Close to Heart....:--)

The story is of a kid and the world through her eyes. A kid who always hid behind her mumma.  She refused to go to anyone and everyone who wanted to cuddle her in their arms including her father. A kid who walked down to the school alone. Turned back just to have the comfort of mumma watching her from the balcony. A kid whose saviour was her elder brother whenever she was troubled by remaining cousins. A kid who was afraid to come down to the first floor with the fear of grand - mother. She was the same until she was 5.

Things changed when the family moved out of joint family. A lane close to the new school, an undeveloped locality, became her new home. A small locality with hardly few people settled made her explore the surrounding and herself. She let herself free from the hassles of fear. Soon she found new friends in neighbourhood. Now she walked to the school happily with them. Played, studied, fought, learnt, walked, and slept with them. She made friends with not just kids. People living around welcomed her always. She hopped from house to house in summer vacation. Innocent enough to sit inside a mechanic shop watching TV, playing and running with guys in the lane, fighting in the midst of the road, she was known by all. She loved her life.

She watched more and more people coming and settling in the locality. She enjoyed herself right with a 2 months baby in the neighbourhood, watchman next door to the bhajans of the old dadis living the neighbourhood.  While she laughed with everyone, she was the one most missed when someone left the society. She cried too when her best friends left her and settled in their own house. That was the day she realised the difference between a rented and an own house. Everyone was happy in their family except the kids (girl’s friends). Just like her they too could not understand the happiness behind owning a house.

Soon she became old enough to start cycling. When her brother was gifted a cycle, she was determined to learn the big cycle directly. She did so although without hurting herself much. But in turn, her elder brother who got taught her got memories of her learning cycle in the form of scratches, sprains and stitches. (Kidding with the last one).

Years started and ended and soon the girl became matured enough where few restrictions started being enforced on her. She hated her life, she disliked being grown up. She was stopped from staying on the roads, roaming after the school got over, cycling in the lane late in the night etc. She missed the fun of a free bird. But as the time passed by se accepted the rules of nature and society. And a day came when her family started to talk about changing the house. She always disliked the conversation and prayed for not liking the house that mom-dad went to see.

God can never deny a child’s wish. After almost a year of search for a new house, vacancy came right next to the house she lived in. That was the same barren place which she saw getting developed and occupied by a big three-storey independent bungalow. The watchman, with whom she played, the bhaiyyas with whom she burst crackers, flew kites and went for rides. They welcomed the family and she loved being in the same locality. That was the day she felt the love of God being closest to her and ever since then her faith has never blinked.

P.S: To be continued…….