Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Within those walls

I stand there looking at it, I stand there thinking. What is within those walls of the building? Why are so many people running towards the building?

I stand there wondering, why do they all come here every single day? Most of their life they look to be spending trapped within those walls, yet they look wise, yet they seem to know it all.

The thick tall compound around the building, the clothes they choose to wear have not cut their wings, within those compound walls they jump around the ground with the flavour of freedom all around them. They leave me confused.

I see happy faces all around, and they remain the same throughout the year.


Many a times they look at me standing, most throw a smile at me, but some choose to laugh at me.

I don’t let myself feel sad, I don’t let anger monster take over me. I know they all laugh at my costume and not at me. The costume of poverty I wear.


I stood there holding onto the gate that day, asking myself, how do I get rid of this costume I wear?

I felt the answer lay within the walls of that building, I felt the power to get rid of the costume lay enclosed in the rooms of that building.

I felt a deep desire to step in, a deep desire to wear a smile, a deep desire to run around the ground and sample the flavour of freedom.

I was about to step in, when I got a hard whack on head. I turned around to see my uncle shouting at me



“Idiot! What are you doing near the School gate? Who is going to clean all those dirty plates?”

19 comments:

shutterbugs said...

WOW!!
This is impressive Harsha.... Dealing with child-labour, poverty, ambition and desire at the same time.
Worry not if not many read or respond. This story should satisfy as a writer... it is good stuff...
Do write more.... :)

Anonymous said...

WoW! This is my second time on your blog and i am not at all disappointed.
:)

shilpa

Harsha Chittar said...

@shutterbugs: Thank you very much, your words will go a long way in helping me write more.
@shilpa: Thank you, am very happy that you chose to visit again, hope i can keep you returning to the blog :)

Sojo Varughese said...

u left many things unsaid which in turn left many things said. sometimes, even if such kids have the desire to get out of their shells, it ain't possible. God forbid these people who make children work.

touching post bro!

Rajiv said...

Hey nice one maga....... U kept the suspense till the end.... And the last 3 lines says it all.....

Harsha Chittar said...

@sojo: Thank you for reading it. We hope people let their children go to school and give them at least min education.
@rajiv: Thank bro, glad you liked it.

grace said...

Yet again a very beautiful way of expressing a very sensitive thought.You tried to slip into the shoes of a poor lad trying to make sense of the alluring and mystifying of school.
The symbol of wall is beautifully used as well.
Do you guys think we could do something at our own level to make some difference to the not so privileged people all around?

Nethra said...

I recently met a guy at book stores who was under 10 and yet not seen the classrooms. Irony! He works in a book stores.
I told him he gotta study at this age rather than working there. I knew that wouldn't happen.

Harsha Chittar said...

@grace: Thank you grace, we could do a difference, we would have to take time out our busy life, and we would also need some hardcore commitment. The real question is are we ready to give that?
@Nethra: What you saw the other day at the book store is one of life's cruelest sights.

Saras said...

Good one Harsha. Very well written and talks about harsh reality of life. Keep up the good work.

Harsha Chittar said...

Welcome to the blog
@saras: Thank you very much. Hope you keep visiting.

divsi said...

lovely.heartwrenchin.beautifull.

made me pause for a moment n thnk god for schooling...a thing thats so taken for granted..we dont even realise the value of it!

kip it up!:)

Unknown said...

Wow. I'm speechless. So poignant in such few words. I did not expect the ending at all. The things we take for granted... Great writing!

(btw since I can't do OpenID here, my blog is ariyathe.wordpress.com)

Harsha Chittar said...

@divsi: Thank you for reading it, ya schooling i feel is an important part of life. Good education goes long way in shaping a kid.
@Anjali: Welcome to the blog. Thank you very much. At times simple and less say a lot than fancy and flashy.

Pinpaks said...

Great read! I second all the opinions said above . Thought provoking post

Sayan Dey said...

Wow!! Really superb.. A short but mind blowing story!!

Anonymous said...

I have always loved bloggers who write for a cause. this is superbly told tale. I think you must share it on the indivine and twitter. Short yet very effective. Way to go.. keep writing.

Anonymous said...

Really nice Harsha! You should try your hand at 55-Fiction!

Ashwin Baindur

Piyush Agarwal said...

hi...
just stumbled upon this post via indiblogger. Its really nice..short and true!! Keep writing...