Nehavarshini. V
Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School, T. Nagar, Chennai
Nehavarshini’s story was one of the Top 10 stories of the TeacherTribe Short Story Writing Contest.
I woke up one day and found that the world was upside down. A small girl came running towards me and took me in her hand, then I realised that I was upside down and not the world. The girl ran very fast with me in her hand that my eyeballs were rolling in all directions. Finally, she settled down and put me aside. I saw that she was sitting with her friends to play a board game. As I was lying beside her, a big, fat fluffy thing fell on me. I hardly could move and finally after some time that fluffy thing moved away. It was our pet cat’s tail. I heard all the kids happily laughing and playing when one kid randomly took me and started pulling my hair. Ouch! Was my reaction. Then again, they took me in their hands and started running. This time I closed my eyes and when I opened it, I saw beautiful greenery. We were at the backyard of our house. The kids started to play catch-catch with me. They threw me right, left and centre. I was flying in the air, suddenly I was caught by sharp claws. And the kids started shouting at me and I just fell down. I then realised that it was our neighbour’s pet dog. Seeing the kids play catch-catch, the dog also wanted to join the game. And finally, I was lying on the green grass and everyone went to drink a glass of juice that their mothers had brought. I was still and my mind was wandering thinking of those happy days when I was a part of a family of a mother, father and two sisters. The younger one was my best friend. She used to carry me wherever she went, feed me, played with me and took care of me very well. She never used to sleep without me.
But one day, they had to give away few things from their house to charity. The parents, without the young girl’s knowledge took me and gave it to charity along with all other things. I was packed in a box, sealed and sent. The last I saw my little friend was that morning when she said goodbye to me to leave to school. School was the only place where she didn’t take me as I was not allowed.
I felt very scared inside the dark box which was shaking for a few hours and finally I reached a place where I saw this present family. Though my new friend here takes care of me, I still miss my childhood buddy and I hope she is fine with a new friend. My old friend never used to leave me alone like this but my new family is not that attached and the small girl needs me only when she is bored. I am just an option here. Just as I was thinking of all this, the girl came and picked me up. I saw that all her friends left and thought now she must be bored that’s why she picked me up. I would always try to think positive saying now this is my family, I have to be nice to them, but still it hurts. When you are in a place where you are not given importance, it hurts. I might be one in ten for them but since I got so much of importance, affection and appreciation in my previous family, now I feel that vacant space here. That’s all, five minutes the girl just sat with me, pulled my hair, played with my hands and legs and now she dropped me back into the box. I don’t know when she will pick me back, will she pick me are the questions that always run in my mind. Once again, I was sitting inside the dark room waiting to see the light.
Suddenly there was a huge ring of an alarm, just then I realised that I dreamt myself being a DOLL. Laughing at my dream, I got ready for the day. After all, we are all toys in the hands of the society. Sometimes up, sometimes down!