A story..........

NIMA......

Sitting under the neem tree, Nima was thinking about her school days. Wearing a blue shirt and white salwar with white dupatta, she used to go to the village primary school. With a takhti(a wooden board for writing) and a slate in her khaki school bag, she felt to be on the top of this world. Her ideal was her class teacher Urvashi and she wished to become a school teacher like Urvashi in future. She often played her favourite game..teacher..teacher with her friends. Eating fruits stolen from a nearby orchard in lunch time was her favourite part of the day during the season of mangoes.

After coming back from school, she had no time for herself. She had to bring water from the village well and then cook food. Her mother was paralysed to she was not able to get out for work at home. Nima's father used to return back late in the evening from work, so in the evening she had to do all the house chores in the evening right from cooking upto dish washing. Morning however was a relief for her always as her father used to do the cooking and her younger sister, Sudha did the cleaning work. Sunday was a day of washing for whole of the day. Nima and her father used to go to the river for washing the dirty clothes of the week. Before going to bed she never forgot to sit beside her ailing mother and massage her paralysed legs. Her mother often used to weep on her shoulder making it wet with tears. Both knew each other's pain but couldn't share in words.

Overall, in between the day to day joys and sorrows life was going balanced as compared to many others in the village who were not having enough money for their day to day needs. Nima was blessed to have a father with job of peon in the Government sector, so it was not a problem for her family to be deprived of essential daily needs.

But a Sunday came with lots of distress for Nima's family. Nima's mother was having trouble with her breathing, she seemed to be choking and none could make out what would have happened as she was not able to speak. Sudha ran towards her rich neighbour's house where her father had gone to do some cleaning work. She was shouting loudly. The neighbour as well as her father came running. Looking at the troubled lady, he offered his car and driver to take them to the hospital

Soon the car was in local public health center. The doctor examined the lady thoroughly and then he came across two holes in her left ankle. He told them that these were typical fang marks and the lady has been bitten by a poisonous snake. There is little time to save her. The doctor immediately put her on intravenous drip and also administered anti-snake venom on the line but wihtin an hour, she collapsed.

Nima was shocked to find her mother gone. Her father was crying badly over her dead body. A nurse tried to console her father but the man got unconcious. It was a second shock to her to see her father faint like this. She was just 14 years old then. Leaving aside her dead mother's body she rushed to the doctor to see her father. Soon the two nurses came to the ward and put him on intravenous fluid. It was the most terrible moment for Nima to see her mother dead and father unconcious at the same moment.

In the meantime the hospital staff has covered her mother's body somewhere else.  Only her neighbour's driver, Raghu was with her as only help. After about an hour father became concious again and then her mother's body could be carried back home in a taxi hired by Raghu. Sudha came out of her house when she heard the sound of coming car but couldn't guess that her mother is no more. It was so pathetic to see crying and mourning little girl, she was just 7 years old.

Soon many of their relatives and villagers came to their house and the cremation arranged at the village cremation place. It was a big shock for Sudha and Nima to see their mother vanish with the smoke and ashes. For about 15 days, the whole family got the support of villagers and relatives but then everyone had to see his own work so the three members were left alone at their home.

Next morning, both the girls went to school as before but in a very sad mood. Depressed with their mother's loss both weeped into tears after coming back home and not finding their mother on the bed where she used to be, when live. After bringing water from the village well Sudha was called by her friends in the ground for playing. The girl wiped her tears, smiled and went hopping with her two friends.

Nima was left home and she began cooking the food. Soon she heard a knock on the door, it was Raghu on the door. She called him inside and went to prepare a cup of tea for him unware of his mal-intentions. Suddenly he shut the door and went into the kitchen and raped her. Nima tried to cry but in vain, she couldn't save herslf from his strong grip.

Her father was shocked to see the little daughter in such a bad condition. He rushed with her to the hospital, police came, case was registered, Raghu was arrested and sent to jail. Many months have passed but Nima has to cry and suffer everyday for no fault of hers. Case is in the court and yet she has to pass so many barriers to get the justice.

Sitting under the neem tree Nima is trying to make out, what it is all? she is not able understand the eyes of villagers, questions of police, the debates of lawyers!