Life Through BeBo

It was a Sunday afternoon in the month of June all the flats in Melody apartment had shut doors because of the hot scorching sun no parent in the Melody apartments would let their kids wander around in the verandah floored with black marbles, The Apartment was named so because the owner of the plot where it was built was said to have a daughter who always liked Chocolates, And “Melody Chocolates" were her favorite. Melody apartments were the tallest in the vicinity, all kinds of people stayed in here from different sects, region and religion. Each of the community would celebrate their festivals in a grander manner so that they could affirm their presence in the apartment too. On that Sunday there was one window open from room #304, 3rd floor and one could see a fairly tanned girl aged 8 years rubbing her face gently against the hot iron bars on the window; she must have liked the feeling of the sun cooked bars on her cheeks. She was called “Bebo” short name for Babitha Ramalingam and had been sharing her apartment with her parents Mr.Ramalingam and Janaki Devi who was her step mother. They were a Tamil Iyengar family of four with younger brother “Ashu“, short name for Ashwinarayan Ramalingam born to Janaki whom Mr. Ramalingam married an year after Bebo's birth. Mr. Ramalingam‘s parents had expired during his matriculation and had then been all alone with a couple of relatives who would allow him in for a weekend break. Bebo's mom had died due to some maternal problem on the day of Bebo's birth, Understandingly Bebo never had been wished on her birthday, but she never seemed to have a problem with that. Janaki was a very caring Mom she loved Bebo as much as she did Ashu, Mr.Ramalingam thanked God for Janaki’s generosity Bebo was special to him more than Janaki and Ashu and that was because Mr.Ramalingam’s first marriage was a love marriage, he had eloped with his landlord’s daughter who too was from an Iyengar family but after dissent from Radha’s parents from marrying an orphan they had got married in the famous Meenakshi temple of Madurai, Radha had him promise to her that he must marry again and let Bebo never feel her absence and so did Mr.Ramalingam, Janaki Raman was from the parte caste registered under the OBC category as per the Tamil Nadu Government notice. Janaki Raman had been working with Mr.Ramalingam as a junior advocate and had proposed to him on the Christmas Eve exactly after 6 months from Bebo’s birth, Mr.Ramalingam being a senior advocate in the Central court of Chennai did hesitate initially but 6 months time was enough for him judge her character. This time it was a well arranged marriage as Janaki’s parents Mr. & Mrs. Raman were open minded and had faith in their daughters decision though initially they did hesitate, but after knowing a person like Ram they knew that he would be an ideal husband. Though initially Mr. & Mrs. Raman did try to fill Janaki’s ear with names of all the boarding schools available in Chennai, Janaki affirmatively said that she would never part with Bebo as for the year she had worked with Ramalingam she’d often take Bebo from Ramalingam’s arms and walk around till he’d complete his work and she loved taking care of Bebo. Bebo and Ashu enjoyed playing together. Bebo loved the way Ashu described all the toys that daddy would get for them though she herself never liked playing alone; she was always scared she’d loose them. Ashu always went to school by bus along with his other school mates, But Bebo was always accompanied by Mom Janaki to the school by walk she liked walking along with mom as Janaki would always tell stories about how god had created so many things in this world and how beautiful his creation was. Janaki would pick Bebo back to home by 1:30pm every weekday. Bebo would then wait for Ashu to come and play, but Ashu’s bus arrived only at 4:30pm. Ashu would always ask mom to put him to the same school as Bebo so that he too would come back home soon. Bebo would laugh aloud and tease Ashu that her school was for the intelligent students only as her mom would always tell her. Both the kids would sit on the mat laid by mom and shout and sing aloud till mom would come and serve them something to keep their mouth busy. Dad would normally be late not because he had much work as the court would anyways close by 5:00pm but because of the traffic in this moribund city life which always ate your share of time to relax. Bebo and Ashu would start screaming “DADDY vandutar”(means Daddy has come) at the pitch of their voice till dad would lift both of them in his arms. Mr. Ramalingam would then take them to their bed and make sure that no creature would invade his kids sleep. As any other day Janaki had left Bebo and Ashu to their school and came back home. Janaki had finished all house hold work and was down to take an afternoon nap, she’d always loved her afternoon sleep as that came after a hectic morning and needed to set her alarm to 1:00pm so that it would be just right to go pick Bebo from her School.Today it was already 1:15, Janaki was still sound sleep the Alarm clock did not ring and probably Janaki trusted her Alarm clock so much that she did not want to be disturbed by any other noise. Bebo was excitedly waiting for her mother in her School, she was the last one left with Marry, Kids at Bebo’s school dearly called her Marry Aya, she was a nice old woman In her late 50’s, Mary had been working in this school since she was 25 and hailed from a very poor converted Protestant family. Mary waited with Bebo till2:00pm there were no signs of Bebo’s mother coming. She had informed the head mistress Mrs.Dsouza about Bebo not having been picked; Mrs. Dsouza wanted Mary to wait for some more time as it had never happened in the past that Janaki had not turned up except for those days when Janaki had been admitted to the hospital for her maternity treatment when Mr.Ramalingam would fill in for her. Janaki got up realizing that her dream had lasted just too long, she was shocked to look at the Clock with its needles reading 2:30pm, she cried aloud “BEBO” she quickly went to pick her phone and found that there were 10 missed calls from Bebo’s school understandingly from the principle’s desk. She dialed the number and called up the school luckily the peon Krishna was still there Mrs Dsouza had informed the peon that Mary Aya would be dropping Bebo back to her house. Janaki spoke very fast , so fast that the Krishna couldn’t understand what she had asked.