DOCUMENT

As rain started, she stepped fast but in spite of much effort when she reached her hut, she was wet. She threw the bundle of gathered papers in a corner of the hut. She was fumed to see the papers outside the hut, which had been pierced to be a part of the land. She was fret that her hard work of weeks ruined within the moments. These papers were accumulation of her entire life. If there would not be these papers, she too had no existence. She was displeased for a long time. She rinsed her clothes to lessen the intensity of cold. Outside, it was raining heavily. The flood of water was flowing towards the canal with smashed papers. She was afraid that neither the parents had arrived nor the vagabond brother.

She was living in a hut in the forest with her parents and brother. It was a desolate place in between the city, which because of herbs and groves had turned into the forest. Nearby was a canal, which fulfilled their daily necessities. The atmosphere was heart soothing. All around was verdure and the twittering birds rejoiced their ears. Her father usually used to go to the neighbouring poor populations and he was dead drunk all the time. All day her brother sauntered with the vagabonds and came back at night to sleep. The mother begged from door to door while she used to collect rough papers from the heaps of filth. Then she converted these rough papers into paper-boats, airplanes and other toys. After selling these, she collected rupees, flour and other eating material. The whole family was filling the stomach on the earning of both mother and daughter. Her paper-art was popular among all young and elders. The paper was only intention of her life. If she watched the paper anywhere then like a mad she at once pounced on that. She was dejected to see the papers that were wet because of raining. Though she was amused on the raining but for the first time her heart was dispirited. The raining became slow but the papers had flown away. She glanced at the flowing water, in which children played with her hand-made paper-boats but her childhood was colourless from all these joys. She was happy with the gaiety of children when they used to play with her hand-made toys but as her eyes fell upon the smashed papers, all her imaginations dispersed away.

As the raining slowed down then she saw her mother coming drenched. She helped her mother to come into the hut.

“All flour is wet.” Her mother said, “Have you eaten anything or not?”

“No Mother.”

“Oho, I have not brought anything.”

“Yes, you are just anxious to fill your stomach.” She babbled.

“Idiot...! You always bark.” The mother pulled a long face.

The mother changed the dress and put wet clothes aside. She slept wrapping up an untidy and an old blanket. She watched her mother angrily for some while then moved towards the canal. The water was falling in the canal like a cascade. She began to rejoice, after some times when she felt cold, she came back in the hut and slept up. Both kept on sleeping until night. When she got up, she separated wet flour and kneaded it for the dinner. She baked breads but for a night long, neither the father came nor the brother. She took the meal, gave to the mother and then became busy in the paper-art.

The next morning, all things were dried. She put those in a basket and went towards the city. When she reached there, all children surrounded her and put different demands before her. Within moments, all the toys were sold and she turned back. She was in meditation that the coming day she would have to sit in the hut. Because of last day’s rain, she had no hopes to get the papers but she wanted those at every cost. She was stepping towards the hut that all of sudden she saw a person who was overhauling his motorbike and there was a bundle of office files on it. What did she know that what the file was? Her concern was only with the papers. She wished to get those files. Her eyes were fixed on the files like a greedy cat. She hid behind the herbs and began to wait for the person to get out of the way. Few moments later, he went towards the canal to bring in the water. It was a golden chance for her, she swooped on the file. After stealing the file, she was much cheerful. Unaware of the fact that what would befall on him. When she reached the hut, she was out of breathing. She lay down on the bed senselessly. After while, she rose up and began to make different paper-toys. The other day when she was going towards the city, accidentally she crashed with a car. The basket fell down from her hands and the things scattered here and there. She rose up angrily and said to the driver;

“Are you blind? You are not the owner of the whole world.”

“Sorry.”

“What do you speak? Oho.” She chattered.

She gathered all the toys and went away. The man was surprised to watch her pretty toys. He kept an aero-plane, which she had left in a hurry. In the first glance, he became admirer of her art who changed the rough papers into a piece of an art, magically. He saw all around but she was out of the sight. Now he often visited there where he had met her. Gradually, he became aware of her timings. Now whenever she went towards the city then she happened to meet him anywhere. As days passed on, the gentleman trapped in the nest of her love. Neither she was beautiful nor had any etiquette. If anyone would have instructed her then she would be well mannered but her innocent face always deceived the people.  Few days later, the gentleman began to buy her toys. She argued with him many times that, “I make these toys for the children, then why do you take these away?”   The gentleman told her that he worked in a Children Welfare Organization and bought these toys for the children.

With the passage of time, the gentleman lost his self in love’s mire of her fascinating figure. He began to feel himself incomplete without her. After severe emotions of heart, the gentleman brought her into his palace marrying her, a day. The reality revealed to the gentleman in days, whom he considered dumb, she was a blunt. He had to listen a lot. Whenever she found any paper at home that was changed into a piece of an art. Within a week, all rough papers at home were changed into art and whole house was looking like a paper-palace. The gentleman was puzzled. One day he came back from the office then Mrs. was not at home. The servant told that she had gone out with a basket full of paper-toys. He flared up that the wife of an officer had gone to sell the toys. As she returned, he caught from her hairs and roared.

“Stupid! Which facility you don’t have here?”

“Everything…”

“Then what need to do this vulgarity.”

“It’s not vulgarity. It’s my life. To fill the belly is not enough. It’s my art.”

“Filth is filth, whether take it in a palace.” The gentleman shouted.

“Filth was happy at its place. You proposed me!!”

“You may leave it.”

“I can’t. It’s my spirit. If I don’t make these, how may the children play? I have done this work my all life. I am not ashamed of it.”

“The wanderer of streets is never at ease at home.”

“I don’t know anything. As I have passed my past life, same as it will be passed.”

“Then get out from my home.”

“All right…”  She replied relaxed, put all the things in the basket, and got out of his home. She rejected all gold and silver, because her soul was in the art. She reached back, decorated all the toys in her hut cheerfully. This hut was her whole universe. The other day, she went towards the city.  In the way, the gentleman was waiting for her. He came out of his car and spoke angrily,

“Take your divorce document. I have divorced you.” She took that paper quietly and within the moments changed it into a piece of art.

“Keep this paper with you. I have lot of papers. This boat will support you.” She held a paper-boat in his hands and disappeared in the streets with the rush of the children.