you school leaving certificate and I have talked to your new principal; she will be meeting you the day after we reach there. Everything is arranged.”
“Daddy how could you do this to me?” and she ran away weeping.
“Anmol are you not being a bit tough with the girl. She is a teenager now and you know how children behave in this age?”
“Tara you tell me – what should I have done? Leave such a good opportunity just because she doesn’t want to go?”
“I m not saying that but you could have disclosed to her slowly. First you could have prepared her for it. It doesn’t matter to me but for her… you know leaving friends behind… is a big thing. Just think about your school and college days.”
“Yeah, you are right. But what’s done is done. Please talk to her.”
“You know she won’t listen to me.”
“Ok, I’ll talk to her but after going there.”
For two days Parchaii didn’t talk to her father. During whole journey she was silent. Anmol had made a point to talk to her immediately after reaching the destination and so he did and was able to convince her that in her new school she would find more friends.
She met her new principal the next day she arrived. She was immediately given a seat in 8th standard. First day Anmol dropped her at school.
Pari found it strange that there was no uniform. One can wear casuals to school. She was a bit nervous. In the class she hardly talked and only replied when teacher asked her something.
At last they had a games period and she was free to go in the grounds. She didn’t even wait for anybody else and went straight to sports complex next to their block. Got a basketball and headed towards court.
Some boys were playing in half court.
She called out, “May I play with you?”
Every one of them laughed.
She got real angry and was wondering what was funny about her question? Didn’t wait for there reply and went to other half court.
“Hey, you are Parchaii right.”
“Yeah, how do you know my name?”
“I am in your class.”
“Oh, I am sorry. I didn’t notice you.”
“It’s ok. No one ever does.”
“Hey, want to play?”
“What basketball? Obviously not. I have never played it before.”
“Come on it’s not that difficult.”
“Ok, if you say so.” And he entered the court.
“What’s your name?”
“Manas”
“May I ask you something?”
“Who are those?” pointing towards other half court guys with her eyes.
“Why? Did they say something to you?”
“Not really. But when I asked if I can play with them, they …”
“What? You asked them what? Listen Parchaii..”
“Call me Pari”
“Whatever, but you are never going to talk to them. And most important never ask them anything and even more important never walk through their corridor.”
“But, why?”
“Because they are seniors.”
“As if this matters..”
“Of course it does. What kind of a girl you are? I thought, you are just a bit strange on seeing you when you entered the class in those clothes but I never thought you would be this much weird.”
“Now what is wrong with my clothes?”
“You didn’t notice? What’s wrong? Girl… you are wearing a shirt and jeans.”
“So? You are also wearing that.”
“Uff ! Girls are not supposed to wear jeans.”
“But principal told me I can wear what I wish.”
“Principal knows nothing.”
“Then what are girls supposed to wear?”
“They wear skirts with t-shirts, frocks and some of the seniors wear minis also.”
“Now what are these minis??”
“Now I m sure you are not a girl. Every girl in our class wishes to wear minis when they’ll be older. “
“How do you know that?”
“I just know. Ok leave this. You must have a boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend means a boy who is your friend right. I have lots of them.”
“What? How do you manage them?”
“What’s in it to manage? We all used to play together in school even girls used to play back home.”
“No you didn’t understand me. I am asking about your boyfriend. Not friends. Every girl has a boyfriend.”
“Means only one friend among boys? I didn’t get you.”
“Leave it. You don’t have one. You are a strange girl.”
The bell rang and both of them went to class. No one else talked to her in the class rest of the day. She went home very depressed. Tara could see that Pari was not well. She asked her what happened. Pari told her about the day and the strange boy and about all her class mated – they didn’t even bother to talk to her.
She went to her room and didn’t do anything, just kept watching cartoons. Tara was worried. She called Anmol at office and told everything. He also got a bit tense but thought of an idea.
In the evening when he returned, “Pari, where are you? See what I have got for you.” She came running, “What is it daddy?” “You have to come downstairs to see it” “please show me please.” “Let’s go girl”. On going downstairs he unveiled her present – brand new ranger cycle. “Daddy I love you” and she hugged him real tight. “But you have to promise me you won’t take it out of colony in any case.” “I promise daddy. May I try it now?” “Yes sure. It’s all yours.”
She didn’t know how to cycle but learnt in a weak.
Meanwhile Manas became a real good friend of hers. He was the only one who never laughed at her strange ideas and helped her in everything. He used to tell her strangest of the things about girls and how she should behave to make more friends among girls but she considered them stupid and never cared if they were her friends or not as she has already got a friend. Though she sometimes thought he was a goon but he was a friend of hers and when you are friends it doesn’t matter.
She used to tell Tara about the day’s events which almost always made her uneasy. She had started to worry why her daughter not able to make more friends in school. She was not able to make her mind about this Manas boy whether she should let her daughter hang around with him. But Anmol always used to say they are children and Pari has to learn about this world. And Manas is one who is doing so. He is letting her know what different kinds of people are there.
Pari didn’t make anymore friends in her school but she was happy and was considered intelligent by her teachers.
And what added to her happiness was – Manas and his family were shifting to their colony. She was very excited about it and kept on singing it whole day.
After coming of Manas she hardly stayed at home. She was always out on her cycle roaming, playing cricket with him or working out math problems at his home.
Now Anmol started getting worried about her daughter. She practically spent no time with her parents now. Mostly when he was coming back home Pari was taking her cycle out and their conversation reduced to “hi daddy, bye daddy.” Which was not acceptable to him.
And one fine day when he fortunately found her at home getting ready, he told her not to go out and study at home. She told him that she and Manas study together.
“No you are not going out and study here.”
“But we help each other in problems.”
“If you need any help, I am there.”
“But daddy…”
“No more arguments.”
She didn’t go. But she cried that whole evening. She was not able to understand what has happened to her father. Tara tried to explain her, her father’s anxiety. But she couldn’t.
Every day Anmol was putting new restriction on her and she didn’t do anything but cry. She was not able to understand why she was not allowed to play anymore or go cycling.
One day Anmol came and announced that Pari is going to join new school in her 11th standard. She couldn’t take this anymore.
“What’s wrong with this school?”
“Your new school is better than this.”
“This is what you said about this school also when we came.”
“But it’s good for your studies that you join the new school.”
“No it’s not. I am a topper here. What more good can that school do to me?”
“You are arguing with me?”
“No daddy I am not.”
“Than, you are going to new school.”
“I won’t”
“Why don’t you want to leave?”
“Because, all my friends are here.”
“You don’t have any friends except for that boy.. What’s his name..”
“Manas”
“Yes him. You are leaving.”
“No I won’t.”
And she banged the door and took her cycle and went on cycling, crying. Manas saw her crying and went after her. He called her but she didn’t listen. He tried to catch her but it was too late and she was already on main road and before he could do anything …
Next day’s newspaper read… a 10th standard girl crushed to death by a speeding truck on the national highway.
Note : This is my first story. If it is boring do pardon me for wasting your time.. 
to meet got together for half an hour and discussed stuff that can best be termed crap.
advices them not to have sweet blood then under such circumstances whom should they target and so on.
