Despair to Hope (completed)

Chapter 15

"What did Anitha tell you, Karthik?"

It was the following Saturday. Geetha had gone to Chennai to visit Priya. It was around noon. We were sitting on chairs under the shade of a mango tree in the side courtyard of my house. Karthik had come to see Anitha last night. She sent him to me after informing me over phone.

"She didn't tell me anything. She told me to meet you." Karthik looked weary. He was very hesitant and shy.

"Did Ram tell you anything?"

"He is reluctant to send Anitha with me." He lowered his eyes to the ground.

I was silent for a while. Then I told him, "As a father, his concerns are justified."

Karthik told me, "It won't happen again. I'll take care of Anitha well."

I smiled. 'You are going to take care of her? My angel will take care of you, boy!'

Karthik said, "Promise, uncle."

I smiled again. I looked at the lemon tree. It was carrying a lot of green and yellow lemons all over. Without taking my eyes off the lemon tree, I began talking.

"I know a story, Karthik. Listen carefully to the story. It will be useful for you."

Karthik raised his head and looked at me to listen to the story. I continued.

"There was a boy in a town. He was a good boy. So, God wanted to bless him. He entrusted to him the custody of a cute and smart parrot. The parrot loved him so much. It will fly here and there in and out of his house displaying its spectacular feathers. It took all efforts to keep him happy.

But the boy was afraid that it may leave him. So, he cut its feathers and imprisoned it in a cage. The parrot so loved him that it didn't mind. It continued to entertain him. But since it cannot move around now, it began to invite his attention all the time. The boy felt it a very big nuisance.

He searched for a bird that will engage him only when he required. He got a crow. Now he began to spend his spare time with that crow. This infuriated the parrot. It left the boy.

Having lost the parrot, the boy understood its value. Now he has come to take the parrot with him."

Karthik was sobbing with his hands covering his face. I left him sobbing. Let him feel it. After a few minutes he controlled himself and after wiping off his eyes, he looked at me with a begging look.

"We make mistakes, Karthik." I told him. "We all make mistakes. But unless we learn lessons from the mistakes, there is no point in making those mistakes, in the first place."

Karthik told me, "Sir, tell me what I should do. Anitha has very high opinion about you. I'll do whatever you want me to do."

I smiled at him and told him, "My boy, you are lucky. She is a treasure."

I continued, "You are lucky not only because you have got this treasure but because the treasure is going to take care of you."

"Sir?"

I heard the sound of opening the front gate followed by Anitha's jubilant voice, "Anitha is here."

Looking at us she shouted, "Both of you come in. It's lunch time" and went into the house.

Karthik looked at me back and asked me again, "Sir, I didn't understand why you said so."

"No need. Just write it in a piece of paper and paste it on your mirror in your house."

He shook his head in approval and confusion.

We went in and sat in the dining hall. Anitha served meals for us. She looked quite cheerful.

After we took lunch, they prepared to go to Anitha's home. We were standing in the front room.

I asked Karthik, "When are you leaving for Chennai?"

Karthik said, "Tomorrow morning ten thirty, sir."

"Okay, I'll arrange for cab for Chennai drop."

Anitha told Karthik, "We'll come here. Let the cab report here."

"Okay."

Karthik said, "Bye, sir" and went to the gate.

Anitha stood in front of me and stretched her right palm towards me. "I need a promise."

"Yes, what promise my angel needs?"

"You should give me the promise first."

"Given."

"Not like this. You should place your right palm on mine."

I placed, and asked, "What promise I am giving?"

She quickly withdrew her hand and said, "I'll fill it up" and turned around and walked away.

"What? I have given a promise to my angel but I myself don't know what it is?"

She turned around to look at me. She closed her eyes tight for a fraction of a second and opened them. She tilted her head fifteen degrees to her left and shot her characteristic charming smile at me. "Your angel will let you know tomorrow." She turned again and carried away my heart with her.

In the night before sleeping, I checked my personal mail box. Notification mail from facebook declared Anitha had updated. I clicked on it to go to her post.

She had posted an image of a girl standing on the shore near a lighthouse looking at its top. She had typed above the image, "Arrived at the shore at last, guided by the Light house. It saved my life and taught me how to live my life. In return It expected nothing - It treated my interaction itself as the return service. Thank You for everything."

I smiled and clicked on the Like button.