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A slice of life story of a young woman all alone in a new city on her first job, and ill. "I so missed my mom, but I did not want to worry them; it was just a fever after all."
A slice of life story of a young woman all alone in a new city on her first job, and ill. “I so missed my mom, but I did not want to worry them; it was just a fever after all.”
It had been three long days now, I was lying alone in bed, sick and down with fever. I did not even have the strength to get up and eat. My hands and legs were trembling and I was burning with fever.
It had been just a few days that I had come to Mumbai, in this one room flat. It was just a few days I had joined my new office. I still had not made any friends. No one had come over to ask about me, to look after me. I so missed my mom, but I did not want to worry them; it was just a fever after all.
I drifted in and out of consciousness, feeling weak, tired, and alone. I so wished to talk with someone, a loving touch on my forehead, a hug. Oh! I so wanted to be hugged.
Drifting in and out of consciousness, I looked at my Mickey Mouse doll sitting on his couch, a little dirty, a little faded but still my best friend. We had been together for so many years now. Wherever I went, hostel, college he was always there with me. And now after joining my job I had brought him with me. With him nearby I felt as if was still at home. I looked at him smiling at me and in my dazed state I wished he was alive.
The next time I woke up I saw Mickey standing by my bed-side. I leant and picked him up! I hugged him, and I felt as if he hugged me too. He had the warmth, the scent of my childhood, and holding him tightly in my arms, I fell asleep. And I slept peacefully.
The next day when I woke up the fever was gone; I was feeling much better. Suddenly I remembered. I looked at the couch and Mickey was still sitting in his usual place. I kept looking at him. Had he really moved, given me the love I needed or was that a hallucination due to my high fever?
It took me three more days to get completely well, and for three days and three nights I kept staring at Mickey. I kept wondering, I kept worrying. What was the truth?
At last I couldn’t take it anymore. I was scared because in my heart, I believed it was true, that my Mickey had moved. Even though he had moved because I needed him, I still did not have the courage to accept it.
And on the fourth day while going to office, I went and donated him to an orphanage. I am ashamed of what I did, but I keep consoling myself that today someone is playing with him who is far worthier of his love than I was!
Image source: Flickr
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I watched a Tamil movie Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer), recommended by my dad, on SonlyLiv, and many times over again since my first watch. If not for him, I’d have had no idea what I would have missed. What a piece of relevant and much needed art this movie is!
It is about an old farmer in a village (the only indigenous farmer left), who walks the path of trouble, quite unexpectedly, and tries to come out of it. I have tried my best to refrain from leaving spoilers, for I want the readers to certainly catch up on this masterpiece of director Manikandan (of Kakka Muttai fame).
The movie revolves around the farmer who goes about doing his everyday chores, sweeping his mud-house first thing in the morning, grazing the cows, etc and living a simple but contented life. He is happy doing his thing, until he invites trouble for himself out of the blue, primarily because he is illiterate and ignorant.