“Bebo yenge” was the quick cry to Krishna’s plead for her to repeat. Krishna was just in his late 20’s and calmed her down and told her that Mary Aya had waited for long and even tried calling her home but since nobody had picked up the call had picked up Bebo in an auto and was on her way to Bebo’s home, “Please do pay Mary also for the return journey “ Krishna told Janaki. Janaki prompltly said yes.with a sigh of relief Janaki kept the receiver down and drank a glass of water faster than even speed with which she filled the glass. Though Janaki had never given a chance to Mr.Ramalingam to ever complain about the way she treated Bebo she was still scared and was thinking of what to say if Mr.Ramalingam found out that Bebo had been escorted back home by a school worker, she said to herself that she’d say she had mistakenly got hit on the head by the wooden kitchen cupboard and had fell unconscious and only got up after there was a large honk of a lorry on the road . She thought this would be the right excuse. For now her only worry was to see Bebo back home, she did love Bebo a lot too, but was too scared to break her husbands trust after what happened when he had overheard her parents who had wanted Bebo to be admitted to a boring school. Ram had not eaten the whole day. Only after a day of crying and promises had Ram been convinced about her love to Bebo. She did not want that to happen again. Mary had asked the auoto driver to take her through the market and wait till she bought some vegetables to take back home now that she was going on a free ride as the principle had assured that the auto charge be paid by the wards parent itself also the principle had given 200 Rs just in case. The auto driver parked at the busy parking lot near the market. Mary asked Bebo to wait in the auto till she returned and had asked the driver to keep a watch on her, Mary was busy buying some vegetables later she shifted to the fruits section now that she had her principle’s money she was sure that Janaki would give her auto charge and dint mind spending away the principle’s cash which she promised to herself that she would return it once she gets the next months pay. Bebo had never been left al alone like this in a public place and in a stranger’s auto, Bebo wondered why her Mom did not turn up. She had always liked being walked back home with her mom as her mom would always tell her stories on her way back In the morning mom had told her a story about “Cinderella and the seven dwarfs”. And had promised to end it in the evening walk. She missed it now! It was already 3:20 Janaki started to get scared now. She had called up the peon again to know where Mary was. Krishna had consoled her that might be she was struck in a Traffic Jam. Janaki had no choice but wait at the doorstep. It was 4:00pm already Bebo dint know the time but knew she had waited too long sitting in the auto and the auto driver had been smoking outside the auto because Bebo had started to cough over the smoke accumulating in the auto, Bebo now started to get scared she started to slowly cry for “Ayyah” she did this repeatedly nobody answered neither the auto driver.. Bebo tried to walk out of the auto and slipped and fell nobody came to pick her as the Auto had been parked in a lane where people hardly walked she got up herself and cried for mummy, nobody heard her. Meanwhile Janaki was waiting at the doorstep waiting for the bell, she was sure of the address that was written on Bebo’s diary. All of sudden the Bell rang aloud , Janaki ran to the door only to be surprised by Ram standing with Bebo’s favorite a stuffed teddy in his hands big enough to hide Bebo’s face if she hugged it. Bebo had hurt her knee badly and cried aloud now due to pain, there wasn’t a soul around to even lift her. She stood all by herself and walked a little further with bleeding legs and .she could feel the blood streaming down her left knee and also a little pain on her forehead. Bebo kept walking till she heard a couple of vehicles honking, It was evening already time for all office goers and school vans with screaming kids to head back to home. In a place like that nobody has time to even stop and watch for the signal to turn green people would zoom away immediately as the opposite traffic stopped. Not sure if the License providers ever included this question in the Written test or the people were not bothered as nobody had ever followed such rules or could be even that the Cops never bothered as it was their right to catch such people and get their wallets to smell fresher notes often. Janaki told everything to Ram. Ram was shocked initially but calmed down soon as there was nothing that had happened intentionally and also that his trust over Janaki had increased over the years they had spent together. Ram suggested that he’d go towards the school and if he happened to spot Bebo’s auto somewhere he’d pick her up. Or o.w it would be fine if the Ayya dropped her home. Janaki was happy firstly because of Ram’s composedness and also because she need not go in search of Bebo now and she’d wait till the Ayya came home and dropped her sweetheart Bebo. Ram started his Baja Chetak and waved to Janaki and left the gate, Janaki wiped her tears with an end of her sari and watched Ram till he went out of sight. Ram went through the same way as Janaki would normally take Bebo to school to. Meanwhile the Mary ayya returned to the auto carrying a big bag full of vegetables a black plastic placed at the top of all the vegetables, she had bought some fishes to cook home. And in the other hand she carried her purse with a candy in one hand