life worth of five thousand rupees

My sleep was broken by the noise of already awaken world around me. One thing I hate about hangovers, you spend your last penny to escape this chaos but when you wake up you find yourself amidst of it with nothing in your pocket. Most of my days started with a question of how I can arrange for at least five rupees till evening, to have a glass of Bangla. My family knows I am old; I can work no more in the farms. Although I can have food at home if I am at home at meal time, I am not counted while cooking and everybody shares the loss of my presence.

I stood up on my weak legs and tried to remember who bought me home. Even if I don’t remember somebody will tell me when I will be roaming in the village by afternoon. as the main door was locked, all the family members must have already left for the farms. Earlier my grand children used to wake me up before going to school, but now he helps his father in farming. He too must have left early morning with everybody. I was not liked much at home because of my drinking problem; they expected me to save money for living. They think I don’t care about the family; I just care about my addiction. They may be true, but in my worthless life drinking was the only thing which keeps me breathing till the evening.

I washed my face and I drank stomach full of the water from the mug, my grandson must have kept for me. I could feel emptiness of my stomach filled with water. I know there won’t be any breakfast for today. Even my family member will be having only dinner by evening as we didn’t have enough grain to cook till the next crop comes.

I left the emptiness of my home and started walking to my friend's place. My friend used to live just at the corner of the village in an old hut. His life is not much different than me, except he receives pension of Rs. 500 every month. That was the only thing which made him less worthless than me. Our friendship wasn't that old, once I met him in the village liquor shop. I didn't have money to drink and the owner off course was not ready to serve me on credit. Then this man paid for my peg. That night he was broken for his son's behavior. He told me his story how he end in the village hut when his son abandoned him from his house. I do not know why he was telling me those things, but I didn't stop him as he was paying my drinks. We drank till the owner pushed us out to leave the bar. Next time when we met and I paid for the bill. In many aspects we were alike; we both had many things to be heard, to complain, to curse and to laugh all would happened when we share the table. The other day he cried like a child, when one of his friend died after a long sickness. People say it's a bless to live longer. For us it was a curse to see our dear once dieing. Death is the end of all your pains but ones who love you have to bare the pain, till their turn comes. We still don't know who will be carrying this longer among us.

I reached his home, I found it latched from outside. He must have gone to the city to have his pension check. It was already late afternoon, he wont be coming today then, he always took at least two days to get his own money. I opened the door and decided to wait. There was nothing a thief could find in his hut, not at least at the last day of the month.

I waited till the dusk. It was already dark inside the hut. I decided to leave the darkness and to walk towards village. I latched the door and started to walk towards home. If I reach early today I may have something to eat, to fight till tomorrow, till my friend comes.

The hut was quite secluded from the village, about a half a mile from village. I didn't see any lights today in the village, it must be power cut I guess. I walked many times on this road, but the road seemed longer today. The light of a vehicle, passing once in a while, made my shadow to appear spread till the infinite distance when the vehicle was far away behind me, as the vehicle came closer shadow grew shorter, much shorter and abruptly disappeared as the vehicle passed beside me and I was left with the darkness.

As the vehicle passed I saw something like a coin dropped from the window. The vehicle didn't stop, but I wasn't sure what was that fell from the vehicle. I waited other vehicle to enlighten the road. After a while a car came, it was quite fast, it's light fell on the road exactly on the place I heard the sound. The ray of light reflected from the five rupee's coin. It would have disappeared once the vehicle is through, so I jumped to take the coin. I was about to have hold of the coin, the vehicle hit me hard. I was thrown off the road. I had lost the coin. I felt my forehead was bedraggled with something, I realized it was my blood.

My eyelids were heavy, I could hardly open my eyes. The only thing I realized that it was the hospital I was in. I could hear some whispering outside the room.
“Who was the new case?”
“Just another drunkard hit by a car, at some village”
“Any chances of survival?”
“It will be costlier to keep him alive, I don't think his family has that much money”
“What about the car driver?”
“He has big connections, all is settled with cops and the family.”
“For how much?”
“Five thousand, two thousand for the cop and three thousand for the family.”

I was numb. The wound didn't hurt anymore. For all these years I thought my life was worthless. I was wrong, it did worth, it worthed of five thousand rupees.

From the half open eyes I could see those two shadows in the door. The shadows spread till the infinite distance, the shadows started to grew shorter, much shorter and as the bright flame came out of me, I was left in the darkness, the darkness spread till the infinite distance. At last the all the pains of life has ended for once and all.