I Love You 4

3 months passed after that incident and one fine day I was busy doing household chores. We had kept the sofa and chairs outside our home in order to clean the living room. My mother was cleaning the kitchen and father was doing some work inside the bed room. My sister was in her bedroom. I was cleaning the things in the the show case in the living room when suddenly my Nokia phone started ringing from somewhere. I didn't remember where I had kept it. When listening to the ring I came out I found my mobile phone on one of the sofa chairs. I received the phone and said " Hello"

I couldn't here any sound from the other side . When I said " Hello" once again I could listen sounds of someone's breath. I felt as if someone was being shy to talk .

" Hello, may I know whom am I speaking to" I asked softly and in reply I heard sweet male voice from other side who said,

" I........I am... I am an orphan. I grew up with beggars begging for money. They used me for begging . They always took away the money I begged and never gave me enough food. So often I went Krishna mutt  in Udupi to have my lunch with children of my group. I could feed myself one time a day. All the money I earned everyday from begging was forcefully  taken away by elders in my group. They never gave me enough food in my dinner. One night I didn't agree to give them the money I earned through begging and when they forcefully tried to take it I threw stones at them and ran away.

          I climbed a bus that went to Manipal and in that dark night I travelled to Manipal. Holding the money in a cloth I was shivering in a corner being frightened by the dark when some bandits saw the money in my hands and tried to confiscate it.I didnt allow them to take my money . I threw stones at them. One of the members of the bandit group perhaps the leader said " He is bandit like us . Look ! He is scaring us by throwing stones same as we scare people showing knifes " . Saying so they took me with them. Then they gave knife to my hand and they thought me to threaten people and take away their valuable belongings. I learnt it all and became a member of their group. But yet they always took away all money that I robbed. But they always fed me enough food and I could earn more than I did while begging. After some time they brought few more kids to the group and taught them robbery too. We all grew up together . Among us one was bandit leader's son. Other two were lost children. We all robbed together but we had lot of fights among each other on the matters of robbed money. Again we got together to rob. But there was no friendship in that group. Although they fed me enough food they threw the plate at me. It was a mere group which was formed to earn bread to each other.

            One fine day my friend came to me and said,

" Akash , take this sweet, my Mama prepared it.

" Mama !!"

" My  Mama came ! Mama !!!"

" Oh my son, how are you clothed? Haven't you combed your hair?

She combed his hair and hugged him, kissed his forehead and made him sleep on her lap. I and my orphan friends were seeing them with a strange sense of envy and sorrow.

               "I grew up without knowing who a mother was ? How her love felt like? But when my friend was loved by his mother I always craved for that type of love and care." He was sobbing.

            " One day when we were grown up we went to a theatre to watch a movie. The movie was going on and the hero of the movie said cryingly,

" I am an orphan, I never recieved mother and father's love "

The heroine replied "  Oh dear, don't say that ! From now on you are never an orphan. Wife is a man's second mother. From today I will shower you all love you ever craved and I will make sure you will never cry again."

The heroine too made the hero sleep on her lap seeing which I said to my friend.

" Even I will have a wife one day who will give me all love I craved till now " for which he said,

" Who will marry bandits like us, come, the movie has ended. Let's go "

That scene of the movie remained in my heart ."

     "I was just a savage who was wandering here and there robbing money and to this robber......."

  There was pain in his voice, He was continuously crying as he was speaking. I was blushing listening to his beautiful voice yet I was feeling sad at his greif.

      " .....this robber..... No one showed love but ......but......" He was sobbing continuously.

       "But......but....that day .....you said ...you said that you loved me." He started weeping loudly and my heart beat suddenly raised.

       " I never expected .....that  someone would say this orphan like that. I never expected someone would say me I love you. Can I hear these words for myself from someone ! I never thought. But you said me " I love you" . Can someone say this orphan like that? Can someone give me love?!" When he said taking hick ups ,tears filled my eyes and they started falling off my eyea and I caught my heart and started crying.

           " Really.?!.. Do you love this orphan?! I have left the notorious bandit group and I am working as a coolie here . I will work really hard and be a rich man one day surely . I will look after you very well. Will you love me my whole life? Say " I love you "once again. Say that you love me. You love me  right!!?" I was listening quietly and was stunned to his words. But my heart had fallen for his innocent love for me. Suddenly my father came from out and asked me,

" whom are you talking to on phone"

" Daddy , its call of Rashmi "I replied him & I cut Akash's call.

                           (to be continued)

Rashmi R Kotian "Raashmir"

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***