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Articles: Short Stories | Raju and his trip
- Ms. Sowmya V.B.
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Raju & the trip
Raju was jumping with excitement. It was obvious from his face. Anybody can understand that Raju is eagerly waiting for something, but nobody was able to perceive what it is. Quite often, it is very difficult to comprehend the thoughts of a person. However well one might know him, however highly one might boast that he can read a person like a book, one’s expectation goes wrong sometimes. That was what happened here.
“Hey Raju, what's up? Got a jackpot or what?” asked his friend who went past him on the road.
“Sir, what's the news? You look very happy. Got good marks in the exams?” asked the watchman of his apartments.
Raju answered both with a smile and climbed the stairs hurriedly. He approached the main door of his house and began ringing the bell continuously.
“ Who is that rogue disturbing the house hold?” his grand father came shouting.
Grand pa has always had a strong friendship with Raju. Grandpa was the person who always saved Raju from his father’s scolding. While Raju was chided for his mischief by all others, the only person who never said anything except-“my sweet grandson” was his grandpa.
“Oh! Raju, my sweet child! Was that you? Why are you pressing the bell door like that?” Asked Grandpa. In Grandpa’s eyes, the 20 year old Raju was still a kid who sat on grand pa’s lap, who learnt to walk with a finger in Grandpa’s hands and the one who made grandpa run throughout the colony trying to catch him.
Raju didn’t answer him either. He went straight in to his room and switched on his PC. His favorite rock songs were heard from the room in high decibels. It looked as if he forgot that his Mom was in the kitchen and Dad will be arriving soon. Grandpa thought- “Is he imagining that he is in a pub or what?”
Now, as the sound became unbearable, Raju’s mom came out of her bastion, the kitchen. “Hey! What’s wrong with you? Came drunk or what?” she shouted at Raju.
Now, for the first time, Raju was made to turn back and respond to all these people. He was annoyed at being accused of drinking, that too at home! He cried-“I am very excited today Mom!”
“What happened, my son?” asked his mother imagining that he got a prize or something.
Raju shouted-“we are going to the trip after all!”
“Who? I’ll not come as I have board meetings next week. Your grandpa can’t come as he is unwell. Your mom will not come as she has to look after him. You have to go alone which I’ll not allow” said his Father as he entered the scene.
“Who said I’ll be going with you people?” wondered Raju.
“You yourself said- we are going to the trip after all!” asked his Grandpa.
“But, that ‘we’ is not this ‘we’ he said looking at them. I am going with my classmates. I am talking about that trip which we have been planning since long” replied Raju.
“Ok, where are you going?” asked his Father in an enquiring tone.
“well, we are going to Baasara. We’ll start by 6 AM tomorrow by Bus here and be back by around 10-10:30 PM” explained Raju.
“How many of you are going? Is there any lecturer coming with you? What about the food? Which Bus is it? Will it be safe? How will you come back at such a late hour?” Raju’s mother attacked him with a plethora of questions. Mothers are always to inquisitive & imaginative in these aspects. In this age of nuclear families especially in families like Raju’s where he is the only child, too much of concern is expressed on his safety.
“Oh! Come on mom, I am a guy, not a girl. That too, a grown up guy of 20!” said Raju irritated by his mom’s tension.
In the next moment, Raju was back to his world of rock, his mom to her work, Grandpa getting ready for evening walk.
All the night, Raju was really very excited. He kept on blabbering something over the supper. He talked of his expectations about the trip, what he wanted to do, how many will be coming, what should he take with him, the money he should have with him etc.
The other three of his family were listening patiently to all this crap. Even Grandpa, who supported whatever Raju did felt that Raju was over-reacting. He said- “don’t get too excited Raju! If u except too much, things will not go our way. Your trip might get cancelled too. who knows?”
Raju was annoyed. “oh! Grandpa, don’t talk like that. Why are you always so pessimistic?” he asked his Grandpa.
Just then, there was a news headline on the TV-“the naxals called for a bandh tomorrow. It is advised for the people to be careful.”
Raju looked angrily at his grandpa as if he was responsible for the bandh of naxals.
“I told you not to say such ill-fated words!” shouted Raju. His parents looked angrily at Raju for daring to shout at Grand pa. Raju looked at all of them sheepishly and continued with his food without saying a word again. Ofcourse, his father was shouting at him for his behaviour. Raju too wanted to retort but, Grandpa communicated with his eyes and told Raju to be quiet. Thus ended the episode.
Time to sleep…Raju thought, although he knew that he can not sleep this night. Dreams about the trip crossed his mind even before sleeping! Raju was imagining the games they are going to play in the bus, the way they’ll explore the nearby areas etc. Even before starting, he was sure that this was the most memorable event in his life. He even decided when & where should he take photos and whose photos should he take.
He could not resist dreaming even though he wanted to sleep. As time passed, Raju’s dream train path was obstructed. The phone rang. Raju looked at the clock. It was 11:00 PM. Raju hated phones that came after 10:00 PM. He cursed that unknown caller-“who is that rascal calling at this hour?”. As he was about to shout-“Maa..” he looked by his side. His mom was in a deep sleep. So, she didn’t wake up for the sound. He knew what his father will say if he does not pick the phone up now-“these young guys….too lazy even to pick up the phone. I say…..” Raju was not prepared for these homilies. So, he picked up the phone and asked the caller with a bit of irritation-“who is that?”
“Hey its me Suresh!” said the voice.
“Ya, what’s it Suresh?” asked Raju in a bit normal voice since Suresh is his close friend.
“Ha ha, I guess you are feeling it difficult to sleep?” asked Suresh.
“Oh! How did u know? Are you feeling the same? That’s why you are calling me I suppose” re-questioned Raju in answer.
There was a laughter and an attempt to control further laughter from the other side. “The trip is postponed!” came the reply.
“What?” Shouted Raju.
With this, his mom who was moving uneasily since the phone rang(may be out of disturbance or out of curiosity to know who it is and what the matter is) woke up completely.
“The naxal bandh man! Didn’t you see the News in those so many news channels available on the TV?” asked Suresh.
Raju didn’t answer.
“Ok, good night.. We’ll meet in college tomorrow. Bye” Suresh hung up the phone.
Seeing Raju’s face, his mother thought-something dangerously serious happened.
She asked with a concern in her voice-“Raju, what happened?”
Raju replied in a dull voice-“Maa, the trip is cancelled.”
Even in that half-sleep, half-awake state, his mom couldn’t resist laughing.
As Raju looked at her in a sort of undirected anger, she mocked at him-“you looked like a rocket, full of excitement just a few minutes back. Now, you look like the Russian sky lab” remembering an old joke. One should only see his face then. It can’t be described.
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