Destiny's game

The streets to Malika Nagar was ever habituated by the local rush of homeless children and destitutes. Being one of the plentiful streets that marked the exotic design of the town with a central garden and streets radiating from its periphery.MayankPark ,the local park was large and green and was by its own design a welcome to all as a home and social resort. But this superficial beauty was jut the silver lining of an often unattended or even consciously ignored dark cloud .The periphery of the round ,neared the streets that slithered out channeling out its navigability to allure all from beyond towards this inner core like a well knitted cobweb with an ulterior motive to entrap every speck of dust,water and being that came across it. It had an unassuming peace and calm enveloping it that served as both a camouflage for a hidden trap, as well as a cocoon to protect everyone within its enchantment.

Vedant was one among the innumerable rustic brats that loitered around the streets from morn to dusk at every instance of freedom grabbed from an enforced domestic responsibility. it was true, he was different, he had a home ,a mother(-in-law),an abominably drunken dad and yes ,an extremely loving younger sister sister,Maya. Vedant and Maya were the only names he bothered to ever

remember with respect to his family. The former to assure himself that he was an existential living unit with dignity and self respect, and the latter for the Love that she symbolized-the only thing that touched and moved him at the heart,

an emotion and bonding that he nurtured for its pristine purity.

Home was for him a quagmire of distress and deprivation. It was in the lap of the world ,the gifts of nature that he found solace-her beauty always radiating hope for a blissful existence .while mother was always at loggerheads with him

fueled by and inherent hatred for the kids from another woman’s womb. While he was the one to be perpetually harmed by the physical abuses,it was Maya's physical and emotional distress that pained him the most.

Pranav was his only mate beyond his four walls ,always there to listen and to reassure of the pleasure of having a family. Himself being an orphan,a neglected and thrown away child precisely ,the word family struck a sacred intonation within him. Both liked to be away from home,together in the garden that always showed them a differnt world. They wandered the labyrinthine pathways trampled into the earth by man and who-knows-what. School was something they heard other kids in the garden excitingly talk about,it it was a mere fantasy for them .

"I just wish i could take Maya out of her misery,we both could actually runaway from our house and fend for ourselves."

At least our love shall help us sustain any difficulty than be hollowed out in under that sorceress!"

"But,Veda how can you just leave your family. Who will take care of our father and mother when you go?",questioned a distressed Pranav.

"I have no parents, and especially no one i care for".

At 10 years ,Veda wasn't a child any longer-the years of suppression at home had hardened his heart to all people except to Maya and Pranav.

The pain weighed itself on his youth.

It was always the feeling of a different existence inside the park that allured him, but the thought of the family always held him back. But now ,he had faced enough and couldn't bear the grief that Maya was put through. Maya had accidentally dropped a pot of sugar .and that was enough to arouse the devil’s anger in his mother. "You little wretch, do u know how much that is worth. What does it matter to you if the whole family is starved."

Into the outer kitchen she dragged the frightened lass and burnt her palm with a red hot iron rod.Vedant couldn't bear it anymore ,the tyranny had to be stopped.The nearest weapon he could grasp was a solid brick which he thrust at his mother.The power of his throw anmazed him,and the swiftness of the brick even enchanted him as it wreck the skull of his mother,

forcing out blood and an excruciating yell.He ran out into the open,following the path of a street that he felt within him,

towards teh green that promised him of peace.

The insecurity at home metamorphed into distress and emotional instability beyond it.Pranav,who couldn't bear to see Ved's grief,joined him on the ground.Life wasnt' as easy as it had seemed earlier..true when watched superficially everyone was happy,enjoyed each others companionship, and the people flocked over there were at best civil. But,for the homeless ,the uncared for ,it was life at its hardest..there was just no means of self-sustenance with dignity.

Separation from Maya hurt him immensely. He did take the opportunity to once in a while creep over to his house ,to just glance how she was doing..

And with every attempt he began to despise himself all the more--for at every attempt he understood how helpless he was ,as he couldn't help her out.

Her tears simultaneously hurt him and angered him. The sorceress still ruled with a greater acrimony than before. His disapproval of himself led him to move farther from the house,to an extent he even stopped coming back.

As the months ,he got cocooned in the culture of smoking grass, thievery, and all sort of evil and good to find a means of survival and entertainment. And it was here that he realized how he was as much of a slave as the lot of 'white slaves' that had been growing there. Though he hadn't ever visited the place before it did lure him so .However the thought of having a sister whom he loved so much ,dissuaded him from even approaching the place.

He had lost track of the times since he had moved to the new "Home" and now he decided to return to meet Maya..

The street felt familiar but withdrawn and recoiled with the very touch of his feet. His steps slowed as he reached the house, and now as he peeped through the window, only thing that he saw was a house with no life in it..They had moved, perished or even just vanished.

"Maya!!Dear sister,forgive me." The grief was unbearable, only tears could further express his emotions. The only solace was that the ground had accepted his tears in pity.

And ,now as he moved into the park..the only thought that repeated in his mind was-“Slaves”. He cruised through the cluster of destitute 'n slaves to finally accost a fair lass curled up on th bench ..

The thought struck him that they were slaves who sold their bodies for wealth and he was a slave who sold his life for nothingness.. The lass was sighing with her face down.."Dear lass,do look up?It hurts to see your beauty hidden away !",asked Ved in a soothing voice..

The face turned -a plain smile,a familiar face - a distraught Maya.