A lovely set of earphones
Afra Nazeer
Joe was his pet name. A nice handsome boy of 22. He had got through
his A/Ls and now follows a course that would take him through to his
ambition. His parents were government servants. He had a little sister
who was schooling.
Joe, was loved not only by his parents and sister but all those who
knew him. His friends and neighbours too.
He loved chewing a sweet almost every morning on his walk to the
class and bought one at Sena seeya's corner boutique. He had the habit
of giving two rupees to Sena seeya and would buy a one rupee toffee and
never bothered to take the balance. For Sena, he was ‘Joe putha’ and
felt honoured and blessed to start his business this way.
 In many instances, there were many to admire and appreciate a son
like him as he was well behaved, nice to people, humble and helpful
where ever possible.
When Joe's parents walk down the lane back home after work, at least
two are there to ask “Ko Putha” “Adha dhekke na”. (Where's Joe, didn't
see him today) as he would greet everyone he sees in the morning while
he walks up to the road.
It was on his twenty-third birthday, that a special friend of his had
gifted him a set of earphones. Although Joe was happy about this gift,
he was not very keen on listening to music.
Gradually, he got used to this earphone use and enjoyed music during
leisure hours at home.
It was a fatal day one could never imagine. About three months after
his birthday, one morning as usual, he worshiped his parents before
coming out of his house.
Then walked up the lane to the main road while greeting most of his
neighbours who were either sweeping the compound, waiting for some
sunshine to get over the cold, or a mother combing her daughter's hair
do send her to school and so on.
That day he bought the usual one rupee toffee for a five rupee coin
and walked away with a ‘bye’ and a smile. Sena seeya wondered. Was it to
give him more or whether he didn't have change.
Joe also had to walk along a railway track to his institution. He,
unusually put on his earphone and walked along the railway track. He
walked on the track.
The on-lookers shouted and screamed for him to jump away “Kochchiya
enava” “Paninawa”. Nobody was near to pull him aside. Nobody new what
Joe was listening to. But he was deaf to other and the tooting of the
train.
Seldom did he realize that the train would come behind and take him
away from all his lovedones forever. He was thrown away and bled to
maximum.
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