The cows were moving back,
The red car was moving back,
The houses were moving back,
The trees were moving back,
The only thing I could find moving forward was my train,
My train was moving to a city of dreams – Mumbai.
Being from a small village, you will always be excited about big towns. Even I was not an exception. My dad always wanted me to be a good educated person. Probably it was the Shiva effect. Shiva, who was from same village, who got his education from Mumbai, was holding a good government job. My uncle lives in Mumbai. He was the one who was going to take me to Mumbai for my further studies. He also loved me like my dad. I was already told that I have to help him at his tea stall. I had no problems.
Coming back to my train, where I was watching things moving backward from window, my uncle told me pick up my bag as station was about to come. Being a 10 years old, I was eager to see the Mumbai city for first time. Soon, we reached the station. I read the sign board, B-A-N-D-R-A T-E-R-M-I-N-US, Bandra Terminus. I asked my uncle “chachu aap toh kahe the hum bambai ja rahe par yaha toh kuch aur hi likha hai”. He laughed and said “tu dhere dhere samaj jayega”.
In few days, I got admission in a government school. My routine became school in morning, study in afternoon, work at tea stall in evening and playing and t.v. in night. I was enjoying the life the way it was moving. I got familiar with people near the home and people at nearby shop.
I was very fond of chocolates. Everyday, after coming back from school, spending my whole pocket money in purchasing two coffy bite chocolates became my routine (although I was left with 26 milk teeths). Watching T.V. at saloon shop near our tea stall was also part of my routine. I was crazy about T.V. Infact, I even liked watching ads.
I was soon called as ‘chotu’. I was enjoying working at tea stall. But there were many people were against my work considering child labor. Even my uncle started feeling that he shouldn’t have made me to work. My uncle once told me that he will soon find a substitute for me. No one asked me about my view. Actually speaking, I was happy working there.
There were few regular customers. One of them was a boy who use to come with a big bag. He use to come at 05:05 pm sharp. He was lot different than others. Whereas other people coming alone, to pass their time, use to watch the street traffic, while he use to watch our stall’s interior. I always use to think what he is trying to find in this broken roof or old table. I use to smile to him and was getting one in return. Like people have hi-hello friends who only supposed to say hi-hello to each other and nothing else, I found a smiling friend.
On one of the winter evening, our sugar went out of stock, so me and my uncle went to a shop at the end of the road. There I found out the big banners of Five star chocolate in the store. Company was promoting their product as they have changed the packing of this chocolate. We entered the shop; I found my smiling friend was standing there. He smiled to me. I was more into the wish of having the five star chocolate rather than smiling to him. Repetitive ads made me more eager to have it. Soon after, when we were about to leave, I asked my uncle to purchase a five star for me but he replied me with a sharp ‘no’. My uncle was against chocolates. I was unhappy and was leaving the shop. My smiling friend smiled towards me but I didn’t replied instead showed my unhappiness, I simply turned my face.
We went to our tea stalls again. Today I was serving tea without any smile. The very first customer said “kya hua chotu udas dikh raha hai”. I said nothing and moved to another table. Uncle was busy in making tea, he had no time to read my disappointment. Now, My smiling friend came in. I gave him tea. This time none of us smiled. He was today looking out to the traffic to pass his time unlike other days. When he finished up the tea, he gave me Rs 5 for the tea. I was about to leave but he stopped me, he pulled out a Five star chocolate and offered me. I was so happy, I couldn’t express myself.
When sometimes comedian like Paresh Rawal has to act in a villainous role then why can’t my uncle can do so. He never saw my disappointment but when someone was about to give me chocolate, his eyes became eyes of Arjuna of Mahabharat. He came near to us and said “Hum garib hai , bhikhari nai”. My smiling friend replied “par…” But uncle was not interested in hearing anything. Uncle’s angry eyes didn’t allow him to utter more words. He left with disappointment.
I was unhappy that I couldn’t touch the chocolate pack. Next day, it was 05:05 pm and I was waiting for him, but he never came. I know, it happened all because of my uncle. It was not like my uncle didn’t love me or my uncle couldn’t afford a Rs 10 chocolate but the problem was he hate chocolates.
Many thoughts came in mind to earn a five star - Let me save from my pocket money but I couldn’t forgo my two coffy bites. I even thought of stealing but soon realized its unethical. Even couldn’t go to bank for loan. Having a Five star, became a unfulfilled dream for me.
Being a tv crazy, I was looking the things as ‘SHOLAY’ movie, where I was VEERU and my DREAM was BASANTI who was kidnapped by my GABBAR UNCLE and HOPES of that smiling friend were JAI which were already killed. Now don’t think who are thakur, kaliya and samba, my sholay is a low budget dream.
Four days passed, it was 05:05pm, another boy came in, with a huge bag. He was reminding me of my smiling friend. He ordered a tea. While drinking tea, his eyes were looking to me sometimes and sometimes to my uncle. He finished the tea and went to my uncle and asked him “kitna hua”. Uncle answered him. At that time, I was standing near my uncle, but soon moved from there as I have to serve tea to few people. I was looking them from other corner; the boy was checking pockets and his bag. I think he had lost his money then he gave something to my uncle, then they were talking something amongst themselves. The boy left with a smile. Soon at 8, when no customer was there I was sitting on the corner table watching people nearby, my uncle called me and gave me five star. I was so…so….so happy that I didn’t asked anything from uncle, sat on a chair, open the chocolate and started eating it.
At night, I asked my uncle about the five star because I was knowing that my uncle never went to any store to purchase the five star. The uncle told me the whole thing. The boy who came today pretended that he has no money to pay. He told my uncle that he has lost his money but he can give a chocolate of Rs 10 instead of Rs 5 tea. My uncle understood that this incident is planned my smiling friend. My uncle broke his anger ice and smiled. My uncle told the boy to say sorry to his friend. This new boy perfectly suited for the role of basanti’s masi who finally agreed to viru-basanti marriage.
From very next day, my smiling friend started back coming. We never talked but we always smiled looking each other.
I learned few things in these few days :
-Even 26 teethes smile can give you friends (atleast smiling friends)
-Dreams can give you achievement (no matter how big or how small is your dream)
-Family members can never be villains (sorry uncle !)
-Sholay is an unforgettable movie (but don’t correlate it with your life, there are no real gabbar in real life)
-Five star is not only chocolate (I came to know when dairy milk introduced ads and put banners for their new sealed packs)
-Bandra is also Mumbai (and ghatkopar is also Mumbai).
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