Vidya-The Education of life

Vidya-The Education of life

College --the place of dreams for youngsters, to bunk classes, to roam, most of all to enjoy away from the eyes of Parents. But when thinking of college for the first time instead of these happy thoughts we will think of Ragging and seniors with a fear. That was how I thought of my college. I was happy to go and pursue my graduation and was also afraid of seniors. But life has to move on instead of our fears or insecurities.
College is also the place for new friendships and new relations. Some friendships last for ever and some disappear with a breeze. So I will tell you about one a friend of mine.
I and Vidya met in the first week of our classes. She was thin and fair and always smiling.
Actually our meeting was also very peculiar in itself. I thought that seniors would be a little afraid of me I tell them that I have brothers and one of them is in police. So whoever asked me I told them I have three brothers. Once Vidya asked me I told her the same But telling a lie to classmate is not good So next day when we were outside class I went to her and told her that I dont have brothers I was just kidding I am the only child of my parents and I had a brother who died young. She was surprised. I asked her about her family She said, “Well I dont have Brothers I had a sister and she died 5 years back.” The world is mirror of yourself" I dont know who said that but I believe that So when she said like that I was thinking she is just saying this as I lied to her.
This simple event between us made us acquaintances. We used to go to all classes together and then to bus stand in the evening also together along with our other friends.
As we dont know anything about each other we used to ask about our family while walking to bus stop.
Likewise once I asked her what her father was doing and her reply was "I am also thinking about the same question from last 2 weeks"
"What?”
"I am thinking what my father is doing for the last 2 weeks."
Well I was stunned I never expected an answer like that. I thought maybe her father is not staying with them I cant ask that directly So i asked "Where are you father?"
"I am thinking about it for last one week"
Now i was even more surprised so at last I asked” Do you have a father?" She Looked at me and said “Everyone will have a father.”
I hate suspense .This conversation between me and my friend happened on a Friday. I was waiting eagerly for Monday to meet her again and ask her about her father. And all through Saturday and Sunday I was thinking of her only.
Then on Monday evening I asked her about her dad She smiled and said he is dead. I said "I am sorry"
But Curiosity is something which never dies in human beings and especially in those studying science.
So I kept on thinking how her father died what may be the reason maybe Heart attack or car accident or anything else. But my heart was saying it is not good to ask her about it as she will remember her dad and she will be sad But whenever we were talking my mind always compelled me to ask but somehow I resisted that .Once while walking she was telling me about her sir who was working on a new theory of recharging used batteries. She was a chatterbox never kept silent always talking and laughing.
But that day when she was talking, I suddenly and unknowingly only asked her “How your father died?"
She stopped talking looked at me surprised and then smiled and said” He committed suicide"
I was in a very bad situation I dont know what to say. Fortunately the next minute only i got a bus and said Bye.
But one curiosity leads to another and another. If till now it was how her dad died, now it became why he committed suicide. But this time I dont wanted to ask her about it.
Time went on and we became good friends. I never asked her the Question and she never told me anything about it One day With all my courage I asked her why her father committed suicide .She laughed for sometime and said "Actually I was thinking why you didn’t asked me this question till now All my friends till now asked me and they know about it "
"Well I told you that my sister died .She had a brain disease. She was Very cute and naughty and was brilliant also .She was topper in her class But after she came to first standard she became a bit dull She forgot everything and she failed and was in the same class for 2 years .Suddenly her health also deteriorated and we went to doctor He did all tests and said there is no chance of her living He said Only 2-3 months she can be in this world. At that time my dad was in foreign he was working there. He is a kind of sentimental guy who cannot face anything. So My mum didn’t informed him anything about it. But doctors persuaded my mum to inform him so that he can see her for the last time .At that time My Sister's Health deteriorated so much that she cant get up from bed She was in hospital She cannot talk nor can she eat only her Eyes were some what lively She used to convey her feeling through them. When we went to hospital late she used to turn her head to show she is angry and sometimes she used to cry only tears no sound. So when my mum told my dad about her being ill He came back by the next flight. He spent that day in hospital then He went to his parents home and then to my mum's Home and then our new home .On the fifth day of his arrival, My mum was in hospital and I was at my grandma's home she came from hospital and asked me here my dad was I said I dont know then We enquired everywhere and Some one said they saw him going to our new house So Mum and me went there Door was locked from inside we knocked at it for sometime and then my Uncle opened it with force and saw that my dad had hanged himself by fan"
I was really very upset by all this I was sad. Tears were rolling down from my eyes but she was talking in a happy mood.
