1 Laxmi

Laxmi was a young and brave girl, she used to wake up early in the morning, sweep the floor and veranda of her house, then go to a pond to wash utensils and would be back home for breakfast. After eating the food her mother cooked, she used to get ready for the school and take her young brother along with her to the school. By the time she got back home, it would be 4 pm. Then she would have bathed her young brother and then go on to play with her friends. At 6 pm she would come back home to help her mother do the kitchen work and help her brother to study. Her father would return home every night at 8. He would be drunk most of the times, when he isn`t drunk he would be fighting with his wife.

Laxmi shivered in fright whenever their parents fought, she didn`t want to grow older as she thought she might experience similar things in her life.

One day her father came home asking for money, her mother disagreed to lend him any money….soon they started fighting and within no time, her father had slit open her mother`s throat. He ran away.

The police came in, consoled the children and handed them over to Laxmi`s uncle. 2 years later Laxmi was quite grownup, she and her little brother were constantly harassed. She was removed from school. she had to work hard every single day in order to get food in their aunt`s home. Her uncle even sold the 2-acre plot owned by Laxmi`s parents. By the time Laxmi and her brother understood all of this, there was nothing for them in this cursed world.

Laxmi`s brother too ran away after their uncle gave him a beating one day. Laxmi was devastated, she didn`t know if she can find him back, she didn`t know if she had to stay there.

She left her aunt`s home silently. She wandered the streets of Laxmipuram in hope of searching her brother. She was sleeping on the park bench when Mr. Rao saw her. Mr. Rao was a retired teacher who was enjoying his retirement. He asked about her, she said everything she knew emotionally. He assured he will help her and asked her to visit his home.

Ms. Rao was a pleasant woman, she respected her husband`s decision and took the girl in.

The next morning they discussed what they would do with Laxmi, they mutually agreed that Laxmi will help the old couple with their daily work and they, in turn, will help her to get educated.

Everything was going fine for Laxmi, except for the fact that her brother was nowhere to be found. 8 years passed, Laxmi was well educated and mature. She now understood how things work in society. She got herself a job of Receptionist in a real estate company, within six months she was promoted to customer relationship officer by seeing her pleasing and convincing skills.

Venkatesh was the general manager in the same company; he always had a love side for Laxmi. Who was obedient and cultured. He finally proposed to her and Mr. Rao about his intentions to marry her. Mr. Rao was also happy for her.

After six months, Laxmi was traveling in a car along with her husband….…..she saw a group of people beating a couple of youngsters mercilessly. she learned that the youngsters were trying to snatch gold chains from a woman.

Because of this incident, the traffic was unable to move….Laxmi got down from her car, to see the culprits. To her horror, she realized after a while that one of the boys was her brother. She silently waited for a while till the police arrived and settled the mob.

Later the youngsters were imprisoned for 2 years in jail. But one of the boys was released on recommended bail within two months. As the boy came out, he saw a lady waiting to pick him up; he realized it was his sister. He cried in front of her legs….and said: "I shouldn`t have run away".

She consoled and assured him that things are going to be all right. He was later appointed as Venkatesh`s driver in the same company.

Things were moving well...One fine day…..a day before Fathers day, Laxmi saw an old man begging in front of a temple that she came to visit. His beard and attire made her take a while to identify him...it was her Father.

She fell in deep thoughts, she didn`t know if she had to take him back to her life, she didn`t know if she had to call the police to avenge her mother`s death. She was awake all night.

The next morning, she woke up…..she didn`t go to the office that day.....she prepared some nice tasty food like her mother used to cook. And she carried all in a box.

She stopped at the temple to find the old man, he was sitting in a corner smoking tobacco she went over to him and said that she had brought food for him...

The old man stood up with his eyes lit, took her box to a nearby tree…..sat in the shade of it and started eating, she was sitting in front of him. After eating his stomach full he yawned and said, "thank you, lady, your parents are lucky to have a kid like you....god bless them".

Laxmi replied, "My mother was unlucky that she was married to you..."

The old man couldn`t reply anything....he tried to get up and walk away, but couldn`t.

He started feeling very tired and sleepy.....his breath fastened...he started sweating...….Laxmi was looking at him, without any expression...not even a blink.

The old man….slowly leaned on to the tree...and closed his eyes...…never to open again.

Laxmi stood up, packed all her things.....and prayed to the gods....."My father has given life to me.....but he took the happiness out of our family...so, I put him out of his misery. May the gods bless my mother`s soul."