Radha and the Cycle Ride - 2

It was night by the time Radha entered home. Her father was walking to and fro, while her mother was sitting on a cot. ‘...I warned him that you people dare not touch our well. Go drink from the pond at your end of the village or dig another well. Why should we bother if their well has dried up. But you should have seen his attitude. He said, all are equal now and he doesn’t fear us. Huh, filthy people, I tell you’ Radha’s father was in a rage. She slowly sat down to eat as mother started saying, ‘His daughter is mischievous too. I have seen her riding her bicycle ringing the bell all through the village. There are elders sitting, men in the streets, but she cares for nobody. She laughs around with boys and acts as if she is also one of them. A girl should know her place. Radha, don’t tell me you spend time with her.’

‘No, No.’ Radha replied hurriedly.

‘You dare not. Else you will become like her.’

‘I stay with Meena,’ Radha said to calm her mother. Radha had never seen Swapna’s father. But her parents often spoke ill about him, his community and the place they lived in. Not just her parents, but most people in her neighbourhood felt the same way about people from Swapna’s community. They often used swear words or demeaning words to refer to them. Radha had seen the place in her rare visits and she didn’t like it at all. She felt that there was something wrong with those people and they were not as good as the people who lived in main part of the village.

It was the season when trees begin to bear fruits. Radha, Meena and others couldn’t resist the temptation on their way to school. They decided to go to a fruit tree on the outskirts of the village and in no time, climbed up and filled their pockets with fruits. When Meena checked her wristwatch, she got a scare, “Oh my god, it’s already 8:30. We must reach school, or the headmaster will give us a hard time.’ The girls had got a good scolding from the headmaster a few days ago and they were terrified of being late again. All the girls hurriedly got down from the tree and started running towards school. Radha was the last one to get down and as she came down, she put her foot on a thorn and let out a howl. “Oouchh. Listen, Meeennaaa…, everybody… wait for me, I am hurt”, Radha cried out. Meena heard Radha calling out to them, and paused for a second, but without turning back, kept running towards the school. Radha was in pain and almost in tears.

Some distance away, Swapna was rushing towards school in her school uniform; she had also got a scolding last week and wanted to reach school on time. She noticed Radha sitting on the ground and rushed towards her, “What happened?”. 

“I stepped on a thorn”, said Radha, in a choking voice. Seeing the blood oozing out of Radha’s foot, Swapna said, “Don’t worry, I will take you to my house. It is close by and my mother will know what to do”. Radha winced at the idea of going to Swapna’s house imagining what her friends would say, but she was not able to bear the pain and felt helpless.

Swapna supported Radha on her shoulder and helped her to her house. As they entered Swapna’s house, her mother said to Radha,” Lie down child, let me clean the wound”. Radha felt comforted by Swapna’s mother’s voice, and her touch on her forehead reminded of her own grandmother’s loving caress. She relaxed and allowed Swapna’s mother to pull out the thorn from her foot and tie a bandage around it. As she felt better, she looked around and noticed that Swapna’s house was very clean and organised. She smiled when she saw a Kangana Ranaut poster near Swapna’s study area, realizing that both of them had the same favourite actress. As she tried to stand up and walk she realized that she could only hobble slowly.
Swapna’s father, who was silently sitting in a corner spoke for the first time, “Swapna, the way Radha is walking, she will reach school only by evening….. why don’t you two take the cycle to school. I will walk to the fields today“. “That would be great. Thanks Daddy!” said Swapna picking up her father’s bicycle resting against a wall. “Let’s go” said Swapna helping Radha sit on the back seat.

Radha enjoyed the wind blowing in her hair as Swapna pedalled away furiously. Her mind was raging with thoughts about what she had experienced about Swapna and her family and what she had heard about them before today. 

Suddenly, Swapna pressed the brake; they were at school already, although late. They were called in to the headmaster’s office and Radha was almost trembling with fear. Swapna managed the courage to tell him about what happened and Radha showed the headmaster her bandaged foot. The headmaster let them off.  Radha and Swapna were relieved and smiled at each other as they walked out of the headmaster’s office. Radha told Swapna, “I loved it on the cycle, will you teach me how to ride it sometime?”. “Of course!”, said Swapna. As they entered their class, Radha saw Meena, who averted her eyes away from her. A frown came on to Radha’s face.