Anil Short Story
Anil
RIDJAL NOOR
On a hot, sweltering night in the middle of March when the mosquitoes were in their reign of terrorism, there was a little village where the villagers kept to themselves in little huts, sleeping deeply and dreaming their dreams that rarely amounted to anything. Probably a new cow for Kuppusamy, the milkman, or a profitable harvest
5
for the farmers, or a new sewing machine for Rajgopal, the tailor. Housewives dreamed of tomorrow’s cooking and the children dreamed of waking up to another day, and the next, and the next, till it was over as soon as it began. Meanwhile the streets were pitch dark, with no lighting and with the sounds of crickets crying out to each other. As the village slept the night away, a little boy in one …show more content…
Even in bright daylight, it looked extremely scary. Nagaraj, the
70
madman who sang to himself by the river every day from dawn till dusk, told them he had once seen the tree wrap it vines around little kids who ventured unknowingly near it and then reel the kids into its thick canopy of leaves, and no one would ever see the kid again. It was a tree that ate little children.
‘Marimuthu!’ the voice hissed.
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Anil, forgetting about his pleading bladder for the time being, could see nothing, but he heard the constant shuffling of feet and of something heavier being dragged on the ground. A rope was thrown over one of the branches of the ghostly tree. Deftly, it was tied to the branch and a noose was formed with the other end. Anil could see the hands that expertly tied the noose.
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He turned to his sleeping parents, his mouth opened, filled with a whisper, but the words failed him. He turned back to the window, his heart beating very fast, very hard. His sweaty hands grabbed the bottom of the window, and he stood on his toes.
Still he could not see anyone.
‘Help me lift her up!’ the same voice hissed.
85
Two pairs of hands hoisted a white cloth. Anil’s heart stilled for a moment, caught …show more content…
Make this father proud of you. Do you understand? You are very, very lucky to have this chance. You are going to be studying in a big university and becoming someone great one day, you understand? And you better not play a fool and mix around with bad company,
185
or I’ll come down there and give you a good walloping, do you understand?’
Anil looked up at his father and nodded, tears swimming on the rims of his eyes. His lower lip trembled.
‘Your mother has made these sweets for you. Take it. Don’t finish everything on the train. Keep some for later. Be a good boy and don’t forget your parents. Remember
190
to write back, understand?’
Anil nodded again, his tears spilling.
‘Don’t be silly. Men don’t cry. You’re going into a man’s world, you must act like a man now.’
His father got down from the train and stood outside the window, a hand reaching in
195
to pull Anil towards him and kiss his forehead. The train let out a wail, announcing its intention to depart in a short while.
‘Are you sending me off because I saw him do it?’ Anil asked.
Ragunathan was taken aback by the question. He was ashamed for helping the headman to hide the truth about Marimuthu’s wife’s death, ashamed that he had
RIDJAL NOOR
On a hot, sweltering night in the middle of March when the mosquitoes were in their reign of terrorism, there was a little village where the villagers kept to themselves in little huts, sleeping deeply and dreaming their dreams that rarely amounted to anything. Probably a new cow for Kuppusamy, the milkman, or a profitable harvest
5
for the farmers, or a new sewing machine for Rajgopal, the tailor. Housewives dreamed of tomorrow’s cooking and the children dreamed of waking up to another day, and the next, and the next, till it was over as soon as it began. Meanwhile the streets were pitch dark, with no lighting and with the sounds of crickets crying out to each other. As the village slept the night away, a little boy in one …show more content…
Even in bright daylight, it looked extremely scary. Nagaraj, the
70
madman who sang to himself by the river every day from dawn till dusk, told them he had once seen the tree wrap it vines around little kids who ventured unknowingly near it and then reel the kids into its thick canopy of leaves, and no one would ever see the kid again. It was a tree that ate little children.
‘Marimuthu!’ the voice hissed.
75
Anil, forgetting about his pleading bladder for the time being, could see nothing, but he heard the constant shuffling of feet and of something heavier being dragged on the ground. A rope was thrown over one of the branches of the ghostly tree. Deftly, it was tied to the branch and a noose was formed with the other end. Anil could see the hands that expertly tied the noose.
80
He turned to his sleeping parents, his mouth opened, filled with a whisper, but the words failed him. He turned back to the window, his heart beating very fast, very hard. His sweaty hands grabbed the bottom of the window, and he stood on his toes.
Still he could not see anyone.
‘Help me lift her up!’ the same voice hissed.
85
Two pairs of hands hoisted a white cloth. Anil’s heart stilled for a moment, caught …show more content…
Make this father proud of you. Do you understand? You are very, very lucky to have this chance. You are going to be studying in a big university and becoming someone great one day, you understand? And you better not play a fool and mix around with bad company,
185
or I’ll come down there and give you a good walloping, do you understand?’
Anil looked up at his father and nodded, tears swimming on the rims of his eyes. His lower lip trembled.
‘Your mother has made these sweets for you. Take it. Don’t finish everything on the train. Keep some for later. Be a good boy and don’t forget your parents. Remember
190
to write back, understand?’
Anil nodded again, his tears spilling.
‘Don’t be silly. Men don’t cry. You’re going into a man’s world, you must act like a man now.’
His father got down from the train and stood outside the window, a hand reaching in
195
to pull Anil towards him and kiss his forehead. The train let out a wail, announcing its intention to depart in a short while.
‘Are you sending me off because I saw him do it?’ Anil asked.
Ragunathan was taken aback by the question. He was ashamed for helping the headman to hide the truth about Marimuthu’s wife’s death, ashamed that he had