The lonely boy
This is a story about a lonely boy whose parents were workaholics and had little time for their child. One day, his father caught up with work and forgot to pick him up from school. When he remembered, he searched everywhere but couldn’t find his son. The story focuses on the lonely boy and how his friends help him overcome his loneliness.
After the whole night’s rain, it was a beautiful morning with a full rainbow in the sky. Meenakshi asked Sidharth and Heena to get up and enjoy the nice weather and rainbow.
Sidharth exclaimed, ‘What a beautiful rainbow! I have never seen a rainbow so early in the morning, Mommy.’
Heena asked the rainbow to wait for a while as she had to urgently go to the toilet. Heena came back; The rainbow waited for her and then fizzled away.
Sidharth was desperate to go to school and meet his friends after the Deepawali holidays.
Amid the chaos, Samantha Madam entered the classroom. Kids told her about their exciting time on Deepawali and watching Ramayana’s epic story on television.
Samantha Ma’am started with a Maths lesson on addition and subtraction. At this moment, Ma’am noticed an innocent boy standing at the gate of the classroom. Ma’am walked towards the gate, brought the boy inside, and introduced him by saying, ‘He is the boy we were waiting for. His name is Aadi and he has come from Varanasi.’
All the kids stood up and said, ‘We welcome you, Aadi.’
Samantha asked Sidharth to share the desk with Aadi as Bodha was away with his parents for three weeks.
Aadi was a shy and quiet boy who preferred to remain aloof. Sidharth and his friends tried to befriend him but failed.
The next day, Sidharth was surprised to see a smiling Aadi talking to an aged lady during the lunch break. Sidharth walked towards them. Aadi introduced Sidharth to his Nani, Nandini. Sidharth said, ‘Nani, I have seen you walking in Heritage Park. Do you live in the house at the corner of the park?’
Nani said, ‘Yes, I have also seen you walking with your mother and younger sister.’
Soon Ganesha, Kumbha, Jhilmil, Sweetie, Surya, Nandan, and Rishit joined them.
Sweetie asked Aadi to join their group and Aadi shyly said, ‘Yes.’
One day, Kumbha noticed Aadi crying in the toilet. He told Sidharth about it. During the lunch break, Sidharth took Aadi for a walk and sat down under the old banyan tree.
‘Why were you crying in the toilet?’ Sidharth asked Aadi, ‘There are no secrets between the friends.’
Aadi tearfully said, ‘Nobody loves me. Both Mommy and Papa have no time for me. It’s Dai Maa (Governess), who looks after me. But I need Mommy and Papa.’
Sidharth felt bad, thought for a second, and said, ‘Why not you join our music and drama group? School music teachers, Mansi and Barbara, are helping us to prepare a group song for the winter festival competition. We all have to come every Saturday at 10.00 AM but on our own. It’s going to be fun.’
Aadi was excited about it and said, ‘I will ask my Papa.’
Samantha noticed the incident and asked Sidharth about it. Sidharth hesitated but told her the truth.
It was the day of ‘Parents Teachers Meet (PTM)’. All the children were very excited. Parents of children were seen interacting with one another. Children were happy to introduce their parents to their friends.
Aadi’s mother, Deepti, was the last to arrive. Aadi, who was looking serious, brightened up and rushed towards his mom. He introduced his Mom to his friend, Sidharth.
Aadi’s mom was in a hurry and met Samantha Madam out of turn. Samantha said, ‘Aadi is an intelligent but very sensitive boy. You both need to find more time for him.’
Aadi’s mom said, ‘Both of us being in the new jobs are very busy.’
Samantha said, ‘For Aadi also, it’s a new school and new city. You must spend more time with him.’
Aadi’s mom was in a hurry to go back to her office. She hugged and kissed Aadi and left.
Aadi started coming on Saturday for the music class. His father, Suraj, used to drop him off while going to the office. Aadi enjoyed the music class. Barbara said, ‘Aadi, vocally you have a really good tone.’ Aadi liked the song very much. A few lines of the song were as follows:
Papa says ‘Pollution is increasing.’
