"Kereem uncle , its me Nihan.. don't you know me?" Nihan asked him sadly.
"Aah Nihan daughter.. I am getting older. And I don't really get the sight. It's been a long time since I've seen you here.."
" I was really busy in these past two months uncle.. That's why I could not come. I told you several times to go and see a doctor."
"Why will i go to see another doctor when you are here..?" He said innocently.
"Uff uncle.. i think i can't solve your problem. Because You need an eye specialist. Not me." She replied and looked at the wristwatch.
"Oh no.. it's too late.. i have to go now.. see you uncle" Without waiting for an answer, Nihan crossed the gate and went to the orphanage.
Inside the orphanage was very different from what you see from the outside. Once you enter inside the gate, it is hard to remember that there is a huge city outside. The orphanage is spread over an area of acres. Leaving a pavement and a small road, the rest of the place is densely packed with big trees. And most of them are Mango trees.
No vehicles are allowed inside the orphanage.
Most of the land is for agriculture, except for about ten or twenty buildings that rise without disturbing the beauty of nature.
Only pickup carts in which the crops were transported were allowed into the orphanage.
The rest of us, however, have to get out of the car and walk inside. It was one of the most important rule that Nihan liked a lot.
The pavement leads to the orphanage building.
The rest of the buildings were either godowns or craft businesses. Nihan knocked on the front door of the Orphanage. A short man opened the door and the next moment he cried out and hugged Nihan.
"It's gone beautiful sister... Everything is gone..."
"What happened pappu? Who is gone?" Nihan grabbed him and set him aside and asked.
"Gangamma.." Before he could finish, he sneezed in a loud voice. "Aaahchiee... " After wiping his nose with a towel , pappu asked Nihan in a serious tone. "Give me hundred rupees beautiful sister.. to buy medicine.."
"Tell me the whole thing first pappuu.. " Nihan got angry.
"What was it?" Pappu asked her.
"you were saying about someone is leaving or something.."
"And who is gone?" Even after trying several times pappu was still repeating the same question which made Nihan angry and impatient. She punched him in the head and asked.
" Now tell me.. what exactly is going on here?"
"What is going on here?" He shook his head with pain and asked back.
"This is why everyone calls you stupid Pappu.. move aside.. i want to see Gangamma.." she said with a cheerful smile.
"What about my hundred rupees?" Pappu nodded his head like a child.
"just forget it too.." Nihan passed him and walked inside.
As she walked along the long verandah, she was filled with anxiety. Usually, in the large courtyard in the middle of the hall, around sixty children would be playing there. But It is quiet all over the place. There was no one there. There is no noise to be seen in the house where hundreds of children grow up.
A kind of fear ran through Nihan's heart. She called out the names one by one that came to her mind that time.
"Srishteee.. is there anyone here? Meena.. chinnu.. raaj... Where are you guyss??"
There was no reply. A few moments of silence passed and two rough hands came powerfully over her eyes and hid her sight. Her bag fell to the floor from her hands in a sudden attack. She tried to pull the stranger's hand from her eyes.
"Pappu, this is not fun.. leave me.."
"Big sister.. tell me who it is..?" It was the voice of a little girl. Nihan responded as soon as she recognized it.
"Sakshee.. Are you with him too? Just tell him to leave me dear.."
"Then tell us who it is big sister....??"
Nihan heard the voices of about forty to fifty children talking together. She became convinced that it is just a childish act by someone inorder to make her angry. But she could not guess who that person is.
Nihan slowly pulled out the safety pin from her dupatta. She pierced the stranger's thigh with it. He fell to the floor with a loud scream.
"Raaaj..... " Nihan called him in surprise.
(to be continued)