Dreamer

Robin had just turned seven a week ago. A huge party was hosted on his birthday where many people arrived in their house bringing lots of gifts for him. Robin’s parents made sure that their son got everything he wants in life. He has already received everything a child could wish for. Everyday he goes to school in a big car of theirs.

There is a small cottage beside the residence of Robin which looks like a palace. There lives a boy of the same age as Robin, named Bittu. He lives a life very different from Robin’s. He watches the big building beside his cottage as something mysterious, as if it does not reveal its true self to this young boy. He sees Robin going to school everyday and asks his mother, “Maa, why don’t I go to school?” His mother sometimes remains silent and sometimes admonishes him not to speak of this matter in front of his father. But his questions never end. The curious eyes of him want to know more of the world. Today he is adamant that he’ll go to school at any cost just like Robin. School is, again, a bewildering place to him. He wants to know what it is like to be in that place. He sees everything with a different point of view. It is like God has given him something different from others. Whatever comes across his path is a mystery to him and he would do everything to solve that mystery. He says to his mother again and again, “Today I have to go to school, Maa. Why don’t you never allow me to go there and study? Robin goes to school everyday and he doesn’t take me to play with him because I don’t go to school.” His mother doesn’t say anything for a while, and when she comprehends that her son is not going to shut up today, she takes him in her arms and says, “My dear son, we don’t have enough money to send you to school. You have to understand your family’s financial condition. Robin’s family is rich and has money to spend on expensive school and provide education”. Bittu does not know what to reply next. He may have or may not understood whatever his mother was telling him, but he has no words now. His father works at a grocery store for a very low wage. They don’t get to eat properly everyday. They don’t have the rights to dream because they belong to the lower class of the society, but Bittu doesn’t accept these inhibitions, his dreams have no limits. He wishes to be someone great someday and make his parents proud of him. When Bittu couldn’t convince his mother to allow him to study, he goes to his father and says sheepishly, “Baba, I want to study, I want to be like Robin.”

--- “Why Robin?”, his father says furiously.

--- “He has everything, he is so lucky, that’s why.”

--- “You don’t need to be like these rich people, they aren’t good. And once I get my next wage, I’ll then arrange to send you to the local public school. But I don’t want to hear anything about Robin.” He becomes more than happy to hear this. Now he can also go to school and study like other kids. He excitedly tells this to his mother. But he does not understand his father’s animosity towards Robin and his family.

He says to his father, “But Baba, Robin is a good boy.”

--- “Enough”, his father says gravely.

Bittu does not say anything after that. But now he has a new question in his mind, “Why Baba hates rich people? What have they done?” In this context the history of these two families should be mentioned. Robin’s grandfather, Subodh Kr. Das used to work under Bittu’s grandfather, Taraprasad Roy and was a supervisor of his business. One day, Subodh came to Taraprasad’s house in the pretext of doing some important paperwork for a partnership with a reputed company. That day brought the black clouds of misfortune to this family. Subodh looted all the money and robbed the Taraprasad of his property by falsehood and deception. The whole family of Taraprasad went under utter poverty and helplessness.

Bittu’s father remembers the day they were thrown out from their own house and had nowhere to go. Robin’s family got a living for his father and then robbed them completely. His eyes gets wet. He can’t tell all these to Bittu, he is too young for all of this. He felt very bad when Bittu said that he wanted to be like Robin. He does not want his son to be like anyone of the deceiver’s family. After one-month Bittu’s father manages to send him to the public school and Bittu seems to be very happy and eager to solve the mystery of this place called ‘school’. One day, while returning from school, Bittu meets Robin and his friends. He says, “Hello Robin, how are you?”

--- “I’m fine. Where did you go wearing a uniform? Did you go to school?”

--- “Yes, I have started going to school. You can play with me now”, he says smilingly.

--- “Play with you?”, Robin starts to laugh, and his friends join him.

--- “Why are you laughing? Did I say anything funny?”

--- “I don’t play with poor kids like you. And you, penniless people should not dream this high. What the hell will you do even by going to school?”.

Robin leaves breaking Bittu’s heart and his dreams into pieces. Bittu used to see Robin as a good person but Robin proved him wrong. Will he be able to dream again? Only the Almighty knows.

Happy Children’s Day

🌼 Let Them Dream 🌼

- Aditi Sarkar