Few days after Kabir was allowed to take the flock for grazing, Kabir went to that place again. He had to get back before it was dark so he had to leave early. He sat under his tree, watching the river flowing down in between the mountains, water hitting rocks, and birds and flowers. There was this beautiful inflorescence of small white flowers with mild fragrance carried by soft winds. Kabir took the whole bunch of those as he headed back to his home. As he reached home he placed those flowers in a glass bottle and kept it beside his granny's bed while she was sleeping. When he woke his granny up, the first thing she saw was the flowers and with them was a boy with a proud and keen smile. She kept looking at Kabir for a while smiling as tears filled her eyes. Seeing his granny's eyes filled with tears he came close to her.
"Are you okay ma? Why are you crying?
Are you sick?" Said kabir as he touched his granny's forehead and then held her hands. He had been very sick lately.
"you have been to that side of the mountain, haven't you?" Said granny still smiling with her still wet eyes. " I won't tell your father. I know he would be very upset. When I was young, your grandpa and I used to go there very often. Every time we had conflicts or when stress build up, we used to go there and sit, watching every little detail of the lady nature. I remember when I was pregnant, we went there a lot and when I couldn't go there, your grandpa used to bring me these flowers from there. He used to say that he could hear a melody. Like someone's playing flute there to honour the setting sun. Although I never heard it. Have you heard anything of that sort?"
"I haven't heard anything like that there but yes I played my flute there. It was like the best I ever played."
"I'm sure you did sweetheart. But what did he listen is beyond my comprehension. He used to say very weird things and I rarely knew what they exactly meant." Said the granny as she laughed. It was very rare for her to laugh, although she always wore a subtle smile. The wrinkles around her eyes deepened as she laughed. " I rarely knew what she said but I always understood him."
Kabir didn't knew much about him. All that he knew was that he abandoned his family and he was an old crazy man and that he left everyone in chaos. That was all his father told him about his grandpa but he didn't knew what he was like. In his younger days, and his adventures and how he looked or anything about him, he didn't knew, other than that the fact his father told him 'he was an old crazy man'.
"Hey! You wanna hear a secret?
Actually, I have two for you." Granny said with a mischievous smile and spark in her eyes.
Kabir nodded with a smile and quickly came near granny and she asked him to come closer.
"There aren't any thieves there and your grandpa told me that he was going to go to see the world out there. That was his dream. So I kind of knew that he was going to go."
Kabir was surprised. It was the first time someone talked about his grandfather. It was the first time hi granny told him anything about his grandpa.
"wait! You knew that he will leave? Then why didn't you stop him or at least told everyone that he was gonna leave?
You know where he left for or where is he now?"
"No dear I never knew where he left for or where is he now. And no I didn't stop him. Why would I?
why would I be so selfish to I keep him from his dream. All those things that I never understood which he used to tell me under that tree on the mountain, about dreams, I never knew or understood what it meant till the time he left. The only thing I understood and knew perfectly was that spark in his eyes and his excitement when he talked about it. One day while we were there on the mountain hearing the melody of birds and river and wind, he told me that he wanted to follow his dreams. He asked me if I would let him go if someday he went after his dreams and I said that I won't stop him. He knew what was going on in my head and he knew that I won't ask it so he said he would go after his children were grown up and up on their feet, of course if he were to live that long. He was a responsible father. He didn't wanted his sons to come after him so I had to promise him that I won't say a word. If your father and everyone in the family curse your grandpa, it's not their fault. It's just that they are unaware and they loved him so much and love me even more."
kabir was surprised to hear all that but a part of him also felt relieved as he could now know his grandpa and about his dreams.
"Ma, what are dreams? I have heard the word but I never really understood what it meant."
The old lady smiled with pride. Finally there was someone who would talk about dreams of the old man rather than to debate about him and curse him for all the misery.
" You don't know what dreams mean? Dreams are something that gives meaning to whatever life we live. It give us something to move. It empowers us.
When I was your age I didn't knew that such word existed too. It was only after I met your grandpa I learned that word. I always thought people never wanted to empower women so they never told them anything about dreams. They in fact are more interested in killing the dreams of girls who dare enough to see one for themselves. But now I realise that the world doesn't tell anybody about dreams. Even if people know, they don't wanna talk about it. It scares them. Those who dares to dream and follow them are those who are strong and are destined to be even stronger. This scares the world.
Dream is what makes you feel alive. It gives you risk and tests your capabilities to do what it takes. It makes life more lifelike. There are many things that the world would not want you to do just because they think it's not right thing to do. They will tell you what to do, they will force their decisions on you in the name of righteousness but remember my dear, always do what your heart tells you to do. Even if you mess things up, you will not regret it much. That's what dreams are all about."
" Was that why father didn't allow me to go to that place in mountain by telling me those thieves stories?"
"yes my dear. Your father wants to keep you away from anything that's related to him or his dreams but he failed to realise that have your grandfathers blood." Grandma sighed again as she adored her grandchild.
" So dear, do you have any thing that you could risk anything for? Is there anything that you wanna follow even if other calls it stupid or nonsense?" Said the grandma with her piercing eyes straight on Kabir.
" Do you have any dreams?"
" I don't know if it's dream of not but there is a thing I can take risks for. I like to explore new places. I like to met new people and hear their stories. Whenever I see people coming from other villages or far off lands, I try to sit with them so that I can talk to them and know amazing things that exists in the world. Stories fascinates me. I like to climb on the top of the mountain as from there I could look at the far off lands and other mountains with their peak covered with snow and trees and tiny houses and vast land and stream of river following the path and the vastness of sky which holds millions of sky, rains and the sun and the moon. Sheep feels like good friends as they take me to these wonderful places that no one went before. I don't like the things father and brother do. Sometimes I just want to run away just like grandpa but then i think about how that would inflict disaster on my family behind me and so I feel guilty to even think about such thing. It scares me that one day I'll have to do work at the farm and sell crops and to stay and die in the same place when there is a whole wonderful world outside."
Kabir felt little relieved after he exploded but then he felt a little terrified as his grandma would tell his father and then he would me mad at him and then he won't be allowed outside the home and they would marry him early to some girl and then he'll have to work in the field.
grandma was smiling as she looked at her little grandson who was just upset about the things. "Your grandpa must have faced these thoughts too." She thought.
"you wanna hear a story? Your grandpa told me this story once. It's about a city. That was the most beautiful city that has ever existed or will ever exist. Our elders used to believe such land existed and they used to tell these stories. They used to say that the setting sun will show you the direction to that land. Many people left for the search of this wonderful place but they never found such place so the story was named myth or like a story that we tell to kid and those who believed in such lands were called crazy. As time passed, the story faded away.
Your grandfather always wondered if such land does really exist, waiting to be explored, the most beautiful land in the world - The City Of Red Roses."