Monday, September 8, 2008

Radhika, The Little Girl


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Radhika, The Little Girl
- by Ayesha Parveen 06 Sep 2008
http://content.msn.co.in/MSN
This story has been read 1767 times.
http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=771793e5-9b52-44bf-b160-72ba31eadfdd

Manoj was thinking about his wife as he walked down Park Street. Even after ten years of marriage, the couple remained childless. Though the marriage was stable and a happy one, Manoj knew his wife agonized over the fact that she had not been able to conceive. Endless visits to doctors had not helped and he had almost given up hoping; but had never expressed it to his wife.

“Sir, will you please help me?” a soft voice was heard and Manoj saw a girl, about eight years old, looking at him. “There’s a kitten fallen in the gutter and I cannot reach it. Will you please pick it up? It will die otherwise; please, Sir!” Her pleading brown eyes were filled with tears and Manoj was pleasantly surprised to see that she cared for the helpless animal. In a country where sometimes starving people are beaten to death if caught stealing, here was a person with compassion in her heart.

Not wasting time, he bent down to reach the frightened kitten and could hear its faint, piteous mew. However, he could not reach it; the little thing was just a few inches away from his fingers but that small distance could mean death for it. Manoj, now was on his knees, and not caring about the stares he was getting from passers-by, stretched his hand once more towards the kitten, asking God for help.

His fingers finally grasped something soft and wet and as he brought the trembling kitten out of the gutter, he could hear the little girl’s cry of joy: “thank you Sir, thank you so much.” Wrapping the kitten with his handkerchief, he handed it to the girl. It seemed like it would live. Now the girl looked at him with troubled eyes and did not utter a word. Manoj asked her what the problem was to which she replied that she could not take the kitten home as her father did not allow her to keep pets.

Wondering how a parent could be so uncaring towards his child, Manoj was at a loss for words when the girl spoke again. “Will you please keep it, Sir? You are kind and it will be happy with you”, she softly put in. When he agreed, she requested him to call the kitten ‘Muskaan’. He wanted to walk the girl home but she said there was no need to do so. When asked, she said her name was Radhika.

Manoj took Muskaan home and his wife wiped away the filth from it and gave it milk. Thus, Muskaan became the lonely woman’s companion when Manoj would go to work.

Exactly three months after Manoj had saved Muskaan and made Radhika happy, he received an important call from his wife. As he entered his office, his wife called to say she had conceived…………….

Now, as Manoj plays with his two-year old son Govind or rocks his six-month old daughter Sharannya to sleep, he wonders who Radhika was. Muskaan often comes and sits on Manoj’s lap when Govind and Sharannya are not occupying it.

email: ayeshacgs@hotmail.com


( This post is dedicated to my dear Appa as a token of appreciation of the affection and encouragement he keeps on showering on me.)

13 comments:

Unknown said...

This is great!
How well you have shown in this post the power of faith and goodness!

Farhana said...

Your story reveals the fact. That a kind and good heart is always rewarded by Almighty. I am happy you could touch the most simple truth but at the deepest level. Keep on writing Ayesha: all the best….

Ayesha Parveen said...

Nabadipa,
Thank you for your comment.

Farhana,
Thank you for saying I could "touch the most simple truth.. at the deepest level". You are very expressive yourself.

Ayesha Parveen said...

MSN-readers' comments:

Rajesh - Hyderabad on 9/9/2008 4:22:29 PM
Very touching, going by the number of people who have rated it a 5 says so much about it. Yes, very truly, they say GOD comes in a human form when your time comes, Radhika was just that and how neatly fate unfolded itself. Lovely story, thanks!!

Wee Wee - Chittagong on 9/9/2008 10:25:02 AM
wow!!!!...very touching and soooooooo sweet!!!!!....miss...u rock!!!!

Bibi Aniisah Rohom - Mauritius on 9/8/2008 2:56:18 PM
Nice story, i was very impressed. i think Manoj is a very helpful and courageous man who loves his wife very much. without thinking he accepts to help the little girl. according to me, Radhika was like an angel sent by God. at the end we can see that we must never be discouraged, we must always have faith on God.

surabhi - mumbai on 9/8/2008 1:05:21 PM
Really very nice story!it shows that now a days also there are good hearted people staying with us.This is the lesson to every one that good deed brings in good indeed.Nobody can fight with destiny

Ayesha Parveen said...

MSN-readers' comments( continued ):

k.sruthi - sivaganga on 9/8/2008 11:54:08 AM
this story is very touching.it makes me to feel something.well done ayesha.

Gayatri - Pune on 9/8/2008 12:14:57 PM
Really very touching story.

Priyadarshini K Chellam - Bangalore on 9/8/2008 12:19:01 PM
I saw god, when the kitten was rescued, i saw god when manoj heard the good news, a good deed brings good indeed. i hope to see god in Radhika's fortune !

Ayesha Parveen said...

MSN-readers' comments( continued ):

sunny - hyderabad on 9/8/2008 12:43:41 PM
Hi It is a very nice article and for me it says there are still good people around who are not selfish. I appreciate your time taken to convey such a lovely emotional and social message.

Kparthasarathi - Chennai on 9/6/2008 1:08:29 PM
A beautiful story written nicelyl .The message that compassion beget's God's grace has been put across well.

Ayesha Parveen said...

MSN-readers' comments( continued ):

sharmishtha - kolkata on 9/6/2008 4:44:53 PM
its too good a story, and written simply in a mind blowing way. will wait for your new story. its simply fabulous. keep writing.

Mahine Khan - Chittagong on 9/6/2008 5:35:13 PM
The article was touching.It was written straight from the heart which came through in the writing made more effective by its simple style.This cynical world,requires more of these short pieces to bring back our faith in humanity even though it might be fiction.

Unknown said...

It is a beautiful story. Good will always come to those who are kind and caring. I have no doubt Radhika was an angel sent to help Manoj.

Ayesha Parveen said...

Shreya,

Thank you for your kind comment.

Ayesha

Whirlwind said...

A very touching story. God always comes to us in different forms during times of need. Its just that we dont realize it until much later.Very poignant and soulful.

Ayesha Parveen said...

Swetha,
Thank you for your encouraging comment.
Ayesha

Ayesha Parveen said...

MSN Readers:

Parthasarathi,
Thank you for reading it. How well you have said that compassion begets God's grace.

Rajesh,
Thank you for reading it and commenting. You are absolutely correct in saying "GOD comes in a human form when your time comes,".
Very apt use of words, I must say.

Priyadarshini,
Thank you for your beautiful words.
Yes, you are right;if we want to, we can see God in everything that happens.

Aniisah and Surabhi,
Thanks. You are right in saying that we must always have faith in God and that no one can fight with destiny. However, in the long run, our deeds decide our destiny.

Ayesha

Ayesha Parveen said...

Mahine,
Thank you for reading it and commenting. You are right in saying that it was written straight from the heart.

Sunny,
Literature reflects life and believe me, good people are still around.

Ayesha