Mama says ‘Temperature is rising.’
Chacha says ‘Ice is melting.’
Chachi says ‘Sea level is rising.’
Dadi says ‘Mumbai is sinking.’
Mahesh uncle says ‘Why bother, just enjoy.’
Kumbha says ‘Sab chalta hai, be happy.’
Milkha says ‘Bale bale, Saanu kee.’ (in Punjabi, means I don’t care)
Sweetie says ‘Āmi parōẏā kari nā.’ (in Bengali, means I don’t care)
Ganesha says ‘Malā parvā nāhī.’ (in Marathi, means I don’t care)
Jhilmil says ‘Eṉakku kavalaiyillai.’ (in Tamil, means I don’t care)
Our gang says ‘Just eat, play, and dance, all-time masti.’
But our teacher says ‘Save Mother Earth.’
We, kids, are confused, what should we do? And so on.
It was the day of the final rehearsal for the group song. Kumbha’s mom dropped both Sidharth and Kumbha at School. Aadi had already arrived.
The final rehearsal started. Principal, Ms. Kali Sudha, Barbara, and Mansi, and the parents of some of the children were present. Ms. Kali was amazed to see the splendid ‘Group Song’ and appreciated the efforts made by the teachers and children.
All the children were very happy and came out of the hall and dispersed.
Suraj, Aadi’s father, was busy with the foreign delegation visiting their company. He forgot that he had to pick up Aadi from School at 1:00 PM. At 4:00 PM, he suddenly recalled and rushed to Aadi’s school.
Aadi was not in the School. Suraj was feeling guilty and worried. He was not able to decide what to do. He had no contact phone numbers of any of Aadi’s friends. Aadi’s mom, Deepti, was on an official tour and he didn’t want to upset her.
‘Could Aadi go to Nani’s house on his own?’ Suraj thought. Though chances were remote, he called Aadi’s Nani, Nandini, who replied, ‘I am visiting my friends in Pune and shall be back the next day. What’s the matter? You sound worried.’
Suraj didn’t want to upset Nandini and replied everything was fine.
Suraj requested the watchman to provide the mobile numbers of the Class teacher and Principal. He called the class teacher, Samantha, but her mobile was switched off. He then called the Principal, Ms. Kali Sudha, who told him not to worry and contact his friend Sidharth and passed him the mobile number of Sidharth’s mother, Lakshmi.
Suraj called Lakshmi but her mobile was also switched off; he sent a message to her.
Thinking that Aadi might have gone home, he drove to his residence. He asked the watchman of the society and checked the next-door neighbor, lobby area, and the adjoining park, but there was no clue of Aadi.
Suraj panicked. He thought for a while and then called his wife, Deepti, and told her about the whole incident. Deepti was in a meeting; she was shocked and got worried and asked her boss, Aruna that she had an emergency at home and want to go back.
Aruna asked, ‘What’s the matter?’ Deepti told her the whole story. Aruna said, ‘Don’t worry. Be courageous.’ Aruna wrapped up the meeting and said, ‘Deepti, I didn’t know you have a six-year-old boy. Family always comes first. We are going back.’
On the way back to Mumbai, Aruna said, ‘I know the DIG of police, Mr. Vijay Singh Rathore. I can ask him to help us in this matter.’
Deepti called Suraj and said, ‘I am worried. I am going to take the help of the police through Madam Aruna.’ Suraj agreed.
Aruna called DIG Vijay Singh Rathore and told him about the whole incident. DIG asked several questions; including the name of the school, the boy name, age, class, etc., to which Aruna replied with the help of Deepti.
After listening to the reply, DIG said, ‘Can you tell me the names of his friends?’ Deepti said, ‘I know at least one of his friends, Sidharth.’
Vijay Singh Rathore was happy to hear the reply and said, ‘Don’t worry Aruna, Aadi must be safe. I am deputing somebody to find him.’
