The street was filled with laughter of kids playing football cheerfully. Arjun, a middle-aged man, did not share the same joy as the kids as he walked down the same street.
Entering his house, Arjun sighed with exhaustion. He placed the groceries on the table. He laid his head on the table and closed his eyes for a while. Before he could fall asleep, he was disturbed by a group of kids screaming, “Uncle! Uncle!”.
Arjun got up and saw those kids standing politely outside the gate. They asked for their ball that fell inside his house. Arjun sighed and went in search of the ball. He found it on the grass in his backyard. He retrieved and threw the ball to the kids. They smiled widely and thanked him. He closed the gate and his main door.
Now, Arjun made an early dinner, after a long tiring day. As he sat down to dig into it, he once again heard screams of kids calling him, “Uncle, Uncle”. He went outside to find out whom the kids were calling. He saw them standing in front of his house and asking for the ball.
Arjun was annoyed but went to search for the ball in his backyard. To his shock, his flowerpot was knocked over. He picked up the ball beside it and burned with rage. He went to the kids and started scolding them. “You are so careless! Why can’t you play properly? You kids are always kicking your ball into my house. And now you broke my flowerpot. You are not letting me have my dinner in peace”.
The kids felt guilty and hung their heads down. Suddenly one kid said, “Uncle! You look so frustrated. Have you never played with your friends in your childhood? Don’t you have friends?”
Something changed in Arjun’s demeanor. The kid’s words seemed to have calmed him down. He returned the ball and went inside thinking about the kid’s words. His whole childhood flashed right in front of his eyes.
His mom shouting, “Arjun! Why did you come home so late? l heard Swapna aunty shouting. What did you do it again?”
Little Arjun replied, “My friends and I were playing with a ball and I kicked the ball. It went and fell right in Swapna aunty’s house. I went to her and asked if I could take the ball. She yelled that l didn’t deserve to play with a ball if I couldn’t play properly. That I always hit it into people’s houses. So, l apologized and returned the ball to my friends and came back. It became dark by then”.
Ma patted little Arjun’s head and appreciated him for doing the right thing.
Arjun came out of his reminiscence. He finished his dinner, went outside and saw kids playing. He went near them and asked if he could join. They nodded their heads excitedly. Arjun and the kids played very joyfully and enjoyed the rest of the evening.
December, 2024
