Heartstrings

Snippet 3- The Colour Of Blood Is Same

        It was only one month since we were blessed with our baby daughter. My mother decided that it was time I returned to my in-laws. The drops of rain were pouring heavily when we left. My inlaws house was pretty far away, it was a typical village, unlike the busy city my mother lived in. I, my husband, my sister, and my mother along with our tiny daughter set out, we boarded the train and it started raining even more heavily. We didn’t have smartphones back then, we hoped we would reach safely.
    
         The rain kept pouring down, soon we heard an announcement saying that the train wouldn’t go ahead of the next stop. My heart sank  I had my daughter sleeping peacefully in my arms, my husband assured us that it was alright we would turn back instead of going further ahead. We set our feet on the stations and heard the dreadful news that the trains returning were also canceled. We hurried out the station to catch a bus but the sight in front was chaotic. People were running here and there clutching their umbrellas tight. The roads were flooded, water was reaching till the knees. My husband made us wait and went in search of any means of transportation that would take us to a safe place. The bus was canceled, the auto drivers refused to drive back. We were stuck. We inquired in a few lodges but they were all full. Desperate we pleaded the auto drivers again. I was clutching my baby holding her close trying to keep her warm and away from the rains. My husband tried hard to convince the drivers but no one agreed, I held her closer to my chest worrying where we would spend the night, the driver whom my husband was talking with refused too saying that it was risky to go. My husband offered money but he still refused, then he glanced towards my arms looking at my bundled up daughter and he agreed to take us on our way to inlaws, we quickly agreed.

        We reached halfway and we were thanking God that we would be safe but we soon our hopes crashed we came to a halt. The road was full of angry drivers trying to figure their way out. We came to know that the doors of dams were let open flooding the entire road ahead. The drivers coming from the opposite way informed us that it was impossible to go any further on that route. We started panicking, there was no way ahead and no way back. My daughter woke up and I looked in her beautiful eyes. My husband was worried too, he was the only man with us and didn’t know where to turn. We were discussing our situation in the auto and the driver turned back.

  "If its ok you can say at my house for one night, you have a small baby with you I promise you would be safe " he assured.

        We were reluctant to accept a stranger's help but we had no other option. We agreed and he started the auto. His house was on a different turn, the water was soaking our legs but he kept gong. I peeked out through the pouring rain, the houses in sight started changing the architecture from the Hindu homes that I was familiar with to the greens and white of Muslim houses. A newfound panic settled in me as a mosque came in view. It was a time when Hindu Muslim riots were common. Massacres happened every other day back at that time. I gripped my husband's hands still hoping that our driver was Hindu. We entered a chawl and a horrifying sight was in front of me. A large man was butchering a goat into pieces, every time the knife hit to cut its flesh I could imagine my family's blood running down.
   
         Too afraid to speak didn’t voice my fears. A distinct smell of meat and incense sticks hit my nostrils. He stopped in front of a particular house and informed us that it was his relative's home, he lived a little far away. Shaking with fear and cold we entered. Terrifying images were making their way in my head as I took every step. He took his family aside and informed them about us. They all rushed at once, some relieved us of our luggage and my husband let them take it away reluctantly, my sister's face was also ghastly white. They took us to a small empty room. They brought tea and snacks and we ate and rested. The sun had already set we still were thinking of fleeing from there but we hardly had anywhere to go.
   
      A lady came with a platter of rice, spices, and vegetables, she told us that she would have cooked herself but wasn’t sure if we would like it. I smiled genuinely at her gesture. Her eyes fell on my daughter and she asked if she could hold her. I nodded not wanting to sound rude. She played with my daughter and a genuine smile crept on my face, my daughter was hardly with me after that, she was passed from one member to another, each one treating her like their own. Playing with her, caressing her and making her laugh. We cooked the meal and got ready to sleep. Somehow I still didn’tfeel comfortable, everything was new and newsflashes from papers kept on popping in my head. I was dreading that we were the goat fed just before or necks were sliced open. I tossed and turned, waking up to the slightest of sounds, I saw my innocent baby's face clutching my finger tightly as she slept.
  
        The morning came and my fears washed off. Again the lady came with tea and snacks, asking if she could hold my daughter again. I smiled as I carefully kept her in the lady's arm. Then it hit me. How well these people had treated us, mere strangers. Taking care of our every need, making sure we very comfortable, the mothers of the children asking them to play quietly so we are not disturbed, they manner in which their faces lit up when the held my daughter. Tears of gratitude filled my eyes and  I let out a sob. The lady besides is quickly inquired if anything was wrong, I told her how thankful I was she waved me off saying we were all humans if we don’t come to each other's help who will. Your Geeta and our Quran is the same. I nodded my head not able to form words.
     
      The person who drove yesterday came back saying that the rains had reduced and we could go back, but he requested that we had lunch at his home.  We said that we didn’t want to trouble them anymore but he said that his mom wants to meet my daughter. While leaving each of the family members showered us with small gifts, wishing us good luck and blessing us. We thanked them with the bottom of our hearts. At his home to we were treated with the utmost hospitality, his mother was sweet she had prepared lunch which could suit our tastes’ we said our goodbyes and sat in auto, praising him for his beautiful family. The miles seemed insignificant as I was lost in thought and talks, my entire family owed him. We would be stranded with nowhere to go if he hadn’t helped, a shiver ran through me as I imagined what would have happened. The rain pouring over us, drenching our clothes as we would have walked to find a place to spend the night without food or water. He was an angel who had come to our rescue.

        Our village came in sight and my heart was filled with joy. We invited him to our house and my worried inlaws thanked him profusely, tears formed in our eyes. My husband offered him money for his drive and even for his hospitality but he blatantly refused. He didn’t take a single penny even after insisting. He said that the joy that our family had given him was his payment. My husband hugged him and let the tears fall, the weight of responsibility finally taken off from his shoulders, I realized that he must have been afraid too, he wouldn’t have been able to protect all of us alone if anything would have happened. He placed a small kiss on my daughter's forehead and left. Some months later we received the invitation to his wedding and we gladly went, blessing him a beautiful life.

        I realized that we are after all humans, the color of blood is red everywhere.
     
                       -Anonymous
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  Another beautiful story, in a world of discrimination such stories make us believe that we are all humans after all , the same blood flows in our veins and together we are beautiful.Thank you so much for sharing this story. Tell me in comments if you liked it.

   I would really love it if more of you sent me your memories. As you all know all snippets are welcome. All you have to do is post a message on my wall or in my personal chat. All small and big memories are valuable. So please please please send them. Share this book with more people you know so that they can share their moments too. Also all of those who have shred till now didn't have any books written, if you have I will make a point to read it and tag you and your book.

I changed the name because I felt heartstrings touched the heart more. Vote , comment , share. Love you all