THAT BLUSTERY DAY

The winds started howling, as though the clouds were attempting to breathe life into the dry land. The signal turned red. Her bare feet made contact with the hot concrete roads. Gulping in the heat that pierced through her feet, she stopped alongside her first potential buyer, only to receive a rude hand signal asking her to move towards the road ahead. Lugging around, with all that she could sell, she made her way through rows and rows of cars, but couldn’t sell anything. The signal eventually turned green and she had to make her way back to the humungous tree that was her shelter, waiting for the next round of vehicles.

The clouds swayed low, hovering on top of the dry land. There was a heavy downpour. However, in order to feed herself, she had to sell more. A while after, the signal turned red. Just when she was stepping off the footpath and onto the waterlogged road, she saw him. He worked at multiple signals. Every day, he went to work at a new signal, as though starting afresh. Today, he seemed to venture into her territory.  Returning back to matters of her stomach, she decided to brave the rain. The water came upto her knees. However, she held her sack of goods and kept moving. Gradually, the water level kept increasing. It took every ounce of energy in her to keep moving, across the length and breadth, approaching every vehicle with a new ray of hope, mostly in vain.

The timer blinked, 3 seconds...2 seconds...1 second, the green light glowed but her face became dim. She gathered all her might and tried to stir herself towards the pavement. But the water flowed so forcefully, that it pulled her and her sack of goods. But he caught her just in time and they managed to pull through to the pavement. He had helped her to fight for another day of existence.

They both stood under the gigantic tree. No words were exchanged. No glances escaped. The tree enshrined their feelings and so did their hearts. 

- Rtr Utsavaa Giridharan

Editorials,

Rotaract Club of NM College