This was a story i wrote for my creative writing class in Uni ! It was one where the professor gave you a picture, and you had to write a story by it ! I remember the time i wrote this, and what i felt when i did. This was written in the spring of 2005. 6 years down the line, i still think its a good story to tell.
I dont remember where the image was from ! But its a good one
It was still dark outside when she set out of the village. It was going to be a long walk to the river, but today she was looking forward to it. There was a lot on her mind. The swirling wind raised the dust off the barren cracked land and the events of the previous night came screaming back to her.
“She will become a shame to the family.” Lalita Chachi
had shrieked. “But she is only fifteen, and this year’s yields…” protested Sunita’s father, “And that is old enough. Why I was twelve when I was married, she is older than ‘old enough’.” Chachi interrupted.
Chachi’s coming had given her parents many a sleepless night, as she always brought with her a new issue and her sharp tongue to show how ashamed she was to be associated with their family. Her father was a humble man, given the lowly plot of land by his elder brother, Chachi’s husband, but happy with what he had.
Sunita’s mind stretched out for answers, as the land she walked on stretched out lifelessly before her. The drought had not left enough yields even for the family, where would the money for the dowry come from? She remembered her father’s silent screams as he gave her a look of love and helplessness as Chachi tortured him with spikes of family honor and pride. Then she remembered looking back at her brother’s peaceful breathing as he slept on the floor, tired out from the day’s games.
Sunita was ambitious. Not for herself, but for her brother. He was ten, and their village teacher had told her that he was intelligent enough to study in the big school in the city. She had calculated that they had enough reserves to send him to their uncle in the city, but now all her dreams seemed to be blowing away in the wind.
Her thoughts had brought her to the rived edge. Reaching down to the steel kadai
she was still lost in her thoughts. As she turned around to go back to the village, a splashing in the water caught her attention. A little tadpole had swum into the kadai she was carrying and was swimming around in circles. Sunita realized that the tadpole was so tiny that it did not realize how small its world had become. She put down the kadai and scooped the tadpole into the palms of her hands. Gently she dipped her enclosed hands into the river, and watched the tadpole swim away, to fulfill its tiny life cycle.
The sun was just rising, as Sunita put her back to the river, and walked towards her village. This time her steps were not so unsure. There was a steel glint in her eyes, and a determined smile on her face as she walked horizon and the sun covered her with light.
Until the sun rises and the world enlightens
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