Out Of Cocoon - A Short Story
Out Of Cocoon
"Where is he! Where is he! What! gone", said Purush, a man of 75 years. Motilal informed him that his only son had gone to the town to become a rich person. Neeru was that son. From childhood Neeru desired to be welthy. He did not like the poverty that dwelt in every household of his village.The name of his village was Nabakul. When he was of 9 years, Neeru gave up education and joined his family farm-work. They had an agricultural land of three bighas which gave two meals a day to his seven-member-family.
Purush was his father, Theri was his mother. Nashi, Moti, Tasi, Koti were his four sisters. He was the only male child of his family, so his responsibility was big as was his dream.From childhood Neeru disliked the rural suffering. He always questioned his parents, "Why do we do not have a pakka house as our school? Why cannot all the village people live happily? Why can't village people get enough to eat while they are producing food? Why this and why that?" The only reply of his parents was "because we are poor". Possibly that was why from childhood Neelu disliked village poverty. Though he did not like village life, still he had to live there because he was a mere a child and he had to work in his family farm to help his parents.
His sisters did not go to school like most village girls.Rising early in the morning before the sun, going to the field for farm-work, coming in the evening and sleeping early- all these were the daily routine of Neeru. He took is lunch in the field. Breakfast was a dream to them so poor were they. Not only they but also the whole village. No bathroom or toilet was there in the village. Natural works were done in small bushes beside the huts - both by men and women. That troubled Neeru very much.
One day, he, a boy of seven years, was in school and a teacher was teaching about good habits. When the teacher spke of the use of toilet, Neeru asked, "Sir, why do we not have a toilet?". The teacher informed him "it needs money to construct a toilet". That reply also added to his cause of disliking the village poverty. Again, one day when Neeru was working in his farm, his youngest sister Koti came running. She was panting heavily, but informed him that his eldest sister Nashi had lost her sense. Leaving farm-work, he dashed to home and found Nashi senseless. The elders of the village suggested to take Nashi to a doctor, but they could not as they did not have the money.
That incident infuriated Neeru.Half a hour later Nashi recovered, but the incident totally shook Neeru. He bluntly told his parents, "I want to go to the town to earn more money". His parents denied saying that he was a mere child and did not know anything of the town. Neeru spoke nothing. That day he ate nothing. At night, he gave an excuse that he ate at his friend's house. In the morning he got up early and went out speaking nothing to anyone. That was unusual. In the late morning, Neeru's friend Dulal came to inform Purush that their land needed water, but Neeru was not there. Purush remembered Neeru's yesterday demand, "Iwant to go to the town to earn more money". He exclaimed "Where is he? Where is he?"
At that time Motilal, a neighbour, came to their house and said that Neeru had gone to the town to become a rich person. Hearing this the only reaction of Purush was "What!gone".
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