A For Apple – A Short Story

Anirban & Arijit, Childhood, Freedom, Nostalgia, School, Story

Bittuuuu, come here quickly! Where’s your bag? Did you keep the books outside? Hurry up. You will miss the bus today.

Mommy combed his hair carefully, grabbed his chin and tilted it on left and then to right for a final review. Bittu, wearing a white shirt and a blue pant with a badge attached in shirt pocket, kept looking at his mom obediently.


Everyday the main gate opens sharp at 8am. Class 3 students started entering the school premises and assembled around the round temporary stage set at the middle of the school ground. Bittu can be seen on the front row holding his friends’ hands. With a proud face they all started singing “Jana-Gana-Mana..”. Principal hoisted the Tiranga and it started fluttering in the morning breeze.

Principal shouted elatedly “Happy Independence Day children. Vande Mataram!“. Young Bittu among other students started clapping and echoed the same.


Don’t rush, boys and girls. Keep moving in the queue slowly and accept what Madam will give you by saying ‘Thank You’,” ordered a senior teacher by taking a delinquent pupil back to the moving line.

Bittu tried to peek towards the end of the line but couldn’t get any idea on what’s being served over there. After 2-3 minutes, his turn came and Madam gave him a small packet with a box of sweets and an Apple.


Bittu always likes privacy while eating. He is not that kind of a boy who shares tiffin among the peers. He started looking for a lonely place to enjoy the food packet quickly so that no one notices him or claims a share.

First floor balcony in the roadside seemed a best place of choice for our little Bittu. He quickly ran upstairs and reached the balcony beside class 4 room.

He placed the box of sweet and the apple on balcony railing, quickly scanned around and felt relieved after finding no friends nearby. His friends were mostly playing in the ground itself or inside empty classrooms.

Just when Bittu grabbed the apple and had a large bite of it, his gaze fell upon the other side of the road below. A boy, seems to be of same age, is looking at him with needy eyes and gesturing towards the apple in Bittu’s hand. The boy is wearing a torn shirt which is much larger than his size with a few buttons missing and a black half pant. But the most startling feature was his blue eyes. sparkling proudly defying his attire.

Bittu kept looking at the boy for a minute or two and then moved the packet a little bit inside from the edge of the balcony so that the poor lad couldn’t see it.

He had a glance of the boy again and then turned his attention towards his apple, thought for a moment and started eating the apple quickly. Within a minute or two, he finished the apple and then opened the box and ate up all the sweets in a hurry.

Before leaving the balcony, Bittu again looked at the boy who was still standing there and was looking at him with despair.


Ding Dong. Ding Dong.

“Yes coming. Wait.”

Mommy opened the door to find no one.

“Who’s there?”

“Mommy, it’s me!”

A small voice came from the side of the doorway.

“Bittu! Why are you playing hide and seek. Come here fast. Tell me what happened at school today.”

Bittu’s little face appeared from behind the wall and he came towards his mother.

“Bittuuuu! What is this??? What have you done? Explain me quickly! Whose shirt is this?”

Bittu’s eyes glowed with a happy smile on his face.


Next batch is entering the premises by forming a queue and the guard is examining all the students at the main gate. He stopped the last boy in the queue and bent down to have a close look of him. The boy is wearing a white shirt and a blue pant with a badge attached in his pocket. The guard checked the badge and the face repeatedly.

The boy entered the premises.

Children are collecting food packets one by one. Madam near the podium called the last remaining boy by waving at him. He hesitatingly moved towards her.

 “Happy Independence Day beta! And you have beautiful blue eyes.” said Madam and gave him a small packet with a box of sweets inside.

And an Apple.

 

Author: Arijit Ganguly

Raw Cover Images (Assembled): shutterstock.com

Cover Image Design: Anari Minds

 

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