In the evening, Suraj received a call from Lakshmi, Sidharth’s mother. Suraj introduced himself and then asked, ‘I am looking for my son, Aadi. Had Aadi come from school with your son, Sidharth?’
Lakshmi said, ‘Sidharth has just gone alone to play with his friend Kumbha. Let me talk to him, and then I should call you back.’
Lakshmi called Kumbha’s mother, Padmini, who told her that Kumbha had left the home about half an hour earlier to play with Sidharth at your house.’
Lakshmi smelled something fishy and got up to find out the truth in this matter.
As Lakshmi opened the door to go out, she was amazed to see a policeman, DSP (Deputy Superintendent of Police), and Suraj (Aadi’s father) standing there.
DSP told Lakshmi about the whole matter and asked for her help. Lakshmi asked them to come inside.
Lakshmi tried to remember all the events one by one.
Padmini dropped both Kumbha and Sidharth to the School at 10:00 AM and then picked up the kids after the rehearsal from the school at lunchtime. Lakshmi said, ‘Only Padmini could solve this mystery.’
Lakshmi called Padmini again and said, ‘We are trying to find a boy ‘Aadi’ who went missing from the school after the rehearsal today.’
Padmini immediately replied, ‘I dropped Aadi at his Nani’s house at the corner of our park. Just wait, I am coming to your house.’
Suraj took Lakhsmi, Padmini, and DSP to the Aadi’s nani house. The main door was locked from the outside. Suraj took a round of the house and said, ‘I see lights in the room on the first floor and could hear the voices of the children.’
Suraj could find an open window to enter the house. He then opened the side door and asked everybody to come inside.
Suraj couldn’t wait and climbed up the stairs and opened the door of the room. Three children, including Aadi, were talking to each other. Aadi jumped and shouted “Papa, I missed you.’
Suraj lifted Aadi in his hands and embraced him and said, ‘I am sorry’.
While Suraj called Deepti, DSP called DIG Vijay Singh Rathore and told them that they had found Aadi and everything was okay.
Lakshmi took everybody to her house for a cup of tea.
Heena opened the door and said, ‘Chunmun, you had gone to bring your friend, Aadi. Where is he?’
Lakshmi smiled and said, ‘Kids know everything. I am feeling like a mushroom.’
Sidharth said, ‘I am sorry mommy. We dropped Aadi at his Nani’s house, but none of us knew that Nani was not in the house. Aadi sneaked into the house through the open window, went upstairs to his room, waited for Nani, and slept. He woke up in the evening and got scared. Kumbha and I went to meet Aadi. He was moving barefoot in the garden and told us that Nani was still not back. We all went inside the house and felt the urgency to inform Aadi’s papa. It is at this time, that Aadi’s papa entered the room.’
‘What you boys have done is quite okay.’ Lakshmi said and continued, ‘Rather we should learn from today’s incident and make a balance between work and family. I will ensure that our school would take adequate safety measures to avoid such an incident in the future.’
The School was decorated for the winter festival. Children from five schools participated in various activities in different categories.
Aadi was happy; his parents especially took a day off to attend this function. ‘Group song’ went off very well with a lot of applause and appreciation.
In the evening, participating children and their parents were eagerly waiting for the results and prize distribution. To their dismay, the group song got the consolation prize only.
Kumbha was angry and said, ‘We have done so much practice for twenty days and see what we have got the consolation prize.’
Sidharth said, ‘Kumbha, winning teams have performed better than us and rightly won the prizes.’
Aadi said, ‘We have won or lost, I don’t care. What I know is that I enjoyed every moment starting from the practice to performing on the stage.’
Samantha said, ‘I am proud of you all. Your group song performance was excellent. Judges had to make an exception to give a consolation prize.’
Aadi was no longer a lonely boy. He had several friends. Both Mom and Dad started coming back from the office on time, spent quality time with him, and ate dinner together.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Acknowledgment: I am greatly thankful to Sunita Jain for language editing/ proofreading this story.
Nana Rajinder
