Sonu

 

      

“I hit him, Sir,” said Sonu.

“You tried to choke him?”

“Yes, Sir, your Honour.”

“Ever been arrested before?”

“No, Sir, your Honour.”

“What have you to say for yourself?”

Sonu looked down to find an answer. The unpleasant smell of the closed courtroom made him feel claustrophobic. The questioning eyes, the screeching sound of the overhead fan, the expressionless face of the lawyers; Sonu felt dizzy. The opposition lawyer roared, “Sonu, the court doesn’t have its entire lifetime to dedicate to your cause. We need an answer!” “Your Honour, I, I have nothing to say in my support. That boy..that boy was my enemy, for that few moments. I didn’t intend to choke him, trust me, your honour. He attacked me from the back and then…”

Sonu couldn’t utter any more. His eyes became moist. He held the railings of the witness box. Few drops of tears fell on the dirty floor of the courtroom.

“The next hearing of this case will be on 19^th September, Friday. Till then Sonu will be kept in the juvenile detention center”, the judge announced. The on-duty police constable Mr.Iqbal dragged Sonu out of the court and to the prison.

The locked chamber, the iron bars, the stinking atmosphere made Sonu nauseatic. He poured down some water in a steel glass from the earthen pot lying at the corner of the cell and gulped it down. It quenched his thirst. Drawing the dusty mattress till his waist, Sonu lied down. The cell was stuffy with only single ventilation through which the moonlight entered.

“What is Meenu doing? Is she studying for her exams? Thank God, her teacher Ms. Preeti took up the responsibility of funding her education. Or else, what would’ve we done?”, Sonu thought. “Is Ma crying? I know she won’t have her dinner today. She always has her meals with me. She would spend tonight worrying and praying for me”. Sonu knew his mother too well.

The roof and walls of this cell were home to countless insects. Spider webs hung all over the place and flies flew here and there. Staring at the yellow bulb which was the only source of light in that gloomy, dark prison, Sonu’s eyes became heavy and the last two days of his life visited him in his dreams.

The 11-year-old Sonu was running, holding few pieces of bread and two apples close to his chest which he has just discovered, lying under a berth of the Mughalsarai Express. He was guarding them with his life. “What luck today! I would be able to feed Meenu these red apples. She is working so hard for her upcoming exams. Ma would be elated to see the pieces of bread. We will have it with water for dinner!”

Sonu’s happiness knew no bounds. After almost two days, he would be able to provide for those two starved stomachs. Sonu looked here and there. Being confirmed that no trains were approaching from either side, he was carefully crossing the railway tracks to get onto the nearby platform.

Suddenly, he felt a push. The apples fell from his hands but he somehow clenched onto the pieces of bread. A boy jumped on him and tried to snatch the remaining contents of his hands.  Sonu couldn’t see the face of the boy. He struggled to relieve himself from the clutches of the boy but he seemed to be stronger than him. Sonu tried to reach out for the apples but they were lying quite afar.

He couldn’t afford to lose them, not again. The last time when he stole a few cakes and chocolates from Mr.Sharma’s department store, he was beaten up severely. He was also forced to return the stolen items to the store owner. But not this time. He has to take home back, at least some eatables. The hungry eyes of Meenu and Ma flashed in front of Sonu. He caught the boy by his head and pulled him to his side.

 

The boy groaned in pain and fell on the railway track. Sonu hit him on his belly with his thin, weak limbs. The boy managed to stand up quickly and grabbed Sonu’s neck. Sonu also tried to choke him, applying all the strength left in his lean body. The two boys continued to fight under the scorching September sun to gather one square meal for their families. Suddenly, two railway constables arrived at the scene. The boy kicked the apples so hard that it was out of Sonu’s reach. Even before Sonu could contest for the apples, the boy left him, picked up the apples, and flew from the spot. A railway constable followed him while another held Sonu in his solid grip.

“Hey, Sonu! Wake up. Time for dinner”, Mr. Iqbal’s voice awoke Sonu. He had a plate in his hands. Sonu rubbed his eyes and sat up. Mr. Iqbal kept the plate on the floor. For the last two days, he has been very good to Sonu; at least better than most of the other constables who mistreat convicts. Sonu looked at the plate. Two round pieces of chapatti and sabzi! A full meal! Sonu couldn’t believe his eyes. He looked at Mr. Iqbal as if to confirm whether the food was meant for his consumption.

Mr. Iqbal understood what went on Sonu’s mind. He patted Sonu’s shoulder gently and said in a fatherly voice, “You had nothing since morning. Have it now.” Sonu examined the food greedily. His hand moved and tore a piece of chapatti. Dipping it in the bowl of dal, Sonu was about to eat, when suddenly he looked at Mr. Iqbal and asked, “Mr. Iqbal, can you tell me anyway in which my sister and mother can also come here? Then they also would be able to have such good food every day!” Mr. Iqbal had no answer. He sighed and closed his eyes in response to the boy’s innocent question of survival.  

 

 

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