But after that also she was always happy. But this conversation didn’t ended there I am very curious about others lives. So After some days this conversation started again
And this time I said "Well i am sorry to say but your dad loved your sister more than you otherwise he would have thought about you"
She said, "He was like that only. He loved me only but I was always away from him he used to come once in two years for leave and would take me to my grand ma's house So i never felt like love for him He was a stranger for me who gave me lots of chocolates But My sister loved him a lot."
"So when your sister died?"
After one month of my dad's death she died in hospital her last days were really painful .She dont know that our dad expired .Three days before her death her eyes also became cold and static. She was alive because she was breathing expect that nothing else. And On a Sunday she stopped breathing also"
I said "It’s better to be death than to be in such a pathetic situation. Then what bout your mother?"
"Well My sister's death was something which we all know will happen after the first diagnosis itself so we have prepared ourselves for it but dad's death was really hard to manage We never thought he will do that So it was a shock But Mum managed it rather well She is very brave She cried about it when she was alone but never showed her grief to others. But the sad part in my sister death is doctor said that she had this disease when she was small and She may have got this by some injury on head. So my relatives think that it may be because of her tuition teacher actually she beats her students with sticks Broken chair legs on their heads if they dont complete their homework. So after my Sister’s death I met this lady once on road and I told her 'Because of you only my sister died If you hadn’t beaten her she would have been ok' And she replied’ I never came to your house and asked to send your sister to my tuition If I beat children I do that for their Good, For their future, Without compulsion children wont study On their Own’. I had no answer to that. "
"Oh I think Beating of children should be Abolished and made a crime" I said as I had Nothing else to say .
"Yes because of that only now we are staying in my grandma's home. She is Old. I and she always have a quarrel for one thing or other Mum is cool. But my dad's relatives made it a point and Said that my dad died because my mum informed him of our sister so its my mum's fault. We are trying to sell our House. It costs around 30 lacks but we are trying to sell for just 15”
"Why?” I asked
"Well it was a new one and is in the main road but Before completion of all work My dad died there and After its construction only my sister had died So people believe it is not good and The Neighbours had spread Rumors that it is haunted"
"Haunted?"
"Well Yes They say so The Neighbours say that at night people hear my dad walking in the room and Lights Getting on and off by themselves They hear some one coughing and crying in the house. We have given it on rent to one family long back But after 3 months they said they are leaving as Their child is getting fever and she is walking in her sleep and playing with some unknown person at night When there is no one there in home .So They Left. After that another family came .They said they can listen to someone walking and crying at night in the house so they cant stay and they also left and Neighbours tell this to everyone and anyone who come to buy the house so nobody is coming forward to buy it and one day When I came from school my mum asked me to get ready and we two went and slept in our house Next Day When My Aunty asked mum 'what happened? 'My mum replied that 'No nothing happened I just wanted to check if anything like that happens or not But last night nothing happened I went there to test it only' After I listened that I dont go there with my mum also at night Because I am afraid of it"
"Oh, so you believe in ghosts?"
"Yes..."
Our conversation went on like that .But one thing I understood about her is what ever may have happened to her she is still hopeful about her future She still laughs about and still tells her story to her friends just like a normal incidence .She still enjoys the breeze, the sun, the stars everything forgetting all about her past. But once in a while we can see she still remembers that as I still remember her say "I dont love my dad but he was my dad"
Really unknowingly only she learnt the real meaning of life and also taught me that whatever may happen we still have hope and life to enjoy we have to forget past to enjoy our present.
We became so close after that whenever I wanted to talk to her about her family or ghosts I used to do that without anything in my heart because I know I understood that she is above grief now she has the heart to face everything.
To salute her hope only I write this.