Far in Ganga, one pottery of ashes is flowing with flow of river. One water wave asks pottery,
Who are you?
Who are your family members?
How you are here?
Ashes started talking with that wave about the life he lead as:
Meetha, a labourer with brave heart, strong mettle &healthy physique worked for Sohni constructions and was earning Rs. 250 per day. He never went to any person for any sort of help as he relied heavily on his will and grit. He was living with his wife Reena and a son Sikander in "Dholan" village situated side by Ganga River in Uttaranchal. Reena was also a labourer earning Rs 100 per day. She was a proud wife. Both were happy and making their both ends meet easily by earning Rs 10,500 per month. Being a good house holder, they were also saving for any sort of future contingencies in adverse times. They also had plans for their child as to get higher studies and wanted him to work as a senior postmaster in post office.
Meetha being 8th passed could understand things in well manner which any other educated dumbo couldn't. He was aware of family planning and had a plan of one child (boy) only that would be supportive pillar for them during off colours. After 2 years of marriage Reena gave birth to boy which was given a name "Sikander" by his parents. But after delivery of baby boy, Reena started facing health problems like osteoporosis, irregular menstruation, scurvy- in other words, downfall of health. She became incapable of doing work. Now burden of whole family came on brave shoulders of Meetha a man with great fortitude always worked whole day, returned home at night, always did medication of his wife, gave fatherly love to Sikander, made food on his own and served to whole family. He knew that condition of his wife was deteriorating but didn't have enough money to give her better hospitalization. All money which they kept aside as savings had already spend during delivery time of Sikander and for post delivery treatment of Reena. His beautiful asset (Reena) was depreciating day by day but he never asked for help from his friends. Now his stoic attitude started irritating his wife because she and their child were suffering. But Meetha was not ready to ruin down his self made rock solid values. But still they loved each other. Family responsibilities were increasing but Meetha's salary didn't. By this time Sikander became a 12 years old boy . He was strong in physique as his fathers, dull features and wheatish complexion. He was not so regardful towards his parents, did all notorious things but was a brainy brat. He grasped rather than crammed things speedily. He always got favour from his mother but Meetha was not so happy with Sikander's conduct.
At 16, Sikander completed his intermediate. By this time Reena was not able to move by her own. Meetha knew what was going to happen in very near future but things were out of his hands. As time was rushing Meetha and his wife wanted Sikander to appear in Post office exams. But they didn't have enough money to pay fees for his further education, clearing the exam was secondary thing for them One day when Sikander was out with his friends, Meetha came home for his afternoon meal. Reena called him up and asked him to open the box which was lying behind a wooden cot a solid structure which was lying as a waste asset in their house. Meetha brought that box. Box was cladded with a synthetic cloth. He was confused as some bequeathing was about to happen in labour family. He was astonished to see a gold bangle. Reena told him that she bought this with the savings she made from her income for her to- be- daughter- in- law without the knowledge of her husband. But now as she was expecting near death and examination fees of their son was of utmost importance. Reena asked Meetha to go and sell off the bangle for adequate amount. This was enough to sublimate Meetha's rock solid eyes into flow of tears. He embraced his wife with full passion and of course with regrets in mind that he was responsible for all this as his not let down attitude made him not to put her long agonies to end. She breathed her last - kissing her husband.
It seemed like right from the bottom last brick of their house to horizon, all things were mourning on account of Reena's death. When Sikander came back home, he got stumbled on his mother's death. He was felling like dug down in dark gloomy never ending tunnel. During cremation, Meetha was crying to his heart content. But not a single drop of tear in Sikander's eyes. For first time in his life, Sikander offered an auxiliary hand to his shambolic father. Everything seemed pause. After some days, Meetha started going to work. Now he was like be-all and end-all for his son. Sikander now started realizing that he couldn't let his mother's sacrifice and father's stoic character down when he came to know about "Bangle saga". He started preparing for post masters exam with full concentration right from dawn to dusk. After 4 months, he went to city's Kanya Mahavidyalya Primary School where Post Masters Enterance Examination held. Within 20 days, result was declared and he was able to crack the nut. When he was going for training to "Post Masters Training Institute"(PMTI) Ghaziabad, his father gave him a lot of courage, his all time favourite "Motichoor Ke Ladoo" and a kiss on forhead. Sikander now left for his awaiting destiny.
He used to contact his father on public booth in village from his institute's phone. Meetha used to speak in his own hindi on phone
"Beta wahan par abo-hawa theek hai,
Roti changi khata hai na, reejh naal
Padai karta hai na!!"
(Are the surroundings conducive there? Are you taking your meals at time? Are you studying whole heartedly?)
These line worked like pep talks for Sikander
1 year Later
At the time of f his course completionand four days left for joining as head Post Master, he came to know from newspaper that his native village got destructed due to floods in Ganga. Phone on public booth was also not responding as all network lines got stuck. When he reached his village by bus, he was jolted to see that today was his father's cremation ceremony. Rescued villagers were performing this ritual. His bricked house was also depleted by furious water waves. There was no one left to share Sikander's feelings. At the time of cremation, Sikander's old time friend Ahmed consoled him by saying
"Tu achcha afsar ban gaya, tere Maa-Baap ki rooh upar se dekh kar kush hai."
(Your parents soul is satisfied & happy as there long time dream of seeing you as an officer is fulfilled)
Next morning, Sikander collected his father ashes enclosed in a pottery made of clay, drifted in dicey and distributed waves of Ganga. As pottery goes out of his view, he came back, packed his luggage and again left for Ghaziabad with tears in eyesand with all loving memories of his family in his brave heart.
Far in Ganga, one pottery of ashes is flowing with flow of river. One water wave asks pottery:
