Tales Of Faith and Bravery Story #4 – Say No to Alcohol (By Bisha)

Previously, “FAITH- A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES”, I changed the name for some reasons described below.
Hello friends! It’s Bisha. I am FINALLY BACK. Many things are waiting for you. First of all, I have changed the settings of this Faith series! I am publishing not only stories of ’Faith’, but also stories of braveries of common folks. These are fictional only, but based on true incidents I read on the newspaper or the internet. So, I hope you all will like my new addition. Do tell me how you feel after reading this.
Please, vote if you like it, comment and share your honest views. I love to know them. I am and will be improving by them.
Guys, I wrote this earlier, and I felt that one was better than this. That one got deleted from the computer and I had to write it again. Anyways, do comment people.

I updated so many things: ‘The Yellow Rose’, ‘Bad Blood’, and another story of the ‘Faith’ series. Do have a look at them people. I hope you will like them. And I also think two stories will really mean a compensation for my sudden missing from the net.

Special ‘Faith’ link: www.tellyupdates.com/faith-eva-special-happy-birthday-eva/

Link to the earlier story of ‘faith’: https://www.tellyupdates.com/faith-collection-short-stories-story-3-my-shattered-utopia/

Dedication: Anjali. I needn’t tell anything about her amazing stories, MMAI and “Pyaar ka Dard Hai”. I am saying something about her, which would mean a rat, is trying to compliment a mountain. So, keep reading and love you dear. 
KEEP SMILING…

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ANJALI’S POV

I pulled myself as I entered my home. I was dead tired from the whole day’s school. School is tiring, but amazing, isn’t it? However, Ma was standing and told me,” Anji! Came home? Good. Go dear, come soon and freshen up. Be quick. I have managed a few fruits for you this time. Come soon and have them or…” she fumbled for a word which I completed,” or, the monster will come, right?” ma rolled her eyes and hissed,” Anji! What are you saying? Is this a way to behave? How many times should I tell you that he is your elder, don’t talk about him like that? What will others say? This is the manner I‘ve been teaching you?” she sighed a little sadly. I said,” Ma! I just don’t get it that even after such experiences how come you respect him so much. Leave it. I am too tired to argue with you on this matter.” I said and walked inside to our room.

So, yes, I am Anjali, a student of the eighth standard. I am no any privileged kid and enjoy the comforts of palaces, cozy rooms, etcetera in metropolitan cities. I am just a common girl residing in a common village somewhere in India. I live in a poor thatched hut and we find it extremely difficult to make our both ends meet. I only know that I have to thrive hard to give my family, my ma, a better way of living.

Anyways, I came out to the kitchen and saw ma cutting a mango and another old, dried up guava was rolling near her feet. I understood that she missed her lunch this time to take extra wages and bring some fruits for me at the end of the day. She raised her head and saw me. She smiled,” You came? Come dear. Have the fruits. I have bought some rice and dal for us for the dinner.” I said,” I know you skipped your lunch. So, I am not going to have them alone. Without any argument, you will eat them too. And I am not going to go out for play. It’s well over afternoon and going to be dusk. The monster can come anytime sooner or later. Better, let us make the dinner together and have them together. Okay?” She sighed deeply and said,” I can rarely argue with you. Do whatever you like.” So, we completed eating the fruits, and then I helped her cooking the dinner and finally, ate it with her, but not before doing the puja (worship).

After washing, she said,” Now, go directly and bolt the room. Sit down to study. You have a test tomorrow, right?” “Yes, and that also math, my favorite subject. I am going. You come inside too.” I say happily. She nodded and we parted our ways.

Soon, I sat down to study. My heart raced as ma did not come in yet. Monster can come anytime now. I frowned at her slow-motioned works.
I was startled by a huge crash and then an indistinct voice spoke,” M-m-olii!” he was whispering and sing-sang Ma’s name indistinctively. He was the monster. He has come. “W-where a-a-are y-you? C-come d-dear!” he again spoke. Ma’s voice was heard this time,” Please, p-please s-shut up. Anjali is s-studying.” Fear was evident in her voice. “Anjali? T-that b-bastard? O-o…h-how c-come s-s-she is our d-daughter? S-s-she is y-your l-lovers’ d-daughter, right?” he shouted at ma. Then I heard thrashes and Ma’s cries. He is beating her. I tried fruitless concentrating on my studies. I myself was crying lowly. He kept cursing her, her background and used all nasty words. How come in this state men acquire devilish powers? It was unbearable now. I sprang up from my place and went out.

“You stop beating her.” I shouted at the monster. He paused and looked at me. A creepy smile lingered on his face as he spoke,” O! S-so n-now you have c-come to s-save her? You g-g-good f-for nothing g-girl! G-get lost.” He shouted on my face. His red angry eyes, foul smelling brown figure, his each and every part made me feel gagged. He had resumed his beating and I pulled him apart,” You brute! Stop beating her. I say LEAVE HER!” I screamed on top my lungs. He turned back to face me. His eyes looked like a boiling furnace. His gaze seemed to devour me up. He grabbed my arms and shouted,” Soy- you taught these kinds of m-manners, Moli? S-she has s-started c-cursing m-me, her b-baba?” and the monster…err…my baba, gave out a monstrous laugh. He again screamed,” come, come Anji, t-today I will s-sell y-you and enjoy a-another b-bottle of r-rum. COME!” he screamed and started to pull me. I cried and tried to release myself from his grasp. My arms were hurting too.

Now, ma, who was wailing loudly and was rolling on the ground with pain, shot up, in spite of all her pains. She pulled me away and screamed loudly with popped out angry eyes,” She will n-not g-go anywhere. Do y-you understand? Anjali come here.” Now baba thrashed the empty wine bottle on the ground and picked up a piece of that. He stood up and faced us. I anticipated and jerked ma’s hand and shrieked,” Run!” and I ran with ma inwards. He cursed and followed us, yelling,”
Stop! Stop there, now. I will surely kill anyone of you today. You b*t*h, rascal, bastard, whore…” and kept on shooting nasty words that could made anyone puke. I hurled inside and shut tightly the door, taking Ma inside. We huffed out huge sighs of relief. Soon, loud bangs resonated on the door. But I knew it wouldn’t last for long. Soon, he would tire up and fall asleep on the floor outside. And it happened just as I said. Gradually, his swears ceased and a thud was heard, indicating he lost his senses.

I embraced ma and both of us cried our hearts out. Actually, this was and is a common scene in every household of our village. This is a common scene in almost every house of every Indian village. We are helpless. Every night, our fathers, elder brothers gulp in loads of rum, desi wines, etceteras and come home intoxicated. They hurl abuses and assault us. They even commit heinous crimes in this condition. Even sometimes the drinks are spiked and many people die; many family-earners get doomed. Still, they can’t repel the attraction. I wonder how these very people only change when they regain their sense sin the morning. They become completely a different man. My father only would caress me and tell me to study well then. As soon as they finish their works, wine beckons them. And the taverns and distilleries are more to be accused than them. The owners lure these simple poor folks to have wines and then they lose conscience. And people like us get doomed in their wraths. However, we kept crying till sleep, the greatest comforter of all, drooped our eyelids shut.

The morning sunrays blazed on my tear-smudged face. I was bedazzled for some seconds and then got up from the doorway. I freshened up and put on my uniform. I have to go to school. Hence I packed my bag and came out. Ma gave me a plate of leftover rice. I glanced at my father, sitting there. As soon as his eyes fell on me, the lines on his face curved, indicating apology. And as soon as my gaze fell on him, my eyes got frozen and my teeth clenched tightly. I quickly had my food without glancing at him once. While coming out, he called out slowly,” Anji! I…” I didn’t let him finish and coldly said,” Bye ma” and stared blankly at him before I came out.

On my way, I met Mugdha, Janvi, Sitam, Rehman, Mitali and others. I noticed each of their faces flushed. I said,” Look, We need to end this game now. It’s too much.”

Rehman said,” Anji, do you know yesterday Mita tried committing suicide?” “What!” I was surprised and looked at Mitali who just lowered her head. “And you think we can bear this anymore?” “No!” we all said. Janvi aid,” then what can we do? How to get relief from this?”

I looked at Sitam who was staring at me intently. Was he thinking the same as I?

“Idea!” we shouted in unison. Everyone looked at us bewildered. He said,” Look, we can start a mission, seek help from the elders, and crash all those distilleries, can’t we?”

All looked at us as if we were some aliens. “What?” I asked.

Mugdha said,” Won’t anyone say anything? Won’t our parents deny? Won’t we get backlashes as we would be making their loss?”

“See, we will have to face certain things. But I don’t think our mothers would deny. It’s such a good idea. Please don’t back off and join this ‘Mission Breaking Out’ with us, right Sitam?” I said and looked at him. He nodded and took out his right palm. I placed my palm. Gradually, everyone place heir palms as well and we cheered along together, “Yes!”

The next phase was easier. Our teachers and elder brothers and sisters welcomed our thoughts. My ma hesitated a bit. But I made her understand,” See ma, this is for our benefit. We can mitigate this big devil using this way only. Dangers will be there. But we can’t sit quietly and keep putting up with the tortures, right?” she nodded her head and permitted me.

Then, on one day, we all mustered and sprang upon those taverns, distilleries and breweries. We thrashed the bottles, crashed the wooden shops, and burnt those illegal things. Even the usually inert police helped us. The media came flashing upon us and lo and behold! The people o glared at us before starting our movement, who threatened us, only gave supportive bites and vowed to help us. I giggled internally; all of us did. Even the victims of alcohol were a bit under control due to our constant promotions and shout outs. We were almost successful when information devastated our spirits. We secretly got to know that the owners are bringing in alcohol again by-path. We were dumb stricken. But we couldn’t lose our enthusiasm, right? Hence we reported the police and our constant pressures and complaints to the head offices had to break the local police and local politicians’’ merger. They had to take steps. We knew the path was hard but can we stop for that fear? We were highly opposed; even our fathers opposed our movements which destroyed their only source of entertainment. But mas were suddenly very active and they supported us. We are now optimistic and we hope to mete out this problem forever. The path is difficult to walk on, but it’s not impossible, right? And you all are with us, right?