Mischievious Innocence

People turn bitter not when something bad happens to them but when they loose all their hopes.

Like always it seemed a boring day to Riya. She had no  friends here. Her parents have recently moved to Dehradun and she missed her friends in Delhi. She sat beside the window and remembered her good old days. Dehradun was indeed beautiful but she was attached to Delhi more , after all those years. She looked outside wonderingly and saw big mango tree . The tree bear small ,ripe mangoes and she smiled at thought of relishing them.

She went outside in the verandah which was fenced using bushes and had a small entry through which she would scoop in .

She was busy looking at the big mango tree and heard somebody giggling. Two girls were playing across the road that lied between the verandah and other side.She curiously  looked at the girls giggling. One of them waved her hand towards her and she looked twice to confirm if she was waving at her. "HI" the girl shouted loudly "Come join us". Coyly Riya moved towards them. "I am Shree" the girl said briskly . Shree  belonged to a poor family. Her mother was a sweeper and father was a carpenter. Shree had big sparkling eyes, beautiful long hairs and looked not less than a princess. Riya shook hands with them . The other girl with Shree seemed quiet. Shree introduced the other girl Preet as her sister. Preet did not resemble Shree by any means. Both sisters were entirely different. Soon the three began playing. Riya was happy to make new friends today.

    Now it had become a regular business of the three girls to meet and play. Shree was the most lively one. She made everybody laugh with her stories and her funny accent. She was full of life . She was 6 years older than Riya but was 5 year old kid inside.

The girls chatted all day. Soon there were summer holidays and the three indulged more. Riya enjoyed playing with Shree.

Shree was  very lively full. She would climb up the mango tree and plucked mangoes for the three of them. She would tell stories of her brothers and their fight. How she loved her mother. 

 Today Shree did not come to play .Riya waited for her to show up . Then asked her mother if she can go to her house to check about her. Her mother strictly denied. Shree lived in a poor neighborhood and her mother did not  wanted Riya to go alone. Riya sadly went back to her room and sat beside the window.

 Next day Shree came and chirpingly told Riya about her marriage. Riya was shocked . "How can You marry at this tender age" Riya asked. But Shree seemed happy as if she has got  everything. "He is a very sweet guy and loves me a lot. And he is sweeper with a government job. I will live like a queen." she said. 

   "You have a elder sister. Why doesn't Preet gets married first" Riya asked. "He chose me" replied Shree briskly. "I don't need to study, that is one more advantage. Moreover he is head over heels in love with me " she replied. Riya could not understand why she was happy in getting married and going somewhere else. Why she has decided everything in one day. But she kept mum.

Even though she was younger than her , she knew a lot of right things.

That evening she told her mother about her Shree getting married. But there was not much reaction from her mother. She just muttered "Oh poor orphan girl". "Orphan" Riya replied in shock. Then mother told Riya that  Shree's biological mother left her in the hospital and was adopted by the sweeper in the hospital. Her mother did not want to keep Shree  for long as she was a burden to them. Riya already had tears rolling down her eyes and she did not knew why.

 Couple of days went by and Shree was very exited for her marriage. She was in her little world of bangle, sarees, flowers, nail paints and everything. And finally her marriage day arrived. Riya went there with her mother. Shree was so happy that she might not have noticed Riya. She was in some different world. So elated as if it was all she has asked for. The groom was in no match with Shree's beauty. But Shree did not mind it at all. All she could do was dream.

Days passed and Riya made new friends. But she missed Shree and her chirpy , innocent talks with mix of giggles,lies and laughter.

One day Riya was sitting beside her window and saw Shree walking with luggage. "Shree" Riya shouted but she did not listen and went along.

She was going to run after her and overheard the maid discussing with her mother. "The little Shree got pregnant and her mother in law turned her out, saying that she does not know any house chores." Riya was shocked and numb. She felt she could not move. That night she could not sleep and could  only remember Shree's happy face

 Next day Riya decided to go to Shree house without letting her mother know. She went there and knocked her door. Shree came out . She didn't smiled like always. She invited Riya in. Shree was just  silent and kept watching her palms , as if trying to determine the fate. After long she murmured with a still face  "Never marry Riya.....Never....."