Life is like that

It was a warm and sunny day and the kids were playing a game of cricket. Little Ajay's dad couldn't afford cricket gear in his meager income. But he would have loved to have a bat for himself. He was having to borrow the bat from his friends. And most days he never got a turn at batting.
Rohit called out : Ajay pick up the ball fast.
Ajay picks up the ball half hearted and throws it to Rohit. Meanwhile the batsmen Krishna and Sanjay have run 4 runs. Rohit is mad at Ajay for being so careless.
Rohit: Don't come to play with us if you wont pay attention.
Ajay: I want to bat too
Rohit: Then get a bat of your own.
Ajay walks away dejected. His mom has been watching all this from a distance. Ajay walks home and sits down on the doorstep. His grandmom sees him and approaches
Grandmom: Ajay why aren't you playing?
Ajay: I don't feel like playing
Grandmom: Why? Are the other boys troubling you?
Ajay: No no.. its too warm to play out.. I am tired!
Grandmom: Oh you poor boy, come let me get you something to drink.
Ajay follows his grandmom into the house.
That evening, his dad Ranjit comes home from a long day at work. Ajay rushes to greet him.
Ajay: Daddy did you have a good day
Ranjit : Yes Ajay I did, how was your day
Ajay: I played cricket and then played at home for sometime
Ranjit : Did you not study today?? Go pick up your books and read for a while before dinner
Ajay walks away looking forlorn
Ranjit : Radha do you know whats wrong with this boy. Why is he looking so upset today?
Radha (Ajay's mom) narrates the whole incident to him.
Radha: I think you should get him the bat. Poor guy!!
Ranjit : Do you think I don't want to buy him a bat. It will cost 200 bucks, I can't spare that much cash.
Radha: You call yourself a teacher at a govt school and if you cant spare that cash who will? The dhobhi next door buys so many toys for his son, and you can't buy anything for yours.
Ranjit : Don't say that.. you are being unreasonable....
Radha (interrupting him): I have work to do..
She the walks away!
The next day as Ajay returns from school, there is a shiny new bat waiting for him. He is so excited. He runs to his dad and hugs him, thanks him and runs out to play. Radha is also beaming.. neither notice the missing watch on Ranjit's hand.
(To be continued ...)

And so it ends!

She looked around her at the sad sorry faces...
At those wailing and weeping uncontrollably.. Why are they crying? she asked herself So many familiar faces. What did I miss ?
She walked through the doorway and into the house.
There huddled up sat her partner of 25 years. With tear filled eyes and a cloth to his mouth.. Her heart skipped a beat as she went up to him.
Whats Wrong? She asked. Are Roopa and Radhika alright?
He dint respond.... She frantically looked around. Both the girls were nowhere to be seen.
They never tell me where they are going, don't they know I will worry! She thought
Roopa She Called Are you home, Where are you?
She turned to look at Ravi...Don't worry She said I will go look , they are going to be okay
When he dint respond, She bent down to give him a hug and hoped that would reassure him
He wouldn't even hug her back.
She started a methodical search around the house, looking for the girls.
As she entered her bedroom she saw Roopa splayed across the bed. Weeping uncontrollably.
Whats it sweetheart... why are you so upset? ... Where is Radhika?
And then she remembers, dint she see Radhika off at the airport the day before. She must have reached the US by now, I wonder why she hasn't called yet She thought. And then it occurred to her Why Ravi and Roopa were so upset, why there were so many people around, Had something happened to Radhika?
She ran down to Ravi.. Ravi is Radhika alright she called out.. What happened to my little girl, I told you I didn't want her to go to the US. You insisted that she go.
Ravi didn't even look up. At that instant the phone rang and Ravi went to pick it up
Hello Radhika he said. She breathed a sigh of relief thinking Oh thank god Radhika is alright
Ravi said Radhika I want you to listen to this carefully. Your mom has met with an accident. Can you try and come back?
Then she saw it. The lifeless body lying in the middle of the room, the same face she had looked at in the mirror for the past 45 years. She looked around in despair
She said in her loudest voice... Don't worry Ravi I will be with you forever... But she knew he couldn't hear, he would never hear her again!