to compensate for Bebo’s wait in the auto. She called for Bebo in a laughing mood “Bebo I’ve got something for you dear”. Alas! Bebo was not in the auto she dropped her bag down with the chocolates, one fish from the cover peeped out to taste some mud as the plastic tore. Mary cried for the auto driver “screaming ran around the auto two three times then ran to find the next lane. She did manage to find a lane, her face started to turn pale. She was scared where Bebo had been kidnapped. She found a bar at the extreme end in the lane. The auto driver slowly came out of it yes he was drunk indeed Mary caught hold of his collar and asked him for Bebo, “WHAT BEBO” was his reply in a drunkard tone and he pushed her aside. Mary managed from falling on the road. The people in the bar thought that this was one another husband wife problem, nobody cared to even come out and enquire. Over repeated questioning the auto driver said he asked her to sit in the auto till he returned.Mary immediately ran towards the main road to find a Phone booth she had remembered Janaki’s residential number Ram drove all the way to the school looking around on the roads everywhere to find his daughter but in vain. He reached school and enquired at the gate if Mary had taken an auto or had gone by walk. The Watchman had told he did not know as the auto’s would have to be taken from the main road and auto’s were not allowed in the Lane to the school as it would be dangerous for the kids who walk in the small lane leading to the school. Ram started to get nervous he immediately took out his cell phone which Bebo’s natural mother had gifted to her he dialed the house number quickly only to be angered even more by the answer he’d got from Janaki, Mary had called Janaki and told her what had happened. Ram angrily shouted and asked her where exactly Mary had lost Bebo. Janaki quickly kept the receiver down and informed her neighbors to take care of Ashu if as he was about to arrive in some time. She wasn’t very bothered about him as the there were many students in this apartment fro the same school and also that the kids were not allowed outside the gate without being accompanied by their parents. Janaki’s eyes had swollen due to intense crying she almost tumbled on the stairs she dint want to take the stairs scared if she’d get stuck.She ran towards the gate and managed to find an auto and asked him to go to the market as quickly as possible. Meanwhile Ram reached the market parked his Scooter not bothering to see that he had parked it right under the No parking board. Ram started to run in all directions he had not seen Mary before but he had managed to ask the watchman about the attire she had worn . She had worn a blue gown with yellow flowers printed all over was the watchman’s reply. Ram ran around the entire place in the market. He was in despair his daughter was missing but he had to find Mary first his agony was growing immensely. Finally at the end of the market road he managed to hear a lady cry and shout at somebody it was Mary who had been surrounded by the crowd in the market who was throwing mud over the auto driver and crying aloud. Ram intervened quickly pulled out Mary of the crowd and together they ran in the direction of the auto. Janaki was weeping all the while in the auto, She had not listened to what the auto driver was asking her, finally the auto driver stopped asking her understanding that she was in deep pain. Coincidently he stopped exactly where the auto that carried Bebo was parked , Janaki spotted Ram and Mary running towards her, Janaki immediately got out and handed over whatever she had in hand the auto driver shouted at her to give her the change but Janaki wouldn’t wait for that there was something important than the change she was worried about. Mary burst out pleading for forgiveness, Ram then decided that all three would split and search in three directions. The auto driver who had accompanied Janaki was listening to all this and offered to help, All four split in three directions, Ram had asked the auto driver to accompany Janaki along as he could understand how guilty she’d be feeling though it was not her fault. Ram went to the end which ran into the market also to find the police station where he wanted to complain of his lost beloved child. Janaki and the driver went in the direction towards the main road asking all the way if somebody had seen a girl walk by that way, to their dismay nobody seemed to have noticed. They ran to the end of the lane where again the driver asked for Bebo to the shops at the start of the road one shopkeeper did answer. Ram had now reached the police station he had been to police stations before as he was a lawyer and often did. The inspector in charge recognized Ram and enquired to know had happened. Ram was panting badly he couldn’t speak Inspector noticed and made him sit and ordered for a glass of water which Ram drank as if he had never tasted it before. “My daughter Bebo has gone missing” he couldn’t control crying like a small kid Inspector consoled him quickly started to write the FIR. The shopkeeper took Janaki and the driver aside and put his arms around the driver and whispered in his years, the driver couldn’t control his shock he watched the shopkeeper stop his speech, Janaki cried out aloud to the driver suspecting something. The driver cried and said to her that Bebo had met with an accident the shopkeeper rushed to the place where the accident had happened along with the driver. Janaki had fainted while she heard this; the neighboring shop owner quickly appeared and was sprinkling some water on her face. The driver watched the crowd right in front of the road all traffic policemen’s around it the driver pushed through the crowd to find a small girl being carried from a pool of blood which had dried up because nobody cared to admit her to the hospital everybody had gathered around it just to watch her struggle, finally the girl succumbed to her injuries. Inspector had completed his FIR when Ram spoke out to say to him “Bebo is blind”.