The Wet Map

Sai Srikar Valmiki an author. He has written many bestselling short stories. Both of his children, Keshav and Ayana, were proud of their father. They loved him very much. 

He told them a new story every night before sleeping, this story is about one such night…

“Dad, do not tell us a fictional story. You tell them every day. Tell us about, maybe, your childhood!” Keshav suggested. Ayana agreed.

Ok, let me think…Aha! You will enjoy this,” Sai said. Ayana and Keshav wrapped themselves tightly in their blankets and listened closely to the story.

“So, we began when I was, uh, 9 years old,” Sai started. “I was in 4^th class then. Your grandparents and I used to live in a small villa. The villa was not in the city center but was close to the railway station, so most of the shops were situated near us. 

“But the Mandi, it was far away. By the way a Mandi is a place where you find many types of vegetables in large quantities, in short words, Market place. 

“So, the mandi was almost 5-6 km away and we did not have a car or scooty. My father used to get the vegetables from the mandi every Sunday. 

“Once he fell ill, and a 102-degree temperature took over him. It was Sunday, and all our food supplies had been exhausted. Mother was looking after papa and was very busy all day. 

“’Get some vegetables Sai!’ ordered my mom. 

“’But ma, I am doing my homework,’ I told her, but she wouldn’t listen. 

“’Get the vegetables or you wouldn’t get today’s dinner,” She declared. 

“I was not convinced but I took a cloth bag and money from mother and stepped out of the house. But then I didn’t know that this was going to be an adventure in real life, and as per me this was a better adventure then the adventure of Rusty. 

“Mother had drawn a small map of how to go to the marketplace, because I had only gone once to the market so I did not know the route. It said that I had to take the 3^rd right from my house and go straight until I saw a banyan tree. I did all that and reached the banyan tree. 

“After reaching the banyan tree, the map instructed us to take a left and then take a right. After following these instructions, I reached an intersection. 

“Before me were 3 ways – left, right and straight. On the map, it was written that you had to go right to go to the market. I was about to walk when, suddenly it started raining.

“I foolishly covered my head with the map and looked around for some shed. 

“I saw a small bookstore on the left and ran there to escape from the rain. I stood there and waited for the rain to stop. But it didn't want me to go to the market, it wouldn’t stop. For some time, I sat waiting at the gate of the bookstore. Then I went in. No one was inside.

“Within the bookstore were a large variety of books. I picked up a book and started reading.

“Suddenly an old man walked into the room and started shouting after he looked at me, ‘Why does every brute in the town wants target my bookstore−‘

“I knew that he was going to kick me out, so I left the bookstore, not listening to one word that came out from the bookstore’s owner’s mouth.

“The rain had stopped and there were puddles all over the road. I knew where I had to go, so I went to the intersection and took right from there. Then I looked at the map again, and to my horror, the map was all damp and all the ink on it smudged. Only some of the areas drawn on the map were clear. But all the important stuff was blotted and unclear.

“With difficulty I tried to read it and go the way I thought I read on the map. At some point I got frustrated and threw the map in a puddle. When I did so the ink made the puddle bluish-brown and the paper the lightest shade of blue, all the markings on the map had been erased. 

“I imprudently strutted here and there. After a while, I went to a person standing near a bus stop, checking his watch (probably waiting for the bus). 

“’Sir, where will I find the closest market,’ I asked.

“He pointed to the left side and said, ‘On the right!’

“’But that is left,’ I argued.

“He angrily said, ‘Follow my directions if you like or do not follow them at all, I do not care!’

“I went to the direction he pointed (Left side). I reached the same intersection again. Then I understood something:

“I was lost! In anger I kicked a stone, a big one, and it hurt me. I held my foot and jumped and slipped and fell in a puddle, drenching all my clothes.

“I stood up and looked around me. It was a very unfamiliar neighborhood. I sat there for a while, thinking.

“I looked at my watch. It was very strange; it was as if time was moving slower than usual. I had started at around 3 pm and I thought that at least 2 hours would have passed, but it was 3:30 only! 

“I ran towards the intersection and went in the direction I came. I ran to the left then to the right and reached the banyan tree. It was easy after that, I took the 1^st left and then walked straight. And at last… “I reached home.

“I knocked on the door and your grandmother opened the door. ‘Did you bring the vegetables? And what happened to your shirt?’ She asked.

“’No mom! What actually happened was…’ I explained everything that happened along the way.

“’Oh! Foolish boy, you can’t do anything properly, can you!’ She shouted. She was, evidently, very irritated.

“In anger, she took a pencil and sketched the map again. ‘Take this! And if you don’t bring the vegetables this time, you will have no dinner!’

“I ran as fast as I could, reached the intersection very quickly. I took the right turn and went to the market as fast as I could. En route I memorized the map just as a precaution.

“When I reached, I checked the money I brought. While counting, a 2 rupees coin slipped off my hand and fell into a gutter. ‘No!’ I shouted. I felt so stupid-“

“Wait a minute Dad. It was just 2 rupees, so why were you so worried?” Keshav interrupted

“At that time, the value of the rupee was greater and 2 rupees then would be like almost 10 rupees now or maybe more, but let us take it like that. So yeah, it was a lot! 

“Now, where was I? Huh, so the coin fell and I was perplexed. But I was not ready to go back home and get more money. I was sure that if I went home again, I would have no dinner!

“A little scared, I left everything on god and continued. The mandi was a very busy one, with every kind of fruit and vegetables you could think of.

“I went to all the vegetable sellers with the vegetables I needed. Everything went perfectly, I did not have any shortage of money, until only tomato was left on the list.

“I went to the seller and asked him the price for 1 kg of tomatoes. He said that they were only 3 rupees per kg. He stressed the word only to make the price look cheap. I only had 2 rupees left. 

“Miraculously, I bargained with the seller. It was the first time I did so. It was not intentional, maybe the fear in me made me bargain, but what-so-ever, I did. He had to give in the price I asked for in the end. 

“I went home with a kind of satisfaction. Mom was happy to hear that I bargained with the seller and at the same time she was angry that I lost 2 rupees. But the day ended happily. 

“Mom made dinner. For me, it tasted more delicious than usual, maybe because all the vegetables were brought by me. So that is the end.”

By the time Sai ended the story, his kids slept. He looked at them and smiled blissfully.

The End